Bad Alice (Signature) [Paperback]

Duffy is an "oddball": a sufferer of Tourette's Syndrome, he is socially isolated and used to people avoiding him because of his illness. At the beginning of the book, he is even more isolated than usual, as his mother and baby sister are over in America so his sister can have a life-saving operation. Duffy is stuck with his Nan, who means well but does not understand him at all. The only person who does seem to understand and accept Duffy is Alice, the younger daughter of the local vicar, universally seen as a "bad girl" and even a "nutcase".

At first, Duffy doesn't know what to think of her: Alice is fun to be around, but extremely imaginative and often violently passionate. It's difficult to know when she's being serious and when she's joking, and there is some doubt as to whether she can distinguish between fantasy and reality. When Duffy meets Alice's family, he begins to think her actions are understandable, but it's not until he reads Alice's dark version of the classic "Alice in Wonderland" that he truly realises just what is going on in Alice's home.

Duffy is an engaging narrator: he feels no self-pity about his condition, and he is completely factual (and very truthful). But he is not perfect: he often has no idea what to say or do, thanks to his social isolation, which leaves him floundering when he is confronted with Alice's situation. The contrast of the factual, calm Duffy, with the volatile and imaginative Alice produces some wonderful conversations, and leaves you wanting to learn more about each of them.

I would say this is required reading for both boys and girls, and adults, too. It treats its subject sensitively, but it still gets the message across, without being sensationalist. Don't think that this book is all moral, though - there is wonderful writing in here, and humour, too. I would recommend it for everyone over the age of 10.

Still here? Then let's get on with it.
Bad Alice concerns the friendship between two children one summer. Duffy is a teenage boy with mild Tourette's syndrome and Alice is the girl next door. Alice is a child that is universally agreed to be a bad sort - universally that is except for Duffy who strikes up an immediate friendship with her.
As the plot unfolds the disturbing nature of Alice's family set up is revealed and the abusive relationship with her father is readily apparent to adult eyes reading the book if not to the adult characters. Duffy's gradual realisation that his friend's obsession with Alice in Wonderland masks very deep and real problems is poignant and painful to us because we have seen coming what we know he too must eventually realise. Alice's problems become most apparent through the version of Alice in Wonderland which she is secretly writing and allowing him to read. These sections are at times a little too knowing and articulate for a thirteen year old to have written but that is the only slight flaw in an otherwise brilliant but deeply disturbing book. This should be on recommended reading lists for all teenagers as the handling of one of the worst problems that exists in society is sensitive and intelligent and raising the awareness within teenagers that such problems don't have to be simply endured must be a good thing.
Come to that raising the awareness of the problem among adults is also not a bad idea. Maybe, if enough people had their awareness raised then we could eradicate this kind of thing altogether and books like this would become unnecessary.

Final verdict. A sensitive, disturbing and above all necessary read.