By: James Jennings Publisher: Avon Books Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Avon Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 189 Publication Date: 1991-09 Reading Level: Young Adult
Product Description: The strong, painfully honest, nakedly candid and true story of a 15-year-old girl's experiences with drugs. Winner of the Christopher Award. "An extraordinary work . . . a document of horrifying reality."--The New York Times.
Amazon.com Review: The torture and hell of adolescence has rarely been captured as clearly as it is in this classic diary by an anonymous, addicted teen. Lonely, awkward, and under extreme pressure from her "perfect" parents, "Anonymous" swings madly between optimism and despair. When one of her new friends spikes her drink with LSD, this diarist begins a frightening journey into darkness. The drugs take the edge off her loneliness and self-hate, but they also turn her life into a nightmare of exalting highs and excruciating lows. Although there is still some question as to whether this diary is real or fictional, there is no question that it has made a profound impact on millions of readers during the more than 25 years it has been in print. Despite a few dated references to hippies and some expired slang, Go Ask Alice still offers a jolting chronicle of a teenager's life spinning out of control.
Not Impressed I read this book in college for a children's lit class. I was not impressed. It is a melodramatic look at the evils of drugs. It reads like a bad after school special, created to frighten teenagers and warn them never to experiment with drugs of any kind. Also, despite the lore following this novel, it was not written by a teenager. Read the novel if must, but there are definitely better books out there about drug usage.
Semi Compelling... This book was kind of interesting. It is NOT written by a teenager. The story is about a girls struggle with drug addiction and personal identity. The things that give away this not so anonymous book is the content. There are several "big" words that are used by te author to suggest that this isnt written by a 14 year old addict. Throughout the story, the narrator spends her time raving about the drugs she uses but spends a little amount of time talking about boys and other "normal" teenage expierecnes. Before the story even starts, there is a note that says this book is fictional and all characters are made up. And the characters name isnt even Alice, Alice is simply a girl who is mentioned once in the book. "Go Ask Alice" is the title of a song sung by Jefferson Airplane. This book was also written during the during the 70s drug hype. This story can be a propaganda book to simply keep teenagers away from drugs. And if all this was real,the people the events and such, why hasnt anyone come through and said anything about this girl or anyone else in the story? Just makes you wonder... So I recommed that you get this book from a library or a friend because it isnt really worth purchasing.
Go Ask Alice I loved this book. The emotion that the protagonist conveys throughout the book is clearly relatable from generation to generation. I recommend this book for every teenager out there.
we get it already... There seem to be a lot of reviews written for this book bashing it. We get it...you're angry that this is a work of fiction and isn't, in all actuality, a true, bona fide account. Unfortunately for you, you will find that most books contain fiction.
Yes the book says that teenagers shouldn't do drugs or get pregnant. I see nothing wrong with this message (although I will admit that the author could have gone about it in a different way). Yes, the book seems to fit all drug addict stereotypes, and yes it insinuates that LSD and marijuana can be addicting. NEWSFLASH! They are called stereotypes because a large amount of people FIT INTO THEM...and although drugs such as LSD and marijuana aren't physically addicting, they are mentally addicting.
Overall, this book is a good read and sends a sensible (if somewhat cookie-cutter, brainwashy) message.
P.S. Just because books aren't "literary classics" doesn't mean that they aren't good books. Maybe some people should be glad that people are reading anything at all, or even writing anything at all, rather than gripe about WHAT is being read or written...
Thumbs up. Definitely a book that evokes emotions and can be related to in some at least distant way, shape or form by most individuals. It's a quick and easy read, so even if one doesn't like it, he/she can't really regret reading it.
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