GO ASK ALICE A REAL DIARY PB N PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Anonymous | 214 pages | 27 Jun 2008 | SIMON & SCHUSTER | 9781416914631 | English | New York, NY, United States Go Ask Alice - Wikipedia

Shelia invites both girls to lavish parties, where they resume taking drugs. One night Shelia and her new boyfriend introduce the girls to heroin and brutally rape them while they are under the influence of the drug. Traumatized, the diarist and Chris move to Berkeley where they open a jewelry shop. Although the shop is a success, they quickly grow tired of it and miss their families; they return home for a happy Christmas. Back at home, the diarist encounters social pressure from her drug scene friends, and has problems getting along with her parents. Chris and the diarist try to stay away from drugs, but their resolve lapses and they end up on probation after being caught in a police raid. The diarist gets high one night and runs away. She travels to several cities, hitchhiking partway with a girl named Doris who is a victim of child sexual abuse. The diarist continues to use drugs, supporting her habit through prostitution , and experiences homelessness before a priest reunites her with her family. Now determined to avoid drugs, she faces hostility from her former friends, especially after she calls the parents of one girl who shows up high for a babysitting job. The diarist's former friends harass her at school and threaten her and her family. They eventually drug her against her will; she has a bad trip resulting in physical and mental damage, and is sent to a psychiatric hospital. There she bonds with a younger girl named Babbie, who has also been a drug addict and child prostitute. Released from the hospital, the diarist returns home, finally free of drugs. She now gets along better with her family, makes new friends, and is romantically involved with Joel, a responsible student from her father's college. She is worried about starting school again, but feels stronger with the support of her new friends and Joel. In an optimistic mood, the diarist decides to stop keeping a diary and instead discuss her problems and thoughts with other people. The epilogue states that the subject of the book died three weeks after the final entry. The diarist was found dead in her home by her parents when they returned from a movie. She died from a drug overdose, either accidental or premeditated. The anonymous diarist's name is never revealed in the book. Despite the lack of any evidence in the book that the diarist's name is Alice, the covers of various editions have suggested that her name is Alice by including blurb text such as "This is Alice's true story" [22] and "You can't ask Alice anything anymore. But you can do something— read her diary. In the television film based on the book, the protagonist played by Jamie Smith-Jackson is named "Alice". The manuscript that later became Go Ask Alice was initially prepared for publication by Beatrice Sparks , a Mormon therapist and youth counselor then in her early 50s, who had previously done various forms of writing. Sparks had reportedly noted that the general public at that time lacked knowledge about youth drug abuse, and she likely had both educational and moral motives for publishing the book. With the help of Art Linkletter , a popular talk show host for whom Sparks had worked as a ghostwriter , the manuscript was passed on to Linkletter's literary agent, who sold it to Prentice Hall. Upon its publication, Go Ask Alice quickly became a publishing sensation [33] and an international bestseller, being translated into 16 languages. Libraries had difficulty obtaining and keeping enough copies of the book on the shelves to meet demand. By , more than three million copies of the book had reportedly been sold, [31] and by the paperback edition had been reprinted 43 times. The book remained continuously in print over the ensuing decades, with reported sales of over four million copies by , [1] and over five million copies by Go Ask Alice received positive initial reviews, including praise from Webster Schott in The New York Times , who called it an "extraordinary work", a "superior work" and a "document of horrifying reality [that] possesses literary quality". Years after its publication, Go Ask Alice continued to receive some good reviews, often in the context of defending the book against censors see Censorship. However, starting in the s, the book began to draw criticism for its heavy-handedness, melodramatic style and inauthenticity, in view of the growing consciousness that it was fiction rather than a real teenager's diary see Authorship and veracity controversies. Although school boards and committees reached varying conclusions about whether Go Ask Alice had literary value, [31] [32] educators generally viewed it as a strong cautionary warning against drug use. However, some adults who read the book as teens or pre-teens have written that they paid little attention to the anti-drug message and instead related to the diarist's thoughts and emotions, [9] [45] or vicariously experienced the thrills of her rebellious behavior. Although Go Ask Alice has been credited to an anonymous author since its publication, and was originally promoted as the real, albeit edited, diary of a real teenage girl, over time the book has come to be regarded by researchers as a fake memoir written by Beatrice Sparks, [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [10] [26] possibly with the help of one or more co-authors. Go Ask Alice was originally published by Prentice Hall in as the work of an unnamed author "Anonymous". The original edition contained a note signed by "The Editors" that included the statements, " Go Ask Alice is based on the actual diary of a fifteen- year-old drug user Names, dates, places and certain events have been changed in accordance with the wishes of those concerned. Upon its publication, almost all contemporary reviewers and the general public accepted it as primarily authored by an anonymous teenager. According to Lauren Adams, Publishers Weekly magazine was the only source to question the book's authenticity on the grounds that it "seem[ed] awfully well written". Not long after Go Ask Alice ' s publication, Beatrice Sparks began making public appearances presenting herself as the book's editor. In an article by Nilsen, based in part on interviews with Sparks and published in the October issue of School Library Journal , Sparks said that she had received the diaries that became Go Ask Alice from a girl she had befriended at a youth conference. The girl allegedly gave Sparks her diaries in order to help Sparks understand the experiences of young drug users and to prevent her parents from reading them. According to Sparks, the girl later died, although not of an overdose. Sparks said she had then transcribed the diaries, destroying parts of them in the process with the remaining portions locked in the publisher's vault and unavailable for review by Nilsen or other investigators , and added various fictional elements, including the overdose death. Although Sparks did not confirm or deny the allegations that the diarist's parents had threatened a lawsuit, she did say that in order to get a release from the parents, she had only sought to use the diaries as a "basis to which she would add other incidents and thoughts gleaned from similar case studies," according to Nilsen. Nilsen wrote that Sparks now wanted to be seen as the author of the popular Go Ask Alice in order to promote additional books in the same vein that she had published or was planning to publish. These books included Jay's Journal , another alleged diary of a real teenager that Sparks was later accused of mostly authoring herself. Urban folklore expert Barbara Mikkelson of snopes. According to Mikkelson, the writing style and content—including a lengthy description of an LSD trip but relatively little about "the loss of [the diarist's] one true love", school, gossip or ordinary "chit-chat"— seems uncharacteristic of a teenage girl's diary. In hindsight, commentators have suggested various motivations for the publishers to present Go Ask Alice as the work of an anonymous deceased teenager, such as avoiding literary criticism, [26] lending validity to an otherwise improbable story, [26] and stimulating young readers' interest by having the book's anti-drug advice come from a teenager rather than an adult. Sparks said that while there were "many reasons" for publishing the book anonymously, her main reason was to make it more credible to young readers. Sparks was involved in a similar controversy regarding the veracity of her second diary project, the book Jay's Journal. It was allegedly the real diary, edited by Sparks, of a teenage boy who committed suicide after becoming involved with the occult. Some commentators have noted that these books use writing styles similar to Go Ask Alice [34] and contain similar themes, such as tragic consequences for spending time with bad companions, a protagonist who initially gets into trouble by accident or through someone else's actions, and portrayal of premarital sex and homosexuality as always wrong. He identified Linda Glovach, an author of young-adult novels , as "one of the 'preparers'—let's call them forgers—of Go Ask Alice ", although he did not give his source for this claim. Following Sparks' statements that she had added fictional elements to Go Ask Alice , the book was classified by its publishers as fiction and remains so classified as of and a disclaimer was added to the copyright page: "This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Despite the classification and the disclaimer, Go Ask Alice has frequently been taught as non-fiction in schools and sold as non-fiction in bookstores. Go Ask Alice has been a frequent target of censorship challenges due to its inclusion of profanity and references to runaways, drugs, sex and rape. Some challenges resulted in the removal of the book from libraries, or in parental permission being required for a student to check the book out of a library. Decades after its original publication, Go Ask Alice became one of the most challenged books of the s and s. The likely authoring of the book by one or more adults rather than by an unnamed teenage girl has not been an issue in censorship disputes. Stand-up comedian Paul F. Tompkins ' comedy album Freak Wharf contains a track titled "Go Ask Alice" in which he derides the book as "the phoniest of balonies" and jokingly suggests it was authored by the writing staff of the police drama series Dragnet. View all 11 comments. Oct 16, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it Shelves: young-adult , novels , 20th-century , classics , literature , united- states , fiction. Go Ask Alice, Beatrice Sparks In , a year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her parents. The dates and locations mentioned in the book place its events as occurring between and in California, Colorado, Oregon, and New York City. The two towns in which the diarist's family reside during the story are not identified, and are only described as being Go Ask Alice, Beatrice Sparks In , a year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her parents. The two towns in which the diarist's family reside during the story are not identified, and are only described as being college towns. This book. Somehow, I have