Age Group:
Young Adult

Genre:
Classic, American, Coming-of-age, Realistic Fiction

Summary:
This 1971 controversial novel chronicles the harrowing experiences of a troubled teenage girl who inadvertantly tries LSD and becomes entangled in a powerful drug addiction. Through her naive, adolescent mind we witness an all too easy spiral toward depravity and her subsequent attempts at recovery.

My Thoughts:
Labelled as somewhat of a classic, I had higher expectations of Go Ask Alice then it delivered. It’s basically a diary purporting to be a real life account of a young girl’s experiences. While the true author remains anonymous, critics speculate that editor Beatrice Sparks did indeed write the novel based on the diary of one of her patients.

While I managed to finish the novel in one day, but I was not particularly immersed in it. In fact, I found it quite depressing! But those are just my thoughts. Give it a try yourself. At 40 years since its first publication, Go Ask Alice has definitely stood the test of time. If anything it’s a strong warning to teens to avoid the perils of substance abuse.

Borrow Go Ask Alice from your local Vaughan library today!