Alice on Board, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Alice #24)

 In her last adventure before starting college, Alice takes to the open sea for the summer—and nothing can stop the tides of change.Everything Alice has ever known is about to change—from where she sleeps at night to how close her closest friends will be. So Alice is meeting that seasick feeling head-on by setting sail as staff on a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship. And like any last great adventure before starting college, Alice knows she’ll need sunblock, an open mind, and…oh yeah, all her best girlfriends. It’s the perfect summer job.

     Perfect, that is, when things are going perfectly. But when they’re not, Alice has to figure out how to weather unexpected storms of all sorts. Which could be perfect after all—perfect training for her next big adventure—college.

Alice McKinley has finally graduated high school and is spending the summer before college working on a cruise ship with her best friends. She has some tiny adventures, one or two big adventures, and misses Patrick the whole time. The end.

I used to love the Alice books, primarily because of how relateable Alice was. I felt it in this book but instead of enjoying this one I thought it was kind of annoying. Alice felt more like a walking PSA than a teenage girl and her feelings were too defined to seem real. She didn't go through any of that confusing emotional stuff she went through in past books but no one is that clear when it comes to emotions. I will say that the book did flow like life usually goes-lots of little memorable instances with one or two arcs that last for a while but on the whole, unexciting.

For anyone like me who followed Alice all the way to this book I will tell you now: nothing important happens. Don't waste your time on this book unless you have nothing better to do with your time. Please believe me-I read reviews saying exactly this and didn't trust them and look where that got me. I'm excited for the last book and to see what happens to Alice but I'm not excited enough to give this book a good rating. All relationships, friendships, and lives are exactly the same as they were at the end of the previous book, so chill out and read something else.

For anyone who hasn't realized it yet, Alice is going to end up with Patrick. I wasn't sure if Naylor would go the obvious route with Patrick or if she would have Alice be with someone we don't know but this book confirmed (for me) that it would be Patrick. A tiny part of me thought maybe Mitch (new guy in this book) but since Alice is going to college and Mitch is going home I highly doubt that will happen. (Little secret-I actually want her to be with Paul, her brother's roommate, and there were even some hints at the end that that would happen, but I can't see the author getting past the age difference.)

2.4 stars. I'm really sorry Alice, but all good things must come to an end.