never gotten around to reading Go Ask Alice before. I knew of it but all I really knew is that it is considered a classic , was anonymous and was about a teenage girl's descent into addiction. That's it. I did not anticipate liking it all that much. I was wrong. I have had a tough time concentrating on reading lately, with the corona virus. I picked this up last night, intending to read a few pages and wound up finishing the whole thing. It is not very long either. It was nowhere close to what I expected. I guess I thought I'd open up the book and Anonymous would already be deep into addiction. I imagined a real gritty read that wouldn't be easy to follow. When we meet Alice, she is a young and wistful girl, popping with vitality, brimming with innocence with a somewhat child like and earnest world view. I adored her by the second or third page. Her transition into darkness is so real. I mean I know many have said, in their reviews, that it feels to fast and that makes it feel unreal. But I felt it read very authentically. I have never struggled with drug addiction but have known so many.. I have lost people to it, either to mental illness or to death or just to oblivion. I know of nobody.. So it all felt natural to me and heart breaking. I cannot say this book was "enjoyable" but it was deeply moving and now I wish I had read it year s ago. There were two things I did not know. One: I did not know about the controversy. I did not know this true story might be fake. If the person many speak of having wrote it, did in fact write it, wouldn't there be more about the evils of rock music? Look at the time period it came out in. I am not convinced this is not authentic and even if it turned out it isn't, there are many an Alice across the planet, that I would have been moved and rated it the same anyway. I did not expect to end the book, with a smile on my face thinking Alice was on her way to recovery, only to read the epilogue and find out she died three weeks after her sunny "see ya" to her diary. That was a crushing moment. I cried. It lent the book so much power and I have to say it hit me like a ton of bricks. Excellent book. I think the older one is the more they will like the book as having more life experience, absolutely causes you to think more in regards to this type of book. In closing.. Read it if you haven't. View all 9 comments. Feb 15, drowningmermaid rated it did not like it Shelves: audio , author-lies-like-a-dog , unintentionally-hilarious. What drug you would have to be on to believe that this was a real diary? Maybe Squeaky Clean Jesus Powder. And yes, this is coming from someone who has never done drugs, and believes strongly in the illegality and deleterious effects of all drugs, including and in some cases especially marijuana. I cannot tell you how much I hate the hypocrisy of missionary efforts like this one. I'll wrap my didactic message in a 'true' story! My lies are sanctified by the holiness of my c What drug you would have to be on to believe that this was a real diary? God hates these things, therefore God is on my side! Beatrice Sparks, may you burn in the flaming pits of heck. ETA: Oh, Mormonism. I try to respect you. Really, I do. I so admire the early work of Orson Scott Card. The work you did rebuilding New Orleans deserves nothing but praise. Your 'wholesome family values' are cloying and myopic, but decent rules to live by, for the most part. I try so hard to think of you as a real religion, and not a crazy cult full of God-blinded chumps being preyed on by a few vicious frauds. What is it that you DO to your female authors? Why do they think it's alright to lie in interviews? I was feeling sort of shame-faced about bringing up the heavy-handed plugs for Mormon theology Mormon concept of 'resurrection,' insistence on eternal families. I don't usually like bringing up a religion just to criticize. I took this line out of an early version of this review: "Sparks, you are every bit as bad as the straight-laced missionaries who show up at my door with a sales pitch and a smile and a watered-down version of their religion specifically crafted to be palatable to non-believers like me. Sparks was entrusted with the true diary of a genuinely suicidal boy, but rather than editing it and printing it as the family wished, she used it as a platform for her personal crusade against satanism-- which the boy was not involved in. Needless to say, a horrific violation of trust, and a flat refusal to offer anything but trite, simplistic answers in the face of monumental grief and loss. She then went on to become a TEACHER employed by Brigham Young University-- the church's cornerstone for cranking out more good Mormons, despite the fact that she habitually lied about her educational background she advertized herself as a PhD, which she did not have and her counseling credentials she had none, and yet became a youth counselor. Please tell me wiki is wrong, because this smacks of something wrong at the very top. I really feel I ought to smoke a joint now, just to distance myself from such narrow-minded, groupthink pablum. My rating is for my sense of violation and because the author is an embarrassment to everything she stands for, not because the writing is expressly atrocious. Feb 12, Evan rated it it was ok Shelves: none-too-good , snuffed-young , retro-lounge-funky , reads , drugs-n-shit , all-time-hall-of-shame , pulp-trash , psycho- drama , fucked-up-women , s. I mean, what can you say? We all know this thing is a fake; and passages such as the one where her dad cites statistics on VD and suicide and other social ills and somehow she manages to remember and write them down verbatim hours later in the "diary" kind of give the thing away. I like the attempt at "authentic" touches, eg. The writing style goes from the goo-goo-ga-ga golly gee-willikers level to the usage of more sophisticated words such as "nary" and "woebegone" at the drop of a hat. I am wondering how, when our diarist heroine was in the gutter and writing her diary entries on paper bags and such, she managed to maintain the clarity of mind to actually stow away these inconvenient pages to get them pasted back into the diary. And, presuming that she kept the diary with her since she had it with her on all her travels, based on the dates and locales -- and based on the fact that the diary is said to have not been filled - - why she would need to use scraps of other kinds of paper at all. Methinks the REAL author has trapped herself in her own dramatic license The Hercule Poirot in me, folks. The boffo bleak abrupt ending is probably what takes the wind out of most readers' sails. The book is a cautionary exploitation classic in the grand tradition -- with Gramps and Granmamma and gingerbread men and Christmas trees and God and Holy Matrimony and virginity always imperiled by the lurking dark menace ever at hand. It's one of those books where LSD and pot are put on the same level to create guilt by association, as in the sentence: "Anyone who says pot and acid are not addicting are foolish! I'm giving the thing two stars for sociological interest and for at least being a fast-enough read to not have wasted too much of my life. Jan 23, Debbie rated it liked it Shelves: banned. Though purported to be the real diary of a year-old girl who became addicted to drugs during the 's, Go Ask Alice is actually a work of fiction. The narrator unknowingly takes LSD acid at a party and has a great trip. She is instantly addicted and a few weeks later, she is willingly sucking down any and every drug she can get. Come on! While I am certainly not an advocate of drug use, there is no scientific evidence that LSD is addictive--or marijuana, another key ingredient the narrator Though purported to be the real diary of a year-old girl who became addicted to drugs during the 's, Go Ask Alice is actually a work of fiction. While I am certainly not an advocate of drug use, there is no scientific evidence that LSD is addictive--or marijuana, another key ingredient the narrator's downfall. Can a bad trip be permanently dangerous to a person's sanity? But the sheer speed of the narrator's descent into addiction is laughable. And there is a scene where she describes shooting up speed and then in the next sentence worrying about how dangerous pot is. I just didn't buy it. While the pure drama of all the bad stuff that happens to the narrator after she runs away from home and continues after she returns home will surely appeal to teens, Go Ask Alice is not a realistic or even a particularly well-written account of the life of an addict. It amuses me that this book regularly appears on banned book lists because it's purpose is not to encourage drug use; just the opposite. Iggy - K. An interesting one to review. I've read this book three or four times, beginning when I was about ten -- I was enthralled by it then, completely invested in 'Alice' and devastated yet fascinated by the downward spiral of her life. At that time in my life it was easily a five-star book, especially because it was a true story! Of course I later learned that it's a fictional book, presumably written to scare kids off drugs. I don't actually have an issue with that message, though I'm not sure th An interesting one to review. I don't actually have an issue with that message, though I'm not sure that tricking someone into believing a person existed is the ideal way to go about that. If I'd known as a kid that the book was essentially a lie, I think I would have felt quite betrayed, though luckily by the time I found this out it had been quite a while since I'd last read it. I do think there is some value to it, for the right age group, but it's dated of course, and doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Knowing it is fiction makes it feel quite hypocritical in some ways and I'm unsure how I feel about it now. However, I'm leaving the four-star rating because, while I can't bring myself to give it five, it did have an undeniable effect on me in my early years, and really meant a lot to me. I think the book has a lot of good intentions and means well, but it seems odd to try and pass this off as something other than a novel I'm not sure about more recent copies, but mine is insistent that Alice was real, this is her real diary, her real life etc. It made me a little paranoid when I was younger, the shocking ease of how someone could get you addicted to drugs and then before you know your entire life has fallen apart -- I know this can happen, but obviously this book doesn't actually have any real authenticity to it anymore, which kind of takes away it's power. For all its faults, at least you could use it as a conversation starter of sorts. Sorry the rather mixed, slightly rambling review, I suppose I'm torn about this one. It used be a very meaningful book to me, but I'm honestly unsure if I would recommend it -- at least not without drawing attention to the issues I mentioned above. The only reason I read this book is because I thought it was an autobiography. When I finished reading it, I did some research and found out that it was not a real diary. Now that I know it isn't a true story, I don't really have anything good to say about it. It really bothered me that the author said it was a real teenagers diary, when really it was just a work of fiction. The author was clearly trying to scare people with this book. When I was reading the