Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
The mother-drug-novel of them all, GAA made quite a splash when it was first published back in the early seventies, and has regularly made the banned book list ever since. It was published as a true diary account of a girl who goes from goody-goody to homeless addict due to her introduction to LSD at a party. Since then, it has come out that Alice was actually written by a real author and wasn’t some anonymous girl’s diary after all. Having said that, I don’t think it minimizes the power of this book one iota. If you want to know what its like to take an acid trip, run away from home, or spend a little time in a mental institution, read this book or watch Oliver Stone’s The Doors. Either way, you’ll be wearing a “Drugs Suck!” t-shirt before you can say “This is your brain…”
bridgette said,
November 14, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
I loved this book. After I read it, I found it wasn’t the true diary, which made me upset. The message is still there, but it changed it for me.
I have a suggestion for this list:
Crank by Ellen Hopkins. Crank is written in verse, and is told from the POV of Kristinia, the meth-addicted former honor student. The book is based on Ellen Hopkin’s struggles with her daughter’s addiction to crank. The sequel, Glass, is just as good. Crank and Glass deal with how the drug-addiction affects the addicts families, not just the user. It certainly helped me with my aunt’s drug addiction, and really changed how I viewed me aunt, and all drug-addicts. All of her other books– Glass, Burned, and Impulse, are very powerful and deal with the things that we– teens– deal with, sometimes, on a daily basis.
Jen Hubert said,
November 14, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
Hi Bridgette,
I know, I should have added Crank long ago! I agree it is an excellent treatment of drug addiction, and I even covered it in my Reading Rants book. I just haven’t backtracked yet and added it here, so thank you for your review! I hope you’ll visit and post often.
natalie said,
December 6, 2007 @ 11:14 am
I really enjoyed the novel Go ask Alice, but it disappoints me that its not real, because after I read it I figured it wasn’t the true diary of some teenager. I know its not because no 15 yr old in the 70’s writes that brilliant with huge words!!! its all bullsh*t!
Crystal said,
December 14, 2007 @ 10:26 am
I don’t care that it wasn’t the true dairy, although it does take something way from it, its a great book.
leroy jenkins said,
January 18, 2008 @ 1:44 pm
it not being a true diary is perfectly fine i believe people have a freedom of writing so calm down this book is wonderful… yay!
karrie said,
January 22, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
I LOVE GO ASK ALICE. I WANT TO BUY THE BOOK BUT I DONT KNOW EHERE TO GET ONE. SHE IS A GOOD BOOK WRITER I CAN SAY WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON. I CAN SEE WHERE SHE IS COMING FROM. I JUST WISH SHE HAD A SECEND BOOK… ONCE AGINE GO ASK ALICE IS A GREAT BOOK AND EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT!..
someone said,
February 5, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
i;m reading this book it looks good to me
marissa pflugardt said,
February 7, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
this was a real eye opener to me and probubly young teens everywhere. it has actually helped my deal with my drug addiction. thankyou for writing this book it helped alot along the way
Kaylah Armentrout said,
March 13, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
i am just reading this book and i want to keep reading it seems like a good book and i love teen books and this sounds like a good book!!!!!!
Kassidy said,
July 14, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
I loved this book!!!
John said,
July 22, 2008 @ 7:51 am
I really enjoyed this I got it at this sale and I almost put it back im so glad I didint