Go Ask Alice

A Story to Remember.

I think that many people will appreciate this book and will find it helpful in understanding the life of a drug addict. This book makes people see the other side of an addict, they can really get to know alice in the book. And not just as a drug addit but as a person who is struggling to be a better person for herself and for her family.

I think everyone should read this fantastic book.

12 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

A Classic Cautionary Tale

Most of us know by now that this is not a "true" diary, but a fiction. Nevertheless, it's highly entertaining as a cautionary tale of drugs and a teenage descent into hell. It reminds me a lot of the German film, CHRISTIANE F. -- another story of a downward spiral into oblivion due to drugs. In many ways, it also reminds me of a 1970s' "movie of the week" -- and in fact a movie does exist of this (and it even features William Shatner); though I haven't seen it.

This is a terrific book for those with a morbid curiosity (like myself) about drug addiction and runaways. It's a dark entertainment and a dark fantasy that poses the question: What if? (What if I allowed myself to go there?)

It's like a death wish in many ways. But I do recommend it -- I kept wanting to see how far it would go -- and if it would end tragically. Some have found the writing to be less than spectacular, but I don't care: I was fine with it. For a so-called "young adult" book, it's edgy.

It's also a period piece in many ways. A peek into the drug culture during the late hippy days (not to sound disparaging). It has that hippy culture-gone-bad vibe.

Recommended (for unconventional readers).

11 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

I read it every summer!

I have read this book every summer for the past 6 years. Plus I have also read it a few times here and there and in school. I get somethig out of it every time. The last 50 pages of this book fly! I love it so much because I believe it so much in that I know it's not someone writing about someone, it truly is Alice's diary. No one and I mean no one could describe an LSD trip like Alice does in the later parts of the book. I personally have never done drugs, but they way she describes it is what i would really imagine it to be like.Colorful dripping maggots.....IT'S A MUST READ!! for any and all young teens and other adults!

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

I love your book!!!!!!!!

I think 'Go Ask Alice' is a great book. I hope that when teenagers read this book they'll know that drugs are bad and all the horrable things that it does to to. Thank you Beatrice Sparks for writting a great book.

6 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

I liked it!

I didn't expect it to be as well written as it was. It was also very interesting and poignant.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Was this a real diary, or fiction?

About halfway through this book I began to suspect this book was just fiction, intended to scare young people away from drugs. My suspicions arose because this wasn't written like a real diary and didn't sound like a real chronicle of events. Some examples: '1' Music is extremely important to most teens, so I would expect a lot of song titles, group names, and talk about going to concerts, but there was only one song reference--The Beatles' bland 'She's Leaving Home'--as if music never had much meaning for her. '2' The author was beaten up and raped while on drugs one night, but never mentions her recovery or lingering pains or bruises, as if it were just an 'Oh well' event to be forgotten. '3' There is a surprising lack of philosophy, as if she were just a spectator of events happening to her, as if she couldn't correlate or generalize her hard-earned lessons. '4' It is unrealistically focused. Real diaries have loads of irrelevant thoughts and incidents--trips to the dentist, TV shows, movies, new hobbies, cute guys who come and go quickly--but this story seems a little too simple and streamlined to be a sampling of real life. '5' Erroneous information about homosexuality. Twice the author gives examples of friends who 'went homo' after getting involved in drugs, which I don't believe happens. A person's sexual preferences are remarkably stable throughout life, so it looks to me that the writer got caught making a technical mistake regarding this old homosexuality myth of the '70s while trying to scare people away from drugs. '6' Her delight with marijuana seems backwards. After starting with LSD, which is one of the most extreme drug experiences, she enthusiastically talks about how marijuana was all that it was said to be. It seems to me that the effects of marijuana, which are often so slight that many people can't even tell they're high, would be a major disappointment for someone who liked LSD so much. And if she liked her LSD trip so much, wouldn't she be writing about it frequently afterwards, instead of moving on and immediately forgetting about it? There are similar descriptions that seem inconsistent and unrealistic to me. The end with the psych ward is more realistic, though, as was the on-again off-again battle against addiction. The end was very unexpected, but even that is suspicious: did nobody follow up to see what happened? Overall I think the book was realistic enough and important enough to be a good read, and I feel better believing this was a real diary, but I have suspicions to the contrary.

4 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

You Should Read This!!!!

This Book Go Ask Alice is a private journal from a patient who has went through it all. This little girl grows up alone in the world thinking everyone is against her. Drugs, sex, parties and much more is found in this book like you would find in the ¿real world¿. It is really interesting how she went through life with different obstacles, also that she was a victim to the party. I loved this book, I would recommend this book to any teenager wondering what the dark side of the real world is.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

It's still a great book!

I read this the first time in my late teens...20 years ago! I remembered really enjoying the book, but couldn't remember the specifics of it. So when I recently came accrossed it again, I re-read it. It was just as good 20 years later!! Definately a classic!! And in a few years when my daughter is old enough, I will reccomend it to her!