book, the only redeeming quality was The only reason I read this book is because I thought it was an autobiography. When I was reading the book, the only redeeming quality was the fact that I thought it was a real story. While I read it though I did question the authenticity of the "diary". First of all it just seemed unlikely that a drug addict would constantly write in a diary and keep it with her all the time. Secondly, it didn't sound like it was a 15 year old's diary. Even when she wasn't on drugs, it just didn't sound right to me. Halfway through I wanted to stop reading because I was so bored and I was skimming but I kept going so I could find out what happened and also so I could give it a negative review. The message I got from the author was - "don't do drugs ever. Don't even do them once because then you'll get wrapped up in that world and you'll get raped and abused and beaten and once you decide to get clean, drug users will track you down, bully you, beat you, rape you, drug you and you'll land in a hospital with horrific injuries and then land in a mental hospital. You will be marked for the rest of your life and then you will die because of drugs. Don't do drugs ever. And don't have sex before marriage. It was only here a few weeks ago that a young girl died from taking ecstasy. But this book didn't do anything productive. If it scared people out of doing drugs, I suppose that's a plus but for me, it was not a good book and it didn't have a positive clear message. The one good thing I suppose about this book was that it told teens that it is okay to speak to someone if you're in trouble. Don't read this. It's not good. This book is something every kid should read before high school. The main character is slipped LSD and hooked on drugs. As she becomes an addict, her diary explains her deepest fears and thoughts. The truth in stories can be scary. Oct 22, Elle ellexamines rated it did not like it Shelves: z-read , y-notowned , 1-star , contemporary. Go Ask Alice is one of the least believable fake diaries I have ever read. The protagonist is so robotic and idiotic and rings false at every turn. The character actually ends the book resolved to drop her drug addiction, and then dies at the end. I take issue with this form of narrative punishment; I prefer stories where characters make mistakes and yet persevere. This story would be more powerful as a Go Ask Alice is one of the least believable fake diaries I have ever read. This story would be more powerful as a story about redemption. I also take issue with this entire scheme. Don't write fake diaries as anti-drug propaganda. Is fearmongering really the best way to solve drug problems? I think not. View all 4 comments. Aug 15, Charlotte May marked it as library-loans. My first pick from my TBR box and it ends up being the first book I ever added to my want to read shelf on Goodreads back in ! I'm intrigued :. Nov 29, Amy rated it really liked it Shelves: own. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Because it was written and published in you have to forgive the book being a generation behing in coolness, if you will. This diary style written book is a story of a 15 year old girl who goes through the trials and tribulations of the basic teenager who throughout the book remain anonymous. Anon finds her diary to be her only friend and confides in it for almost 2 years. During this time she goes through truly horrific experiences. There are a total of two diaries total and the end of the book is completely left unexplained. I wish that would have been more clear. Obviously, if this really is based on a true diary and Anon decided not to continue to write anymore, we would not know but I don't believe that Anon had a relapse. I just wish there would have been some more of the diary. I have read reviews that a lot of kids quit the book or that it's fake, etc. This is for those people: 1. I read them when I was about 14 and it scared me away from drugs and trying ouija boards for a long time. I did eventually try them, ouija board once - with really scary results , and I did do drugs, but when I was older and don't now and haven't since forever. But I think that if I would have started younger, things very well could have turned out very differently. Parents and teachers and all the "War on Drugs" people tell kids don't do drugs, but nobody tells them WHY!! These books tell them WHY. Some clean-cut cop just isn't going to cut it because they most likely haven't been there. Only someone who's been there has the undisputed qualifications to tell it like it is. They and ONLY they know what it's like. Just like no one else is qualified to talk about what it's like to have a baby than someone who's had a baby. That's just the way it is. I wish every teenager could read these books and could get terrified into submission. It's the only way it's going to work. I've been clean and sober 16 years. I bought this set for my daughters who are 14 and They have both read both books and re-read them. This set is a must read for teenage girls. Go Ask Alice/Jay's Journal by Beatrice Sparks

Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. More Details Other Editions 2. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Nov 28, Lulu rated it it was amazing. This book is a true story, and is actually the diary of a girl whose name remains anonymous. It was about her life, and how much she went through and also how drugs influenced her in the beginning of the book, she was a really good kid but as the story went on, she tried more and more drugs. I really liked this book a lot! It was really mature and I would recommend it to people who are in high school be This book is a true story, and is actually the diary of a girl whose name remains anonymous. It was really mature and I would recommend it to people who are in high school because of its content. The book was really well put together, and I was hooked on it right from the start. View 2 comments. Aug 26, Black Carrie rated it it was amazing Shelves: my-y-a-books. Go ask Alice was a good cautionary read be careful who you befriend, what you do , and how you do it. Jun 21, Kristen Cooley rated it it was ok. I have to say that I really did not enjoy this book. It just doesn't make sense to me that a completely normal and innocent girl can all of a sudden change into a drug addict after she gets drugged at a party. I feel like what happened to her would put her off of drugs rather than on them. However, I did think it was interesting to see the mindset of a girl who was going through this. She went through so much in such a short time, with heartbreak and running away from home. I did feel really bad I have to say that I really did not enjoy this book. I did feel really bad for her. The end is what really hit me though. Throughout the book, I kept hoping she would overcome her addiction for good and I genuinely thought she would after she went through a period of time where she was able to avoid drugs. However, like all good things that time came to an end and she went back to drugs and it led to her death. This book taught me important lessons about what can happen to me or any other high schooler if you take drugs only one time, and it is never good. The premise seemed interesting billed as the diaries of teenagers affected by drugs. The writing felt awkward like an adult's idea of what a teenager would say, and not surprisingly as it turns out the author made it up so it is fictious but supposedly based on her experiences working with young adults. The depiction of the mental health facility is like something from Batman. The sexual violence which is mentioned briefly and passed over is not delved into in terms of the impact it has on our n The premise seemed interesting billed as the diaries of teenagers affected by drugs. The sexual violence which is mentioned briefly and passed over is not delved into in terms of the impact it has on our narrator. The story just feels unbelievable. Apparently the book is named after the song 'Go Ask Alice' from Jefferson Airplane, and the song takes it's lines from Alice in Wonderland. Given the amount of drug references in Alice in Wonderland it isn't a surprising title but it may be the most interesting part of the story. Jan 21, Laura rated it did not like it Shelves: fiction. There is nothing more disappointing than picking up a book advertising itself as a 'true-story' when in fact the book was made up by the author. The diary entries lack too much detail to make this a believable read. I picked up this book in a bookstore due to the cover and also, I was researching some of the Rock-n-Roll lyrics of the 60's. Have you ever analyzed the lyrics of 'American Pie'? Just fascinating. After reading the book, I find out the book is named after the song 'Go Ask Alice' from There is nothing more disappointing than picking up a book advertising itself as a 'true-story' when in fact the book was made up by the author. After reading the book, I find out the book is named after the song 'Go Ask Alice' from Jefferson Airplane, and the song takes it's lines from Alice in Wonderland. So in fact, the song did not derive it's lyrics from the book. Thumbs all the way down for fraud and I rarely give a negative review. Oct 24, Sonia S rated it really liked it. Go ask Alice is a pretty interesting nonfiction book. The people she calls her friends influence her a lot to use more a more drugs even if in some points she wants to stop. I think go ask Alice is a pretty good novel because, it gives us an understanding of how bad it is to do drugs and also what ways lead people to do them. I like the way the book is written in general; like the diary format and also the detail way they explained the things that happen in each day. Also when Alice is introduce to new drugs they explained the drug and what affects makes on people. View 1 comment. Dec 17, Melina Quezada rated it liked it. Jays Journal was a very interesting book about a 16 year old boy. Jay was a very good boy who was dedicated to his studies and things he could do in life. After a while Jay fell in love with a girl that wasn't good for him, she did drugs. His two friends Dell and Brad tried to tell him in the beginning but he didn't listen. After a while he gets caught stealing pills from his dads pharmacy and he was going through her bad path now. His two friends were going through the bad path as well. Jay was Jays Journal was a very interesting book about a 16 year old boy. Jay was sent to reform school and was miserable. He hated everyone there and he missed his family and friends a lot. After being there for a while he started to bond with one of the staff members. He started learning about a bunch of new things. Jay looks like he went back to being the Jay from before and was going through the right path again. However when he went back home his life started to get a little crazy. Everything was weird and he felt like he was getting a visit from the demon that wants to take over his body. Dec 01, Julien rated it did not like it. Edit: removing extra star for deceitful nature. I read it and was able to discern it was a work of fiction, but judging by the reviews, others were duped by the writer into believing it was an autobiography. Beware the narrator with a hidden agenda! Original: This book is probably best before the age of Feb 06, Lisa rated it it was amazing. Jun 08, CJ rated it it was ok. As fiction this book gets two stars. I was able to discern early on that this was not the diary of a real teenage girl. Some research confirmed that this is not a true story. I believe there are many true stories about the dangers of drugs that we don't need to be trying to fool readers with what is clearly fiction. Shame on the author. Feb 20, Anna Maynard rated it it was amazing. These books were also very great. Aug 13, Erin rated it it was ok. