Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Simon Pulse, 224 pages
Borrowed

"This book tells the tale of an unnamed 15-year-old girl as she becomes acquainted with the world of drugs. Desperate for friendship in a new town and vulnerable from typical teenage insecurities, the narrator gets involved with a seemingly-harmless group of teenagers who introduce her to substance use. What starts out as an innocent way to have fun quickly turns into a vicious cycle of dependency. This heart-wrenching book that contains authentic entries from a young girl's diary open up the reader's eyes to the reality of teenage drug abuse, as it follows the hero through bad trips, homelessness, and damaged relationships."

Usually, I am apprehensive about reading books that are written in first person and in a diary entry form. But when Emily described this book as a book about drug addiction and how a girl overcomes it, I was more than intrigued. I am very interested in the way that people who are addicted to either drugs or alcohol coexist socially in the world. This book was a lot like one of my favorite books (also written in first person about a person's drug addiction), A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. Although this book is a far milder tale of substance abuse compared to A Million Little Pieces, I found it very far ahead of its time, considering it was originally published in 1971.

Go Ask Alice is a book I believe every high school student should read during their freshman or sophomore year. It shows very vividly how drug experimentation and alcohol can really damage a young person's life. The girl who writes about her experiences shows signs of depression, loneliness, and even happiness due to her issues with drugs. I don't believe that this girl was truly a hard core drug addict. I think that the addictive nature that LSD and speed caused her simply couldn't be fought on her own. The girl had support from her family and friends, but she was constantly in different states of reconciliation and understanding with them, which caused more stress in her life.

Her story also helps to show the cultural problems that drugs had on America and the children that were growing up during that time. The same issues that occur in this book (again, it was published in 1971) mirrors many of the same drug addiction issues that America is experiencing today. Reading this book helped me to relate to another time in the world because of the similar things that I see happening in the world that I am growing up in.

Rating: 3 stars - I liked it. Worth borrowing.