Apr 26th, 2009
Go Ask Alice
Even though I now know this book was probably written not by an actual teen but by an adult, I still think it’s an interesting depiction of a teen’s life as she (supposedly) descends into drug culture. However, I can’t help but imagine the entire book in Sascha Rothchild’s voice. So, unfortunately, while it’s supposed to be a serious, warning type of young adult book, it ends up seeming to me very ridiculous. I think this book actually may convince some teens to try drugs, what with the florid descriptions of getting high and sex while high. “Alice” doesn’t really do all that much to convince the reader that drugs are all that bad, because she herself doesn’t really believe it, as she writes many times, (except for the fact that she has a pregnancy scare early on, loses her virginity to a guy she barely knows, gets raped, and ultimately dies due to an overdose–allegedly). I probably wouldn’t recommend this to kids today, because it seems pretty dated and silly. There are many better written and more cautionary tales about drugs available, and maybe young adults would be interested in this from a historical perspective of life in the 1970s, but it’s really just kind of weird.
Did you find the voice unrealistic for a teen? It seemed way to forced to me. Also it read like a bad After School Special. It felt like the author was trying to scare teens straight. You’re right in saying that it fails in this. If you get the opportunity the movie of this book features William Shatner and Andy Griffith. I think that pretty much says it all.
Thanks for the honest review. I will NOT checking out this book as it seems like a waste of time. What are your suggestions for good books on drug abuse for teens?