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Read a while ago. Remember this book should not be on the young adult shelves. Jan 25, Georgette Branham rated it really liked it. I read them because I considered them to be books that no one would want me to read. Oct 12, Taya Harper rated it it was amazing. Definitely got into this one more so than Jays Journal, and neither of them are a let down. A quick read if you have time to devote to it. Aug 07, Mary rated it liked it. Some parts are good and some parts are very dated!!! Mar 07, Keirstin added it. This book was wonderful. It tells you all about the real world. It tells you things that most people wouldn't say. Nov 17, Christopher Nogal is currently reading it. Trying to sort out her many feelings she starts to take sleeping pills which she loves. Drugs makes Alice feel like the person she never was before. What Alice got from the drugs was a sense of being loved for who she really is, by others around her who is on drugs. September 12th-November 22nd. Alice in now back home where she meets a friend name Chris and is given a job working with her are a local grocery store. She continues to pop pills whenever she gets tired or hungry. She is then introduced to marijuana and is now using as well as selling it. She gets to San Francisco where she and Chris both find jobs to support themselves. She also matures within this time frame, learning about her sexuality. However, she has not have sex sober yet. Her shifting emotions concerning her family were the major cause for her departure, yet she longs for them in San Francisco. Alice has now passed through her by trail by fire, and she feels like an adult from the way others treat her as an individual. She is not completely ready to accept her past, she wants to repent for her sins, but she also wishes she could push her nightmares in the back of her mind. Alice finally gains enough absolute experience and converse more honestly with other runaways in this section to understand better what has caused her decline. If she could do this, she would care less about rebelling or satisfying her parents and instead focus on her own, separate desires. Throughout this section she develops a belief of Christian redemption on her own when it occurs to her that suffering may have been worthwhile, as she can now understand and be more understanding of people. Her decisions to h help others has deep religious reasons, and she ends the first diary. Alice matures deeply in this section, expanding her sensitivity. Her increasing desire to become a guidance counsel shows. She has now find an identity that will someday suite her, and while she is still in pain at times, she is already getting better at communicating with others and enjoying a life with soberness. She and her parents both now treat each other with respect and concern. Her grandfather dies and she is having a hard time dealing with the situation at this point. More frightening to Alice is her true helplessness inn her flash back episode and the resulting fear that she may lose her mind. Alice writes in her undated diary from a hospital. She is unsure how she has ended up here and can only think of the worms she thinks are eating her alive. She has apparently been biting her fingers down to the bone; she relates this to the death of her grandfather. Alice reveals that an accidental dose of acid is the cause of her breakdown. Her father tells her that when her case was brought before a juvenile court, Jan and another girl testified that Alice had still been on drugs and was selling them. She registers at the State Mental Hospital. She is frightened by the ugly building and by the inmates, whom she feels are different from her. Despite the mental horrors Alice endures, her mind stays somewhat resilient and her diary becomes her true sanctuary. She is sent away to the asylum to get help. Alice tries to pray but feels the words are false and meaningless. She yearns for death. She starts going to school at the Youth Center, which is a relief compared to her room. Life in the asylum is draining her in all ways, as it has already done for Babbie. She listens to other kids in a group therapy session, which she finds helpful. Alice returns home and is happy to be with her family. Alice is insecure around Fawn and her friends, even though they seem to like her. She gives her father a sweater and a poem by her for his birthday. Joel surprises her by showing up and kisses her on the lips in front of her family. Alice is worried about starting school again but feels stronger with the support of her new friends and Joel. She comments that she no longer needs a diary, for she now has people in her life with whom she can communicate. In the epilogue, we are told that Alice died three weeks later of an overdose— whether it was premeditated or accidental remains unclear—and that she was one of thousands of drug deaths that year. Go Ask Alice is an honest portrayal of the life of a drug addict. It also details her difficult, uphill battle back to sobriety. Another strength of this novel is that it verbalizes feelings that most teens experience. It includes descriptions of her sexual experiences and the sensations of each drug, and her off-balance ramblings while on different drugs. This is not appropriate for young readers. I would direct this book to teens and adults. I think it should be required reading in high schools. Since this is about a teen struggling with addiction and the social pressures of the drug world, it is a real eye-opener to anyone who is already struggling and for those who may be confronted with the option to use. This book had many great reviews, and I would agree that this is an outstanding book. In fact, I believe it is one of the best young adult novels I have ever read. The accounts in this diary seem so real and well written. Although parents appeared stricter in this time, it seemed laws and drugs were much freer. I think the author of the diary did a great job capturing the positive, beautiful feelings of her experiences with drugs. Similarly, the writer equally described the melancholy and loss of identity associated with drug use. This novel could change lives, if not simply relate to them. Go Ask Alice Book Review. Accessed October 22, This is just a sample. You can get your custom paper from our expert writers. Central Idea: My mother was raised by drug addict and alcoholic, left Israel for better life and still followed down the wrong path. Attention Material A. Do you know anyone This is my story, a Rate this post When some people look back on their childhood they see happy times full of family memories, traditions, love, and encouragement. When I look back on my childhood I remember drug abuse, visiting my step father in jail, going without utilities, and playing the role of a mother at the age of eight Rate this post Book Review Obesity is an upcoming and extremely prevalent phenomenon in America today. Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks

Feb 07, James rated it did not like it Shelves: young-adult. This infuriating book is the most repugnant piece of reactionary propaganda that I've ever had the misfortune to read. Go Ask Alice is unnecessary proof that sex and drug stories are the best money makers; it helps when they also support a staunchly conservative, traditionalist agenda. The whole book is a fetid lie, and a poorly executed one at that. OK, now that I've calmed down a little bit, let's actually discuss this "real diary. What seems most likely is that Beatrice Sparks set out to write a book that would prove that smoking a joint or two, having sex without marriage, and gasp! Now, to be fair to Sparks, I'm sure that this literary hoax was on some level a serious effort to help kids avoid the pitfalls of drugs, etc. If this is on some level a real diary once again, extremely unlikely the advertisement and sale of it as a lurid, trashy cautionary tale is a disturbing thought. But, the fact that it is a lie disguised as the truth is simply disgusting. It is a blatant slap in the face to all families who have suffered real drug related losses. It's the commercialization of tragedy. Next, there is the writing style and storyline remember, this is fiction to consider. The book does tug at the heartstrings, but only in a way most abusive to the reader. If there is one thing that always upsets me in fiction, it is any tragedy involving the elderly; this has always bothered me. Naturally, Sparks kills off both of the narrator's grandparents in the most tragic ways the story allows. She exploits the reader's archetypal love of grandparents for cheap heartache is it any wonder that this was made into a TV movie of the week? If there was any clue to this book's lack of authenticity, it's the glaringly obvious fact that the grandparents will die before book's end, something a child could see coming. The reader is supposed to accept that a girl who can't figure out how a doctor can tell if a girl is a virgin, would, a relatively short time later, be using language out of a Henry Miller novel. The attempts to sound like an innocent girl and a jaded junkie are hackneyed and incompetent. The progression is totally unrealistic, but is still clearly the progression of a novel, not a real diary. I have to hand it to Sparks, she really throws in everything, including some outrageous, barely concealed homophobia: of course the drug dealers are gay, and drugs make the narrator want to be a lesbian and similar such things. And unsurprisingly, it must be pointed out at the end that the publication of this "real diary" is a commemoration of the "thousands of drug deaths that year. Go Ask Alice was an important book for me; I can honestly say I've never run to the computer so fast to type out a review, good or bad, before. I do understand, truly, why books like Alice exist. Parents fear for the welfare of their children and want to have preventative measures, while kids love stories packed with drugs and sex. I just wish there was a way to educate young and old without having to read a ridiculous, exploitative forgery like Go Ask Alice. View all 7 comments. It contains every single cliche about how making friends with anyone whose social life doesn't involve Christian youth clubs will inevitably lead to the sort of parties where teenagers can drink beer and have a puff of a joint and it is downhill all the way from there. Drugs lead to getting in with a bad crowd, having sex, stealing, dealing, prostitution, homelessness and insanity! Only the pastor can save her. But no, once she is persuaded to go home, those good old non-drug taking, Christian hometown folks are visiting the sins of the daughter on the parents with social isolation and threats, so eventually they move to a new town. A new beginning, nah An overdose, death. You'd think that the book would be much praised by the sort of ultra-conservative parents who actually believe in this kind of crap, but