Go Ask Alice (1971)

I would have more respect for this book if it wasn't marketed as someone's actual diary. ( )

Go Ask Alice is one of those books that will stick with you forever. I read it several years ago and still remember how disturbing yet eye-opening it is. Even though it was published in the 70s, the subject matter is still very much relevant today. ( )

VOYA Quality: 3Q- "Readable, without serious defects."
VOYA Popularity: 2P- "For the YA reader with a special interest in the subject."

“When we left I didn’t know whether I felt better about what I’ve done because so many other people are caught up in the same thing or worse because everybody’s going crazy at once. But to tell you the truth, I really don’t think the kids can be blamed for screwing up, at least not entirely. The adults don’t seem to be doing much better” (p. 121).

This fictional book is noted to be a “real diary” of the dark world of teen wrapped up into the world of drugs. Initially this introduction to drugs was not of her volition. It was a case of being mixed with the wrong people, but what ensued was a rollercoaster of an adolescence gone wrong and the choices we make once we have turned in this direction.

The protagonist is an average young adult with a good family. Having these characters in this situation can have average teens feeling the protagonist could be them if they were in this situation. This story is a reminder of what teens can face during a challenging period of a young adult’s life. I also felt the mixed relationship a teen has during this time with their family and friends was emphasized; as well as the misunderstandings and lack of communication between parents and teens. ( )

It is sad that the author of this book did pretend that this was a real story. They still do but now somewhere in the book it will say it is a piece of fiction.

When i read it year ago I was already surprised how quickly this girl got hooked, especially the kind of drugs she uses are not ones you get so easily addicted to. It did not ring true. Now re-reading it it is so obvious this book was written by an adult.
Obviously it was published to be anti drug propaganda but I have read a lot of people who said this book made them curious to drugs instead of making them scared. Glad to see that goodreads has Beatrice Sparks as the author. ( )

Read on July 24, 2011

** spoiler alert ** My copy still says "by Anonymous", but I really doubt this book is by a teenager of any generation. I don't know many teenagers that write like that, but Sparks seems to really know how teenagers think. It's a quick read with an absolutely devastating ending.

About the ending: the teenager, we'll call her "Alice" for convenience, decides to stop keeping a journal and then she dies. That I take as a total cop-out by Sparks. I think the ending would have been far more powerful if we had experienced the final lapse into whatever "Alice" was involved in. By just saying...she was found dead three weeks later after experiencing one of the best birthdays she's ever had...I don't buy it. ( )