Go Ask Alice

Written by "Anonymous"**

Reviewed by Omar R., BCCHS student

I recently came across a book called “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous. The author’s name isn’t “anonymous” but a code name in order to protect the real author’s identity. The book itself is a diary of a fifteen-year-old drug addict who struggles with herself. The book consists of 159 pages, goes for a little over a year, and has been modified from the original version for privacy reasons.

To begin with, we never know the author’s name. It begins with “Alice” (code name from book title) as your average American girl who would date, party, etc. She goes to a party where they began playing “Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?” Before you know, Alice feels uplifted. She has never felt like that ever in her life. When she returns to reality, she finds out that they had put LSD in her drink and that the “button” was the drug. She felt guilty but also at the same time, she had the urge to do it again for she felt so good by doing so.

“I could smell it and touch it and feel it as well as hear it.

Never had anything ever been so beautiful. I was a part of every single instrument, literally a part.”

-July 10, Go Ask Alice.

Throughout the rest of the book, Alice gets introduced to new drugs and begins doing heavier drugs which cause her to get into various problems. She runs away from home, deals with selling drugs, having sex, etc. As you go more into the book, she feels as though she doesn’t want the life of a drug addict anymore. She comes to realize that she isn’t that type of person and that she wants others to feel the same. She then begins feeling that she wants to help people with drug addiction problems like her to quit.

The main reason I chose this book was because it’s based on real life, not made up. This could happen to anyone. Alice was one of thousands of teens who die from drugs each year. Alice’s story is not unique. It’s one of many out there. It brings up the thought that this could happen to anyone. Overall, this book rose to my expectations. It got me to think over how the choices you make can impact your life. I will admit that everything Alice did before she got into drugs, I do the same. I go to parties, date, go out with friends, have fun and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Also, does that mean that I’m going to get into drugs? No. It just means that the choices you make can make a difference.

Although the book was intriguing and extensively well-written for a diary, I must admit, it can be improved. The book has many gaps for she does not write an entry everyday which leads to unanswered questions. This doesn’t occur just in one part of the book but rather everywhere, especially when she runs away; she writes an entry every three days practically.

Despite everything, I would rate this book a 4.5/5.

(**Note from Ms. Freeman:  Go to Snopes.com for the truth about who wrote this book!)