no, every year it makes the list of the most-challenged books. It was written by the author Beatrice Sparks who lived in Utah clue? She also wrote another "true" diary, Jay's Journal about how getting involved in the occult led to suicide, another one on a kid's life on the streets, one about a single, pregnant, teenage girl, all supposedly based on real diaries. There might even have been more. I was going to shelve this book on my Crap Authors or Unreadable Books shelves, but actually in a kind of train-wreck way it was rather enjoyable. It's also worth seeing the film if you can, it's so B movie that it's great fun. I was stoned when I watched it, I think that added considerably to my enjoyment. View all 73 comments. Oct 16, Rachel rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: everyone. I first read this book in sixth grade. When I tell people this, they usually look at me in an appalled fashion, and ask if my parents knew I was reading it. And I tell them, yes, my mother knew, before I was even finished with the first entry. Though I suggest that Everyone read this book, I do agree with my mother, that for certain reasons, the reader must be mature enough to digest this true story of a girl, and not mock it or pull its lines to pieces with sayings such as: "like this would happen" or "whatever". They must look within the depths of this girl's words, and try to understand what she was feeling as she wrote them. Through drugs, befriending a BP, rape, and horrible circumstances that make you see things differently, this girl pours out her soul to her diary, and eventually, to the world. In conclusion, I feel that I should make it known that it is not most important to reflect soaly sp? A year after having first read GO ASK ALICE, I was stunned to find that somebody, perhaps the school library, had white-outed many of the words, either curse words, or one's not 'deemed fit' for the student to read. And I couldn't help but wonder, if they are going to alter the story in such a fashion, why not just pull the books off the shelf intirely, because with things 'censored' out, what use is the book then, without its full impact and meaning? View all 24 comments. Sep 10, Deanna rated it liked it. It's written in first person in traditional diary form. We don't know the troubled teenage girls name but we follow her rapid descent into her life as an addict. She struggles with self-esteen issues, loneliness, etc. On top of that her family has now moved and she's having trouble making new 3. On top of that her family has now moved and she's having trouble making new friends. But things go from bad to worse beginning the night she's at a party and someone spikes her drink with LSD. She likes the feeling the drugs give her and feels like they take the "edge" off. She doesn't feel so insecure and lonely when she's high. It's not long before she's experimenting with more and more drugs and it starts affecting all areas of her life. Her life quickly spins out of control. I've read quite a few really good books about addiction and this is one book that I will never forget. I'm not sure if it was my age at the time or some of the things happening around me or both but it really had an impact on me. As it was written in the 70's there will of course be some dated refrences I didn't know until recently that the title of the book was taken from the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit". It was also made into a movie in When I read it years ago, I thought it was a true story. However there has been a lot of debate over how much of it if any is actually true. It's been under criticism for many reasons. Some say it was written by a psychologist about one of her patients, but greatly exaggerated. Even if it's entirely fictional I still took something away from it. We are all entitled to our opinions and I understand some may not like it. In my opinion if someone learns something from it then I'm happy they read it. Yes, times have changed and drugs themselves have changed. But the one thing that hasn't changed is that addiction can still ruin lives the way it always has. View all 30 comments. Nov 24, Manny rated it it was ok Shelves: too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts , older-men-younger-women , story-review , pooh- dante. I guess, should I do drugs? I'm just a made-up girl in a piece of anti-drugs propaganda that somehow became more famous than it deserved. I meant, if you actually had existed, then what would you have said? The rest of this review is available elsewhere the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons. View all 22 comments. Jun 05, Meredith rated it did not like it. So disappointing. Some of my co-workers were discussing this book at lunch one day, and I remembered being super curious about it when I was younger, but for some reason never got around to it. Unfortunately for my enjoyment of the book, I did some digging before reading it. I see on Goodreads that the author is not credited as "Anonymous" as it still is on the cover of the book , but Beatrice Sparks. On the book, Sparks is listed as the editor, but a preface still states it is the real Bwaaah. On the book, Sparks is listed as the editor, but a preface still states it is the real diary of a real teenager. Now there are three possibilities here, 1. Sparks has the most depressing job ever, surrounding by teens facing fatal distasters, but always keeping a diary about it, 2. Sparks stalks especially literate high-risk children across the country, 3. Sparks totally made it all up. Go Ask Alice is one of about seven diaries of anonymous teenagers edited by Sparks with Jay's Journal even having the same cover, but with a boy instead , who also is apparently a Mormon youth counselor. So, if the events of the book are not true, it robs it of the punch at the end of the book. But maybe if it's written really well, it would be redeeming. Sadly, no. This is a book written by an adult, I suppose, trying to sound like a teenager. Apparently, teenagers use the phrasing "I do, I really, truly do! Some reviews I've read also attack the diarist as exceptionally weak, self-pitying, and self-absorbed, with no willingness to change her circumstances. I didn't have a problem with her characterization, however, since a kid would likely have self-esteem issues in order to be tempted into the lifestyle that she had. Also, this is supposed to be a diary, where someone would reveal their thoughts, fears, and flaws, without really trying to defend themselves. I can't imagine a diary that I wrote in middle school would be free of weakness or self-absorption. I suppose there was an underlying noble cause in wanting to scare kids off drugs motivating the creation of this book, so it has some sort of value. But at least from my experience, kids read this book and were freaked out in around 5th grade, a while before they would even have an interest in drugs contrary to Go Ask Alice, 10 year olds do not generally sell LSD to elementary school kids in upper-middle-class suburban neighborhoods. Once kids got to the age where they would be tempted to use drugs, the scariness of the book had faded, and it was more of a "hey, remember that crazy book we read when we were little? The rest is simply drug scare tactics written poorly. If you don't have authenticity to rely on, you need something else to carry your book. View 2 comments. Jan 29, Sarah rated it really liked it. My daughter read this book. I was ready to freak out - This book is way too graphic for an 11 year old. I was composing a letter to the middle school librarian who allowed her to check this book out. I was preparing a lecture for Ashley about what is and is not appropriate for a child to read. Then Ashley came to me and started talking about drugs. She started talking about the things that kids say about drugs at school. She told me that she and her best friend had a teary talk about how sad the My daughter read this book. She told me that she and her best friend had a teary talk about how sad the book was, and how easy it was for the author to fall into the drug lifestyle. They made a vow to always be honest with each other and to always have each others backs. They vowed to speak up if they see the other making bad choices. I'm glad that she read the book. It was such a great starting point for a tough talk. View all 6 comments. Feb 10, Emily May rated it did not like it Shelves: young-adult , I couldn't even finish this book. I found it a real boring drag, even though it's only a novella. I tried so hard to get through it, I kept thinking surely it must get better I couldn't stand the narrator, I felt no connection with her and despised most of her views. My eyes skipped through paragraphs in a desperate bid to get past extremely boring parts It wasn't a very good diary, you didn't seem to get a proper look inside t I couldn't even finish this book. It wasn't a very good diary, you didn't seem to get a proper look inside the person's head and you couldn't sympathise with them. Every time something went wrong, I wanted to strangle the girl for being so damn pathetic I didn't come away feeling that I gained anything or experienced a good story, the supposed message about drugs was mixed. I know the allure of this book comes from the fact that it's a true story and someone's actual diary, well maybe they should have discarded the original and made one up because, true or not, this girl and her endless self-pity just made me sick. I suppose there's always the possibility that the ending would have stolen my heart for being so incredible, but I honestly don't feel any regret at never finding out. View all 13 comments. Sep 04, Grady Hendrix rated it really liked it. Apparently, when you're a teenager, everyone wants to put LSD in your food nonstop. Aug 30, Mary rated it did not like it. I read this for the first time in college as part of a reading-intensive young adult lit class, and it was the worst of the many, many books we read. For one girl in the class, it was the only book of the many, many we read that she actually liked, solely because it was the only one she morally approved of man, how she loathed Weetzie Bat. She went on to become our slacker school's valedictorian. She was a poet and used the word "tapestry" too much in her writing. I think all of this is quite I read this for the first time in college as part of a reading-intensive young adult lit class, and it was the worst of the many, many books we read. I think all of this is quite reason enough to stay away from this book. View all 12 comments. Aug 02, Mista Frade rated it did not like it. This is a sensationalist piece of garbage. A DARE commercial on speed pun was intended and I just didn't care about anyone because it was so poorly written. View all 5 comments. Jul 09, Carly rated it did not like it Shelves: young-adult. It was written back when conservatives thought they needed to fictionalize drug abuse in order to frighten teenagers. If you're not convinced that Go Ask Alice is fiction, read another "diary" that Beatrice Sparks has edited, like Jay's Journal, which is so ridiculous, even year-olds can see that it's poorly written fiction. View all 10 comments. Jun 02, Alex rated it liked it Recommends it for: squares. Shelves: , favorite-reviews. On July 10, she was secretly dosed with LSD at a party. By July 20, she was using intravenous drugs. By