Go Ask Alice in Crazy Challenge Connection

Mar 31, 2011 A. S. rated it did not like it

I hate Twilight as literature for teens, so I'm always on the lookout for good YA lit to supplant crappy books from impressionable minds. One book that kept popping up was Go Ask Alice, which many reviewers said scared them away from any type of drug. As a straight-edge teen, I didn't even need the warning, so I never read it. They say the average person is really stupid, and quite frankly, I can believe it because so many readers thought this book was a legitimate diary. Whether reading it as a I hate Twilight as literature for teens, so I'm always on the lookout for good YA lit to supplant crappy books from impressionable minds. One book that kept popping up was Go Ask Alice, which many reviewers said scared them away from any type of drug. As a straight-edge teen, I didn't even need the warning, so I never read it. They say the average person is really stupid, and quite frankly, I can believe it because so many readers thought this book was a legitimate diary. Whether reading it as an adult, or reading it with my 13 year old Sweet Valley High obsessed eyes, I would not have been fooled.

It's not just the stilted old-fashioned writing style or the vocabulary that only non-users would use (only non-users say "pot" for marijuana; users say "weed"). It is the sheer implausibility of the actions. Even at the tender age of 12 I knew that if you were a serious drug addict, it could ruin your life, and if it did, you wouldn't spend your time chronicling your drug sales and homelessness in a diary. If you had enough presence of mind for that, you'd take your own ass to rehab! Similarly, the LSD-in-chocolate raisins-for-revenge plot was cringeworthy. No drug addict would waste good ish (especially if it was as expensive as the writer took pains to tell us it was) on a half-assed scheme. Why even bother framing a bad girl gone straight when you can just take the drugs yourself? It's not logical. If you have the ability to think through a plot to frame someone, you'd be bringing yourself to rehab.

The book at times is a tiny bit homophobic. When the writer catches her dealer/user boyfriend having gay sex, what bothers her is the homosexuality. It's almost like the author was trying to say drugs cause gay sex, and therefore gay sex is as bad as drugs. Creepy connotations, to say the least. Also, she never deals with the consequences of being raped while on drugs. She mentions she's raped in two lines of the book. You blink, you miss it. Doesn't that sitch deserve a little more time and attention?

That said, there are three parts of the book that I found incredibly realistic/touching, none of which directly have anything to do with drugs. The first is the part when she runs away from home and realizes she's on her period and has no Kotex. Movies and books never mention not having sanitary products for girls ever being a problem in survivalist or homeless situations.

The second is the diet she's on in the beginning. While the girl is only about 120 lbs (certainly not fat by any means), she diets so carefully and is overjoyed when she treats herself to 6 french fries while on a date. While most girls don't go to that extreme, worries about weight plague everyone, and girls with EDs will recognize the crazy monitoring of portions. Sad, but realistic.

The last is the entry where she is talking to a bunch of addicts while waiting for her parents, and they all talk about hair as rebellion. They say that they hate their parents for not allowing them the autonomy of letting them style their hair however they wanted to. Teens love expressing their own identities and professing to have control over their bodies, and one of the cheapest, easiest, and most common ways to do so is by changing their hairstyle. Even though modern parents have more tolerance for various styles, it's still really common to have fights over it even in non-traditional households. ...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Jenn rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2013, tower-team-reads

Reading this book, I didn't think that the voice sounded like an actual 15 year old. I also didnt think it sounded like someone who had ever actually used drugs. it came across kind of propagandaish to me. And then about 156 pages in I discovered it was not actually true at all and had been written by an adult counselor who tried passing this and other journals off as real. if you really want books about actual drug use try Tweak by Nik Sheff and Beautiful Boy which is written by his father. ...more

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Sep 23, 2014 Melissa Wehunt rated it it was ok

For all the times I've had this book recommended to me, I just wasn't all that impressed. It wasn't terrible, but I think there are much better alternatives. I guess its good to read and keep around since it was sort the first of its kind... regarding drugs, sex, alcohol, unwanted pregnancy, abortion, politics, sexuality, rape etc in teens via "journal entries" but, in my opinion, there are some major flaws that keep this book from being effective.

1. It is so obviously not a real life journal. ...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Mandi rated it liked it

I've wanted to read this book for quite awhile. I'm glad I finally bought a copy of it. I know this isn't a true story, but it's still a good read. It will show you the dangers of using drugs. And even though it was a work of fiction, I was a little sad at the end. It really got to me that some people do go through a lot of what is mentioned in this book. I would recommend 'Go Ask Alice' to teenagers and adults alike. ...more

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