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This is part 17 of my review and summary of Intensely Alice for those of you who have not been able to read the book yet and are dying to know what happens.
WARNING: Please do not continue reading if you do not want to know what happens.
Chapter Nineteen – Good-byes and Beginnings
No one plans anything for the last weekend of August. Alice resents the fact that neither Gwen, Pamela, nor Liz have said anything to her and she feels that she is the one who always invites them over. After milling around the house for a day, Alice texts Gwen, Pamela, and Liz asking them if they wanted to get together that evening. All of them respond yes. Once together, they cannot think of something to do. They end up going to their elementary school. They are silent at first, but then each of them shares how they have been coping. Pamela walking mindlessly around the mall. Liz on Google trying to find statistics about road accidents. When Gwen does not say anything, Alice asks her how she has been dealing with the loss. Gwen says she feels out of the group because she has not known Mark that long and she does not share the same memories they have. At the mention of memories, Alice begins to cry saying she just feels sad for the Stedmeisters. When Gwen asks how she has been dealing with the sadness and that she has not heard from her during the past week, Alice replies that she has been feeling miserable and none of them have bothered to contact her. Gwen, Pamela, and Liz all respond by telling Alice that she could have asked for help and that she has always been there for them. Alice realizes that that is true and that asking for help is harder than helping. They also tell her that people grieve in different ways. Gwen then suggests visiting the Stedmeisters to which they all agree. As they leave the school, Alice decides that the first article she will write for The Edge will be called “Memories of Mark”.
When the girls visit the Stedmeisters, his parents show them the tree they planted in honor of Mark. Alice herself feels like a new tree surviving the summer. At home, she receives an e-mail from David. At the end of the email he tells her he misses the Melody Inn and all the good conversations he had with her. He tells her that he hopes she feels better after this tough time and adds that “astonishing things can happen to people who hope”. Alice also receives an email from Patrick, who hates to e-mail, asking her if she wears the earrings he got for her and if she could take a picture of her wearing them and send it to him. Afterward, she gets a call from Molly telling her that she is in remission and is allowed to start college in the fall. Alice is ecstatic at this news. When she finds her father sitting out on the porch with a crossword puzzle, she tells him that she is not sure if she is Christian or if she believes in God, but she wants “to be part of everything that’s good and true and real”. Ben tells her “that’s a terrific place to begin”, invites her to help him with his crossword puzzle, and says they can discuss her new realization some more.
MY TAKE: This was a good ending to a good book. The beginning showed that Alice had some true emotions, which some people may feel. I especially liked the part where her friends tell her that people grieve in different ways. The emails Alice received were nice to read about as well and I am glad the book had a hopeful, more positive end.
Be sure to check out other Intensely Alice updates including chapter summaries and reviews (spoiler alert!), surveys, polls, and more!
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
Thank you for that, it was greatly appreciated. =)
August 5th, 2009
Dear Anonymous,
No problem. One of the reasons I did this was to give Alice fans the chance to know what happens in Intensely Alice if they did not have access to it. It’s by no means a complete retell of the book, but rather just the major plot points. I’ll have more Alice updates as they come so keep checking back!
Belinda
August 5th, 2009
When I read the book earlier this summer, i was in total love! I mean I know not many enjoyed Almost Alice, (but I absoloutely loved it, mainly becuase of the Patrick and Alice moments,) but Intensely Alice, absolutely blew the series to new heights, because it matured and was still relatable to its readers as time passed.
August 6th, 2009
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