September she had bought a leather fringed vest, and it was all over. Within a few months our unnamed heroine has been gang raped on heroin; shortly after that, she's become a "Priestess of Satan" and drugs have literally "took her the homo route. Drugs make you gay, kids. Go Ask Alice - marketed as a real teen's diary - was actually written by Beatrice Sparks, a Mormon youth therapist who lied about her PhD and wholly invented this story, as well as many other insane fake teen journals about things like Satanism and AIDS. It contains every ludicrous canard trotted out by the direly lame anti-drug crusaders throughout the 70s and 80s, and was required reading for two generations of kids who learned that school was not going to be the right place to learn anything useful about drugs. Secretly LSD-laced candy that makes you freak out, planted by "the grass gang" as revenge for you going square? Why yes, that's here. Teens pushing drugs to nine-year-olds on playgrounds? Acid trips that lead directly to mental institutions? Yep, yep and yep. And did I mention that drugs make you gay? As a book, it's It's sortof entertaining, in an "Oh no she didn't! It's terribly written, but literary quality doesn't even seem relevant here. As a time capsule of the supersquare anti-drug efforts of the 70s and 80s and why they were such an abject failure, it's perfect. I just wish it had been more specific about where she got that leather fringed vest. It sounds sweet. View all 11 comments. Oct 16, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it Shelves: young-adult , novels , 20th-century , classics , literature , united-states , fiction. Go Ask Alice, Beatrice Sparks In , a year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her parents. The dates and locations mentioned in the book place its events as occurring between and in California, Colorado, Oregon, and New York City. The two towns in which the diarist's family reside during the story are not identified, and are only described as being Go Ask Alice, Beatrice Sparks In , a year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her parents. The two towns in which the diarist's family reside during the story are not identified, and are only described as being college towns. This book. Somehow, I have never gotten around to reading Go Ask Alice before. I knew of it but all I really knew is that it is considered a classic , was anonymous and was about a teenage girl's descent into addiction. That's it. I did not anticipate liking it all that much. I was wrong. I have had a tough time concentrating on reading lately, with the corona virus. I picked this up last night, intending to read a few pages and wound up finishing the whole thing. It is not very long either. It was nowhere close to what I expected. I guess I thought I'd open up the book and Anonymous would already be deep into addiction. I imagined a real gritty read that wouldn't be easy to follow. When we meet Alice, she is a young and wistful girl, popping with vitality, brimming with innocence with a somewhat child like and earnest world view. I adored her by the second or third page. Her transition into darkness is so real. I mean I know many have said, in their reviews, that it feels to fast and that makes it feel unreal. But I felt it read very authentically. I have never struggled with drug addiction but have known so many.. I have lost people to it, either to mental illness or to death or just to oblivion. I know of nobody.. So it all felt natural to me and heart breaking. I cannot say this book was "enjoyable" but it was deeply moving and now I wish I had read it year s ago. There were two things I did not know. One: I did not know about the controversy. I did not know this true story might be fake. If the person many speak of having wrote it, did in fact write it, wouldn't there be more about the evils of rock music? Look at the time period it came out in. I am not convinced this is not authentic and even if it turned out it isn't, there are many an Alice across the planet, that I would have been moved and rated it the same anyway. I did not expect to end the book, with a smile on my face thinking Alice was on her way to recovery, only to read the epilogue and find out she died three weeks after her sunny "see ya" to her diary. That was a crushing moment. I cried. It lent the book so much power and I have to say it hit me like a ton of bricks. Excellent book. I think the older one is the more they will like the book as having more life experience, absolutely causes you to think more in regards to this type of book. In closing.. Read it if you haven't. View all 9 comments. Feb 15, drowningmermaid rated it did not like it Shelves: audio , author-lies-like-a-dog , unintentionally-hilarious. What drug you would have to be on to believe that this was a real diary? Maybe Squeaky Clean Jesus Powder. And yes, this is coming from someone who has never done drugs, and believes strongly in the illegality and deleterious effects of all drugs, including and in some cases especially marijuana. I cannot tell you how much I hate the hypocrisy of missionary efforts like this one. I'll wrap my didactic message in a 'true' story! My lies are sanctified by the holiness of my c What drug you would have to be on to believe that this was a real diary? God hates these things, therefore God is on my side! Beatrice Sparks, may you burn in the flaming pits of heck. ETA: Oh, Mormonism. I try to respect you. Really, I do. I so admire the early work of Orson Scott Card. The work you did rebuilding New Orleans deserves nothing but praise. Your 'wholesome family values' are cloying and myopic, but decent rules to live by, for the most part. I try so hard to think of you as a real religion, and not a crazy cult full of God-blinded chumps being preyed on by a few vicious frauds. What is it that you DO to your female authors? Why do they think it's alright to lie in interviews? I was feeling sort of shame-faced about bringing up the heavy-handed plugs for Mormon theology Mormon concept of 'resurrection,' insistence on eternal families. I don't usually like bringing up a religion just to criticize. I took this line out of an early version of this review: "Sparks, you are every bit as bad as the straight-laced missionaries who show up at my door with a sales pitch and a smile and a watered-down version of their religion specifically crafted to be palatable to non- believers like me. Sparks was entrusted with the true diary of a genuinely suicidal boy, but rather than editing it and printing it as the family wished, she used it as a platform for her personal crusade against satanism-- which the boy was not involved in. Needless to say, a horrific violation of trust, and a flat refusal to offer anything but trite, simplistic answers in the face of monumental grief and loss. She then went on to become a TEACHER employed by Brigham Young University-- the church's cornerstone for cranking out more good Mormons, despite the fact that she habitually lied about her educational background she advertized herself as a PhD, which she did not have and her counseling credentials she had none, and yet became a youth counselor. Please tell me wiki is wrong, because this smacks of something wrong at the very top. I really feel I ought to smoke a joint now, just to distance myself from such narrow-minded, groupthink pablum. My rating is for my sense of violation and because the author is an embarrassment to everything she stands for, not because the writing is expressly atrocious. Feb 12, Evan rated it it was ok Shelves: none-too-good , snuffed-young , retro-lounge-funky , reads , drugs-n-shit , all-time-hall-of- shame , pulp-trash , psycho-drama , fucked-up-women , s. I mean, what can you say? We all know this thing is a fake; and passages such as the one where her dad cites statistics on VD and suicide and other social ills and somehow she manages to remember and write them down verbatim hours later in the "diary" kind of give the thing away. I like the attempt at "authentic" touches, eg. The writing style goes from the goo-goo-ga-ga golly gee-willikers level to the usage of more sophisticated words such as "nary" and "woebegone" at the drop of a hat. What Alice got from the drugs was a sense of being loved for who she really is, by others around her who is on drugs. September 12th-November 22nd. Alice in now back home where she meets a friend name Chris and is given a job working with her are a local grocery store. She continues to pop pills whenever she gets tired or hungry. She is then introduced to marijuana and is now using as well as selling it. She gets to San Francisco where she and Chris both find jobs to support themselves. She also matures within this time frame, learning about her sexuality. However, she has not have sex sober yet. Her shifting emotions concerning her family were the major cause for her departure, yet she longs for them in San Francisco. Alice has now passed through her by trail by fire, and she feels like an adult from the way others treat her as an individual. She is not completely ready to accept her past, she wants to repent for her sins, but she also wishes she could push her nightmares in the back of her mind. Alice finally gains enough absolute experience and converse more honestly with other runaways in this section to understand better what has caused her decline. If she could do this, she would care less about rebelling or satisfying her parents and instead focus on her own, separate desires. Throughout this section she develops a belief of Christian redemption on her own when it occurs to her that suffering may have been worthwhile, as she can now understand and be more understanding of people. Her decisions to h help others has deep religious reasons, and she ends the first diary. Alice matures deeply in this section, expanding her sensitivity. Her increasing desire to become a guidance counsel shows. She has now find an identity that will someday suite her, and while she is still in pain at times, she is already getting better at communicating with others and enjoying a life with soberness. She and her parents both now treat each other with respect and concern. Her grandfather dies and she is having a hard time dealing with the situation at this point. More frightening to Alice is her true helplessness inn her flash back episode and the resulting fear that she may lose her mind. Alice writes in her undated diary from a hospital. She is unsure how she has ended up here and can only think of the worms she thinks are eating her alive. She has apparently been biting her fingers down to the bone; she relates this to the death of her grandfather. Alice reveals that an accidental dose of acid is the cause of her breakdown. Her father tells her that when her case was brought before a juvenile court, Jan and another girl testified that Alice had still been on drugs and was selling them. She registers at the State Mental Hospital. She is frightened by the ugly building and by the inmates, whom she feels are different from her. Despite the mental horrors Alice endures, her mind stays somewhat resilient and her diary becomes her true sanctuary. She is sent away to the asylum to get help. Alice tries to pray but feels the words are false and meaningless. She yearns for death. She starts going to school at the Youth Center, which is a relief compared to her room. Life in the asylum is draining her in all ways, as it has already done for Babbie. She listens to other kids in a group therapy session, which she finds helpful. Alice returns home and is happy to be with her family. Alice is insecure around Fawn and her friends, even though they seem to like her. She gives her father a sweater and a poem by her for his birthday. Joel surprises her by showing up and kisses her on the lips in front of her family. Alice is worried about starting school again but feels stronger with the support of her new friends and Joel. She comments that she no longer needs a diary, for she now has people in her life with whom she can communicate. In the epilogue, we are told that Alice died three weeks later of an overdose—whether it was premeditated or accidental remains unclear—and that she was one of thousands of drug deaths that year. Go Ask Alice is an honest portrayal of the life of a drug addict. It also details her difficult, uphill battle back to sobriety. Another strength of this novel is that it verbalizes feelings that most teens experience. It includes descriptions of her sexual experiences and the sensations of each drug, and her off-balance ramblings while on different drugs. This is not appropriate for young readers. I would direct this book to teens and adults. I think it should be required reading in high schools. Since this is about a teen struggling with addiction and the social pressures of the drug world, it is a real eye-opener to anyone who is already struggling and for those who may be confronted with the option to use. This book had many great reviews, and I would agree that this is an outstanding book. In fact, I believe it is one of the best young adult novels I have ever read. The accounts in this diary seem so real and well written. Although parents appeared stricter in this time, it seemed laws and drugs were much freer. I think the author of the diary did a great job capturing the positive, beautiful feelings of her experiences with drugs. Similarly, the writer equally described the melancholy and loss of identity associated with drug use. This novel could change lives, if not simply relate to them. Go Ask Alice Book Review. Accessed October 22, This is just a sample. You can get your custom paper from our expert writers. Central Idea: My mother was raised by drug addict and alcoholic, left Israel for better life and still followed down the wrong path. Attention Material A. Do you know anyone This is my story, a Rate this post When some people look back on their childhood they see happy times full of family memories, traditions, love, and encouragement. When I look back on my childhood I remember drug abuse, visiting my step father in jail, going without utilities, and playing the role of a mother at the age of eight Rate this post Book Review Obesity is an upcoming and extremely prevalent phenomenon in America today. Her book is less about every stereo-typed fat girl and more about her story individually. Judith Moore chooses to take a different route,

Go Ask Alice Book Review Free Essay Example

Excellent book, great for ages 16 and older I love books and these books are usually for teens but as a mom I feel like they help me remember how life for me was as a teen or what I could possibly have to deal with my kids as teens. They need to have the crap scared out of them by someone who's been there. I think all teenagers should read this books. I read them when I was about 14 and it scared me away from drugs and trying ouija boards for a long time. I did eventually try them, ouija board once - with really scary results , and I did do drugs, but when I was older and don't now and haven't since forever. But I think that if I would have started younger, things very well could have turned out very differently. Parents and teachers and all the "War on Drugs" people tell kids don't do drugs, but nobody tells them WHY!! These books tell them WHY. Some clean-cut cop just isn't going to cut it because they most likely haven't been there. Only someone who's been there has the undisputed qualifications to tell it like it is. They and ONLY they know what it's like. Just like no one else is qualified to talk about what it's like to have a baby than someone who's had a baby. That's just the way it is. I wish every teenager could read these books and could get terrified into submission. It's the only way it's going to work. Fiction or nonfiction, the issues are real and the story should be respected as such. I'm sure I'm not the only reader who believes, that characters don't have to be real to make an impact. Lynette Browning-brock We know who did it to her: it was Beatrice Sparks, who needed a downer ending for the novel. See all 27 questions about Go Ask Alice…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Go Ask Alice. Aug 14, Rachel rated it did not like it Recommends it for: stupid faces. View all comments. Oct 19, Madison rated it really liked it Shelves: sad- but-good , own. It's hard for me to write this review because I don't really know where to begin. Basically whether you believe this is fiction or not that should not matter. If you believe this story is too far fetched to be true, then I must say that you are absolutely wrong, because my recovering drug addicted sister is "Alice", I am the innocent "Alex", and our family is the one that will always love her and always take her back. Stories like this absolutely exist in real life. My sister even started using It's hard for me to write this review because I don't really know where to begin. My sister even started using at the same age as "Alice" so stuff like this does happen, even to good people. This book should not be looked at as "anti-drug propaganda" but rather as a story of a true drug addict. This book illustrates addiction perfectly, for the addict and for his or her family. A lot of the content is hard to stomach with the graphic imagery and language, but if you know an addict, or have one in your family, it is definitely what you can expect from people who revolve their life around drugs. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I like lighter books so much better than the dark ones. Nonetheless this book is very good if you choose to not be so shut off from the reality of this story. View all 21 comments. Aug 17, Laura rated it did not like it Shelves: fiction. This book is crap on its own. But those of you old enough to remember the latter portion of the 70s might remember that Beatrice Sparks, the "editor" of Go Ask Alice, also "edited" a bunch of other alarmist books aimed at teens, all supposedly taken from teenagers' diaries. One was called "Jay's Journal," and was purportedly about a teen who gets involved with Satanism and eventually commits suicide to escape the horror of it all. Even as a year-old, however, it was obvious to me that every si This book is crap on its own. Even as a year-old, however, it was obvious to me that every single one of these books was written by the same person Ms. Sparks, presumably. It's not as though you had to perform a sophisticated rhetorical analysis to see that the authors were the same; there were all these stupid little tics in the writing common to all the books. The one I happen to remember is that the author would repeat things three times and then put an exclamation point after them, as in, "This evening was great great great! Anyway, apart from the fact that this book is a fraud, it's also stupid. Don't bother. View all 23 comments. Nov 12, Patricia theinfophile rated it did not like it Shelves: youngadults , fiction. I was never forced to read this when I was younger, so I thought that I'd pick it up and read it now, for a laugh, being as there are days when there is just too much blood in my drug-stream. Quite a lot, actually. I hope that as I read further, Alice's drug-induced diary entries mark an improvement upon her character. If this book was meant to make me want to do some drugs, then bully for Ms. Anonymous because it worked! I didn't do [extra] drugs, but it made me want to. Some of my favourite excerpts: "In San Francisco we won't know single soul that uses it and it will be easy to stay off. I don't want to die. I'm afraid. Isn't that ghastly and ironic? I'm afraid to live and afraid to die, just like the old Negro spiritual. I wonder what their hang-up was? Anonymous, me too. I mean, what's with those Negroes anyway? Always singing mournful spirituals It's like they've had a hard life or something, psh I'd like to say this book was horrible, but it did indeed make me laugh audibly quite a few times, so for that, it should be read preferably while one is on some mind-altering substances. Feb 07, James rated it did not like it Shelves: young-adult. This infuriating book is the most repugnant piece of reactionary propaganda that I've ever had the misfortune to read. Go Ask Alice is unnecessary proof that sex and drug stories are the best money makers; it helps when they also support a staunchly conservative, traditionalist agenda. The whole book is a fetid lie, and a poorly executed one at that. OK, now that I've calmed down a little bit, let's actually discuss this "real diary. What seems most likely is that Beatrice Sparks set out to write a book that would prove that smoking a joint or two, having sex without marriage, and gasp! Now, to be fair to Sparks, I'm sure that this literary hoax was on some level a serious effort to help kids avoid the pitfalls of drugs, etc. If this is on some level a real diary once again, extremely unlikely the advertisement and sale of it as a lurid, trashy cautionary tale is a disturbing thought. But, the fact that it is a lie disguised as the truth is simply disgusting. It is a blatant slap in the face to all families who have suffered real drug related losses. It's the commercialization of tragedy. Next, there is the writing style and storyline remember, this is fiction to consider. The book does tug at the heartstrings, but only in a way most abusive to the reader. If there is one thing that always upsets me in fiction, it is any tragedy involving the elderly; this has always bothered me. Naturally, Sparks kills off both of the narrator's grandparents in the most tragic ways the story allows. She exploits the reader's archetypal love of grandparents for cheap heartache is it any wonder that this was made into a TV movie of the week? If there was any clue to this book's lack of authenticity, it's the glaringly obvious fact that the grandparents will die before book's end, something a child could see coming. The reader is supposed to accept that a girl who can't figure out how a doctor can tell if a girl is a virgin, would, a relatively short time later, be using language out of a Henry Miller novel. The attempts to sound like an innocent girl and a jaded junkie are hackneyed and incompetent. The progression is totally unrealistic, but is still clearly the progression of a novel, not a real diary. I have to hand it to Sparks, she really throws in everything, including some outrageous, barely concealed homophobia: of course the drug dealers are gay, and drugs make the narrator want to be a lesbian and similar such things. And unsurprisingly, it must be pointed out at the end that the publication of this "real diary" is a commemoration of the "thousands of drug deaths that year. Go Ask Alice was an important book for me; I can honestly say I've never run to the computer so fast to type