Making Friends with Alice Dyson

by Poppy Nwosu

Overview

A sweet and soulful romantic debut about rumors, friendship, and discovering who you really are

Alice Dyson knows exactly how she’ll be spending her final year of high school—with her head down, quietly concentrating on her textbooks and homework. She is focused on the future, and nothing and no one is going to get in her way. That is, until a bizarre encounter with Teddy Taualai, the school’s most notorious troublemaker, goes viral, derailing her plans and pushing her into the spotlight. Suddenly Alice’s under-the-radar life is one enormous, messy complication. And the worst part? Teddy Taualai is everywhere she turns. In author Poppy Nwosu’s pitch-perfect debut novel, an unlikely pair of outsiders take the daunting, delicate first steps toward becoming friends and maybe, just maybe, something more. Briskly paced with a complex and appealing cast of characters, this contemporary romance explores the ever-tricky dance of staying true to yourself while opening your heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536214789
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/15/2020
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 5.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Poppy Nwosu grew up in central North Queensland, Australia, and after studying music, moved temporarily to Ireland. Making Friends with Alice Dyson, her debut novel, was short-listed for the Readings Young Adult Book Prize, which recognizes exciting emerging voices in Australian young adult literature. She lives in Australia with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

07/20/2020

Australian author Nwosu debuts with an offbeat romance featuring an endearing, mismatched couple. High school senior Alice Dyson doesn’t mind not being popular—having best friend May is enough. But when someone films Alice impulsively engaging in a dance-off with transfer student Teddy Taulalai, around whom rumors swirl, she’s suddenly the source of gossip, even told by a teacher to “surround yourself with only good influences.” As May decides she wants to work her way into the popular crowd, Alice is drawn closer to Teddy, learning that rumors about his failing grades and violent behavior at a previous school are false. Neither Alice nor Teddy is who they appear to be on the outside, and Nwosu adroitly and subtly peels back both characters’ layers to reveal their essences. Alice, known as a studious grind, has a secret plan for the future that has nothing to do with academics; Teddy, more quirky than scary (if a little pushy at times), is still grieving the death of his mother. Told from Alice’s point of view, Nwosu’s novel expresses universal vulnerabilities and ends with a surprising resolution. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Alice’s voice is charmingly open, honest, and kind, and her loyalty to her friends combined with her deep insecurity render her character fascinatingly layered...An entertaining teen romance.
—Kirkus Reviews

Fans of young adult contemporary romance will enjoy this book as they cheer for Alice to come out of her shell and embrace her senior year of high school.
—School Library Journal

Australian author Nwosu debuts with an offbeat romance featuring an endearing, mismatched couple...Told from Alice’s point of view, Nwosu’s novel expresses universal vulnerabilities and ends with a surprising resolution.
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

07/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Alice Dyson is a senior who wants to study and do her homework. She is not someone who would be friends with the school's bad boy; but that all changes one day when a video goes viral of Alice and Teddy Taualai having a dance-off. Alice's quiet life as a bookworm grows more complicated when Teddy wants to become part of it. Alice is a character who is comforted by routine—she is shy and wants to stick to herself and her friend May, but readers learn that life is not always simple. Teddy is the complete opposite of her, and it brings a fun, cutesy feel to this book. This is a lighthearted novel that teens across the globe will relate to. It proves one shouldn't judge everyone by what they see, or hear, on the outside. Gossip, social media, friendship, and relationships are all brought to the forefront, which will make this book appealing to teens. VERDICT Fans of young adult contemporary romance will enjoy this book as they cheer for Alice to come out of her shell and embrace her senior year of high school.—Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Lib., NC

School Library Journal

2020-06-30
Alice Dyson has spent her high school career perfecting the art of invisibility—until the day she unexpectedly befriends Teddy Taualai, and suddenly she’s all anyone can talk about.

A studious loner living under immense pressure from her mother’s unrealistic expectations, Alice avoids everyone except her best friend, May, whom she’s known since kindergarten. But then Teddy inserts himself into her life, and Alice finds herself opening up in ways she never has before, including romantically. Alice isn’t the only one changing: After years on the sidelines, May craves popularity and begins to act in ways Alice can’t understand. As Alice grows closer to Teddy and drifts away from May, she must make choices about who her friends are—and about the kind of friend she wants to be. Alice’s voice is charmingly open, honest, and kind, and her loyalty to her friends combined with her deep insecurity render her character fascinatingly layered. At times, Teddy’s pushiness feels toxic, and Alice’s willingness to return to him seems both unhealthy and out of character. While her relationships with May and Teddy are complex, Alice’s relationship with her parents is barely explored, leading to an ending that feels too tidy to be believable. Other than Teddy, whose name and dark skin may cue him as Samoan, most of the characters in the book are White.

An entertaining teen romance with a problematic approach to consent. (Romance. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews