Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug addiction at age. Howling hilarity upon rereading the book in this context. But those of you old enough to remember the latter portion of the 70s might remember that beatrice sparks, the editor of go ask alice, also edited a bunch of other alarmist books aimed at teens, all supposedly taken from teenagers diaries. White rabbit lyrics and credited to anonymous, the book seemed specially. In 1976, a stage play of the same name, written by frank shiras and based on the book, was also published. An unnamed fifteenyearold diarist, whom the novels title refers to as alice, starts a diary. By now, the go ask alice readers narrative is a comic genre unto. One pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small and the ones that mother gives you dont do anything at all go ask alice when shes ten feet tall and if you go. The drugs only create the temporary illusion that she is in touch with nature and people. Go ask alice unknown a book describing a teenage girls experiences with various drugs and typical teenage problems, i. The sobering message of go ask alice had a huge effect on my lifeand then i found out the real story. Only parents can decide if they want their children to read go ask alice. The book and especially the ending shows the harsh reality of drugs and addiction in teenagers.
A very good book, albeit it doesnt really help people fear drugs. The go ask alice community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author. Go ask alice was published anonymously in 1971, but in the last two decades, it still lives in the top 25 most frequently banned books, according to the. Alice was the pseudonymous name of the teenaged author who wrote the book upon which this aboveaverage tv movie was based. The book go ask alice was the reallife diary of a teenage girl. The unsuspecting first time is a standard plot device used by writers. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. Explore our editors picks for the best kids books of the month. With a sensitive, observant style, she records her adolescent woes. Go ask alice is still awash in controversy, 43 years.
The original book, alices adventures in wonderland was written in 1865, whereas go ask alice wasnt written until 1971. Alice begins her diary because she has no one else to talk to, and she spends her energy searching not for drugs, but for someone who understands her. Go ask alice is a 1971 fiction book about a teenage girl who develops a drug habit at age 15 and runs away from home on a journey of selfdestructive escapism. In the 1970s, this fake diary scaredand temptedteenage girls all.
People were desperate to find ways to discourage drug use by any means other than the highly ineffective dont do drugs speeches in health class. It is written by beatrice sparks in the form of the diary of an anonymous teenage girl who becomes addicted to drugs. Go ask alice, a real diary in print for four decades. In fact, several of my friends and i have told each other that it actually makes us want to do drugs. Go ask alice was written as a sort of cautionary tale, antihippieculture propaganda directed at unsuspecting young teens. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of go ask alice. Go ask alice anonymous diaries paperback january 1, 2006. Its sick and wrong to feel that way about another girlbut if you ignore it, it doesnt mean anything. Go ask alice is a 1971 novel about the life of a troubled teenage girl. The well known disney animation was based on alices adventures in wonderland and predates go ask alice by twenty years, as it was released in 1951. It graphically describes the waking hell into which the main character descends.
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