out a review, good or bad, before. I do understand, truly, why books like Alice exist. Parents fear for the welfare of their children and want to have preventative measures, while kids love stories packed with drugs and sex. I just wish there was a way to educate young and old without having to read a ridiculous, exploitative forgery like Go Ask Alice. View all 7 comments. It contains every single cliche about how making friends with anyone whose social life doesn't involve Christian youth clubs will inevitably lead to the sort of parties where teenagers can drink beer and have a puff of a joint and it is downhill all the way from there. Drugs lead to getting in with a bad crowd, having sex, stealing, dealing, prostitution, homelessness and insanity! Only the pastor can save her. But no, once she is persuaded to go home, those good old non-drug taking, Christian hometown folks are visiting the sins of the daughter on the parents with social isolation and threats, so eventually they move to a new town. A new beginning, nah An overdose, death. You'd think that the book would be much praised by the sort of ultra-conservative parents who actually believe in this kind of crap, but no, every year it makes the list of the most-challenged books. It was written by the author Beatrice Sparks who lived in Utah clue? She also wrote another "true" diary, Jay's Journal about how getting involved in the occult led to suicide, another one on a kid's life on the streets, one about a single, pregnant, teenage girl, all supposedly based on real diaries. There might even have been more. I was going to shelve this book on my Crap Authors or Unreadable Books shelves, but actually in a kind of train-wreck way it was rather enjoyable. It's also worth seeing the film if you can, it's so B movie that it's great fun. I was stoned when I watched it, I think that added considerably to my enjoyment. View all 73 comments. Oct 16, Rachel rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: everyone. I first read this book in sixth grade. When I tell people this, they usually look at me in an appalled fashion, and ask if my parents knew I was reading it. And I tell them, yes, my mother knew, before I was even finished with the first entry. Though I suggest that Everyone read this book, I do agree with my mother, that for certain reasons, the reader must be mature enough to digest this true story of a girl, and not mock it or pull its lines to pieces with sayings such as: "like this would happen" or "whatever". They must look within the depths of this girl's words, and try to understand what she was feeling as she wrote them. Through drugs, befriending a BP, rape, and horrible circumstances that make you see things differently, this girl pours out her soul to her diary, and eventually, to the world. In conclusion, I feel that I should make it known that it is not most important to reflect soaly sp? A year after having first read GO ASK ALICE, I was stunned to find that somebody, perhaps the school library, had white-outed many of the words, either curse words, or one's not 'deemed fit' for the student to read. And I couldn't help but wonder, if they are going to alter the story in such a fashion, why not just pull the books off the shelf intirely, because with things 'censored' out, what use is the book then, without its full impact and meaning? View all 24 comments. Sep 10, Deanna rated it liked it. It's written in first person in traditional diary form. We don't know the troubled teenage girls name but we follow her rapid descent into her life as an addict. She struggles with self-esteen issues, loneliness, etc. On top of that her family has now moved and she's having trouble making new 3. On top of that her family has now moved and she's having trouble making new friends. But things go from bad to worse beginning the night she's at a party and someone spikes her drink with LSD. She likes the feeling the drugs give her and feels like they take the "edge" off. She doesn't feel so insecure and lonely when she's high. It's not long before she's experimenting with more and more drugs and it starts affecting all areas of her life. Her life quickly spins out of control. I've read quite a few really good books about addiction and this is one book that I will never forget. I'm not sure if it was my age at the time or some of the things happening around me or both but it really had an impact on me. As it was written in the 70's there will of course be some dated refrences I didn't know until recently that the title of the book was taken from the Jefferson Airplane song "White Rabbit". It was also made into a movie in When I read it years ago, I thought it was a true story. However there has been a lot of debate over how much of it if any is actually true. It's been under criticism for many reasons. Some say it was written by a psychologist about one of her patients, but greatly exaggerated. Even if it's entirely fictional I still took something away from it. We are all entitled to our opinions and I understand some may not like it. In my opinion if someone learns something from it then I'm happy they read it. Yes, times have changed and drugs themselves have changed. But the one thing that hasn't changed is that addiction can still ruin lives the way it always has. View all 30 comments. Nov 24, Manny rated it it was ok Shelves: too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts , older-men-younger-women , story-review , pooh-dante. I guess, should I do drugs? I'm just a made-up girl in a piece of anti-drugs propaganda that somehow became more famous than it deserved. I meant, if you actually had existed, then what would you have said? The rest of this review is available elsewhere the location cannot be given for Goodreads policy reasons. View all 22 comments. Jun 05, Meredith rated it did not like it. So disappointing. Some of my co-workers were discussing this book at lunch one day, and I remembered being super curious about it when I was younger, but for some reason never got around to it. Unfortunately for my enjoyment of the book, I did some digging before reading it. I see on Goodreads that the author is not credited as "Anonymous" as it still is on the cover of the book , but Beatrice Sparks. On the book, Sparks is listed as the editor, but a preface still states it is the real Bwaaah. On the book, Sparks is listed as the editor, but a preface still states it is the real diary of a real teenager. Now there are three possibilities here, 1. Sparks has the most depressing job ever, surrounding by teens facing fatal distasters, but always keeping a diary about it, 2. Sparks stalks especially literate high-risk children across the country, 3. Sparks totally made it all up. Go Ask Alice is one of about seven diaries of anonymous teenagers edited by Sparks with Jay's Journal even having the same cover, but with a boy instead , who also is apparently a Mormon youth counselor. So, if the events of the book are not true, it robs it of the punch at the end of the book. But maybe if it's written really well, it would be redeeming. Sadly, no. This is a book written by an adult, I suppose, trying to sound like a teenager. Apparently, teenagers use the phrasing "I do, I really, truly do! Some reviews I've read also attack the diarist as exceptionally weak, self-pitying, and self-absorbed, with no willingness to change her circumstances. I didn't have a problem with her characterization, however, since a kid would likely have self-esteem issues in order to be tempted into the lifestyle that she had. Also, this is supposed to be a diary, where someone would reveal their thoughts, fears, and flaws, without really trying to defend themselves. I can't imagine a diary that I wrote in middle school would be free of weakness or self-absorption. I suppose there was an underlying noble cause in wanting to scare kids off drugs motivating the creation of this book, so it has some sort of value. But at least from my experience, kids read this book and were freaked out in around 5th grade, a while before they would even have an interest in drugs contrary to Go Ask Alice, 10 year olds do not generally sell LSD to elementary school kids in upper-middle-class suburban neighborhoods. Once kids got to the age where they would be tempted to use drugs, the scariness of the book had faded, and it was more of a "hey, remember that crazy book we read when we were little? The rest is simply drug scare tactics written poorly. If you don't have authenticity to rely on, you need something else to carry your book. View 2 comments. Some challenges resulted in the removal of the book from libraries, or in parental permission being required for a student to check the book out of a library. Decades after its original publication, Go Ask Alice became one of the most challenged books of the s and s. The likely authoring of the book by one or more adults rather than by an unnamed teenage girl has not been an issue in censorship disputes. Stand- up comedian Paul F. Tompkins ' comedy album Freak Wharf contains a track titled "Go Ask Alice" in which he derides the book as "the phoniest of balonies" and jokingly suggests it was authored by the writing staff of the police drama series Dragnet. The album title comes from a passage in the book in which the diarist refers to a mental hospital as a "freak wharf". American metalcore band Ice Nine Kills included a song related to the book, titled "Alice", on their album Every Trick in the Book. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Archived from the original on Retrieved — via Proquest. Retrieved Memoir: A History. Urban Legends Reference Pages. New York City: Bustle. Publishers Weekly. New York City: publishersweekly. Bennington Banner. Bennington, Vermont. Retrieved — via Newspapers. Clarksville, Tennessee. The Times. San Mateo County, California. The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. BBC News. Cincinnati, Ohio. The book's subject we are never given her name, but assume she is Alice comes from a normal, middle-class family Go Ask Alice Avon Books paperback ed. New York City: Prentice-Hall published If I don't give Big Ass a blow he'll cut off my supply Big Ass makes me do it before he gives me the load. Everybody is just lying around here like they're dead and Little Jacon is yelling, 'Mama, Daddy can't come now. He's humping Carla. Girl Detective blog. Then I talked to Alice, who I met just sitting stoned on the curb. She didn't know whether she was running away from something or running to something, but she admitted that deep in her heart she wanted to go home. Go Ask Alice Mandarin Paperbacks ed. London: Arrow Books published Front cover. Go Ask Alice First paperback ed. New York City: Avon Books published Back cover. Avon Catalog N Camden, New Jersey. For Alice was real and could have lived next door; her parents The Indianapolis Star. The Baltimore Sun. School Library Journal. Retrieved — via Scribd. New York City: Variety. New York City: R. Los Angeles Times. The Globe and Mail. The Austin Chronicle. Austin, Texas. The Horn Book Magazine. Boston: The Horn Book Inc. Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. The New York Times. Wisconsin Library Bulletin Google Books ed. Kirkus Reviews. The Village Voice. New York City. Drabble, Emily ed. The Guardian. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc.

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