I found this book and was drawn to the cover because it was just so bright and beautiful. I didn't read the first one in this book but i wasn't confused with out it. Alice, is a teen who is just trying to become normal, this is really hard for her because her mom is a feminist/hippie and her dad is a soft core romance novalist. She starts out by entering this Miss Smithers Contest. (She is actually the normalist person there) This book was a very fun/funny book to read. (I can't help being a little bit biased over this book cause i myself am Canadian)