Go Ask AliceReading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416914633
ISBN-13: 978-1416914631
Go Ask Alice is a book I read when I was an early teenager and it scared the beegeezees out of me! It was years later before I realized this was a work of fiction - not a true teen diary by Anonymous as it was marketed.
Work of fiction or not, it is an interesting read into the teenage drug world of the 1960s. Although dated, I think this would be a good book for adults to read before they have "the drug" talk with their children.
The book begins with a 15 year old named Alice who is living in a perfectly normal home with two parents and a younger brother and sister. She had everything, but like most teenagers, she didn't realize it until it was gone.
Supposedly tricked into taking LDS when offered a laced Coke at a party, this work of fiction depicts Alice's downward spiral into drugs and her eventual climb back out the other side.
Written in "diary" form, it is a quick read and can easily be read in one night. Although continued to be touted as a true story, be aware that the truth of this book's origins was debunked many years ago. However, this doesn't stop it from being a good read.
*****Warning*****
Just a note to parents: This book is ranked very high on many of the banned books lists in the USA. If you care concerned about your children reading "banned" books, this many not be the book for your family.
3 comments:
I haven't read this book, though if I come across it at a thrift store I'll definitely have to read it. I grew up in a little town in the 70s and new nothing of the drug scene so I probably wouldn't have understood it much at the time anyway.
Nice to see your warning to parents at the bottom. Not everyone takes the time (or cares to) do that.
I read this one in school in 8th or 9th grade. I don't remember anything about it other than I needed my parents to sign a permission slip. lol
--Anna
Diary of an Eccentric
I read this about 10 years ago and thought it was very well written. It's a shame it is on the banned books list, I think books like this are very important reads for younger people.
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