And although some have questioned weather this book is an actual diary or a work of fiction, I don't believe it makes much difference. Fact is, this HAS happened, CAN happen and sadly, will continue to happen girls/young women.....

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Emotional but great

This book may be small but it is packed with emotions. This book was originaly a dairy kept by a very troubled girl. She goes through many battles to find herself. It is a sad but great book. If you like anything by Ellen Hopkins like crank or glass then you will love this book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Riveting

I don't really care for drug stories much, but this book is postively riveting. While most stories go on in first person or third person, this one came with a new twist of actual diary entries, making it even more realistic. The true story of a girl who struggeled with drugs makes an impact on those who are surrounded by drugs in their daily lives, and living proof in writing. The only sore spot is that the girl's name is never revealed so reading the story makes it difficult. Other than that, the story is a great life lesson for teenagers to read.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Alice?

Maybe at some point it was an actual diary--but Go Ask Alice is more propaganda than anything. It's a book written by adults to pretty much scare kids straight, a sort of slap in the face saying 'if you do drugs bad things will happen to you'. The author as a character is dry and shallow, there are numerous erors in drug use description, and half of the time it increases your curiosity more than convinces you drugs are bad. Of course that's just my opinion, and I'm just a cranky little girl with insomnia who hates every little thing she reads.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Most idiotic book I have ever read.

I literally get a headache while reading this book. The main nameless character is the most ridiculous person I've ever had the displeasure of reading about. This story is completely unrealistic, especially any experiences involving drugs. No teenage girl would EVER think the way this girl does, and I'm amazed that there are so many positive reviews. This book is complete fiction, there's no other explanation.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Teenage Must Read! - Go Ask Alice By Anonymous

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous was a diary of a fifteen-year-old girl, named Melanie. She was like any other teenager that had a school crush, wanted to be popular, and was always conscious about the way she looked. When she was only fifteen she was slipped LSD in her drink at a party and she loved it. Throughout the entire book, she is caught in a vicious cycle of good and bad. She constantly battled the inability to handle drugs verses her yearning to be drug free. It got to the point where she would trade sex for drugs and eventually had to get help, even though the medical intervention was not the final answer. She finds that when she tries to give up drugs, everyone befriends her and her life is miserable with out them and resorts back to drugs. This situation basically makes it impossible to ignore the urge to use drugs.
This book was fairly easy to read because it always kept me wanting to read the next page. This book is real and the character doesn't hold anything back. It's full of unexpected turns and I always want the main character to get through the situation. I loved this book because, sadly enough, I love reading about how other peoples lives are worst than mine. It made me realize how one drink at one party when you were fifteen can affect the rest of your life. It also made me realize that Melanie was just like me and my friends in how we worry about what others think about us, what our social status is, and how we look. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a story that will change your perspective on things that matter to you the most.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

awesome

i think this was a very good book. you can actually put your self in alice shoes and see and feel what she's really going through. It makes me realize what my life coulld of been like if i had chosen the wrong path... i recommend this book for someone in a high school... it can make them realize something just like i realized it myself...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WoW

this book was really fantastic. i felt like i was part of the book and juts looking at this girl go thorugh all of this horrible stuff. it made me want to jump in the book and save her. this defintly made me not want to ever do drugs. this book changed the way i felt about the things and like wanted me to just read more about drugs and things like this. this was my first book on drugs and addicts and ever since i read thiss book it made me want to read books like twisted, cut, lush, perfect, thirteen reasons why, safe, and speak. i lovee this book and you should defintly read it. It will change your life forever

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A definite mind opener.

Go Ask Alice has recently become one of the most interesting and captivating books I have ever read. I found it very hard to put down the book once I began reading. Though the book is an easy read, I would not think any less of the story itself. This book really opened my eyes to the effects of drugs. And by the effects, I don't mean how you feel while you are on them, but the ridiculous addiction you can fall into just after one time. It really makes you think of those you know and love who have fallen into the pressure of doing drugs. Even if they say they can stop any time they want, this book makes it obvious that once you have done them there is no turning back. The book itself is a roller coaster. Just when you feel secure with "Alice" she throws you off with another crazy trip. Alice is constantly jumping back and forth between social groups trying to figure out where she belongs in it all. Go Ask Alice shows the struggle for a young girl just trying to find her identity in a harsh drug-filled world. The book can be quite graphic at times when it comes to certain descriptions of her "trips." This book is most definitely unforgettable and I would recommend it to anyone interested in books with such harsh content and could relate to the search for identity. I would not recommend this book to any young readers, for the content might be a little too mature for them to really take in. The book will have you thinking about your own life and your own identity for weeks.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Emotional Read

This is an openly raw and emotional book. The reader is immediately drawn into the story because the main character could be anyone.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing

I love this book... I've read it several times throughout the years and it still has the same moving effect on me.

Good

I absolutely loved this book.

SHOULD BE MANDITORY TO TEENS EVERYWHERE

This book is everything in a teen's life and a lesson. And not shy of realism, no censorship, REAL truth and REAL talk HOOKED COULDN"T PUT IT DOWN IF YOU TRIED!!!!!!!!!!