Anonymous

Go Ask Alice

Charlote

“Nothing could be darker or bleaker or barer than just sitting with nothing to do and millions of endless hours in which to do it.”

I used to think I was the only one who felt things. but I really am only one infinitely small part of an aching humanity. 

This book is a shameless, exploitative mess. Go Ask Alice isn’t just bad—it’s a fear-mongering fabrication masquerading as a real diary, selling tragedy for shock value.

If there ever was a real diary (unlikely), it’s been warped into this overwrought cautionary tale where one joint leads to total ruin. The writing veers between laughably naïve and absurdly jaded, and the storyline is as predictable as a made-for-TV melodrama. Add in some blatant homophobia, and it’s even more repulsive.

I get why books like this exist—parents panic, kids love scandal—but there has to be a better way to educate than pushing this tasteless, dishonest drivel.

Liana

This book is a shameless, exploitative mess. Go Ask Alice isn’t just bad—it’s a fear-mongering fabrication masquerading as a real diary, selling tragedy for shock value.

If there ever was a real diary (unlikely), it’s been warped into this overwrought cautionary tale where one joint leads to total ruin. The writing veers between laughably naïve and absurdly jaded, and the storyline is as predictable as a made-for-TV melodrama. Add in some blatant homophobia, and it’s even more repulsive.

I get why books like this exist—parents panic, kids love scandal—but there has to be a better way to educate than pushing this tasteless, dishonest drivel.



Patrick Book

A teacher gave me this book and said she thought it would be interesting to read and that was an understatement to say the least. I'm keeping in mind that I read the book 100% sure it was real. It started relatable, and I was thinking that teenage years are very generalized through the generations. Then she went off the deep end and just kept getting more and more shocking. Felt like I was reading the personification of a TRUTH or DARE ad. If its real I cant Imagine how it must've been and I hope no one does. If its fiction HORRIBLE ENDING.

Damian Rivera

Lis Amorelli

Just weirdly shocking for no other purpose. What’s the message of this? Keep a diary or else you’ll fall into a life of drugs? Puh-lease. Pretentious bullshit.

This book is a diary of a teenage girl who ends up getting into drugs and then trying several times to get "straight". 

The book ended with her deciding shes better now and she no longer needs to keep a diary and a little note at the end that said she passed away 3 weeks after the last diary entry. 

Its heartbreaking to remember that she was only young (I dont remember if the book specifed her exact age but I think she was around 15). 

It really made me realise how many kids out there are struggling with these things.

This is one of the books I just have to give 5 stars because I think it will stick with me for a long time. I would encourage you all to read this book its truly amazing. 

I don't even know what to say. 

This book is a diary of a teenage girl who ends up getting into drugs and then trying several times to get "straight". 

The book ended with her deciding shes better now and she no longer needs to keep a diary and a little note at the end that said she passed away 3 weeks after the last diary entry. 

Its heartbreaking to remember that she was only young (I dont remember if the book specifed her exact age but I think she was around 15). 

It really made me realise how many kids out there are struggling with these things.

This is one of the books I just have to give 5 stars because I think it will stick with me for a long time. I would encourage you all to read this book its truly amazing. 

jooooo-riaan

It starts off 'normally' then devolves into weird preachy stuff and the preachiness of it all is terrible.

jennifer 

read in middle school. very dramatic and a lot of fear mongering imo

Libertad Aguilar

There's a lot of debate whether this is a true story or not but I don't think that matters, tbh. If this can help someone change the course of their life by helping them have an "addict's" insight, let it. 

I liked the story. I can say that I found truth in some excerpts and I think it's fair to have some anti-drug books out there. It's very dated, that's for sure (the "say no to drugs" feel I got from it) but if it helps someone, sounds good to me. 

Anyway, read it and decide for yourself. If it gives you some laughs, that's good too! 

Enjoy!

Lamia Hajani

I've owned this book for almost a year and a half now, but I never had the time to sit down and read it. I'd heard so much about it that I finally decided to sit down and give it a try.

Go Ask Alice is a book that is full of triggers, firstly. Mentions of rape, sex, drugs, etc. are scattered throughout the book. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone that is easily triggered. 

Moving on, I personally enjoyed the book. I read it through in a few hours, and it was an easy read. Although there were a few inconsistencies, I thought it was a really relatable book on a teenage girl level. But, as is characteristic of me, I did go and research the novel online. As it turns out, the book is largely believed to be fictional (with much evidence to that). That was a little disappointing to me, to be honest. 

Other than that, I thought it was a great book. It did seem a little bit like 9th grade health class though. "Don't do drugs, don't do pot, it's a gateway drug, etc." I think the writer has written several books to that same claim though.

Anyways, I'd definitely say Go Ask Alice is worth a read for anyone that can spare a few hours. It's incredibly sad, be warned.

Bessie Small

Really sad and dark sometimes it got a little too dark but i guess that was the point.

wren

i took 2 days off from this & immediately forgot everything about it just know it was awful

Charlie Winchester 

Victoria Saxon

Makes me think if I did drugs, I'd be long dead by now.

Alice.

Haylie

I thought this didn't have an author...oh well this book was amazing.

Daria Bramnik

The only reason I liked this book was because of the facts. You have to face them, everything that happened there might happen to anyone and everyone and unfortunately it happened already to numerous people with different stories to share. This book was so realistic and that's what made the book so fantastic.

Heartbreaking. Breathtaking. This book not only shows how difficult it can be for a teenage girl (grooming, acceptance, rocky friendships, self image issues, bullying) but also dives into addiction head first and shows the aggressive way it ruins lives. Finished this in about two days, truly remarkable.

Sidney Scott

I started this book at around 10 something in my second period class, I've stopped reading it on and off to do homework. I even took a bath just so I could read it and now I am just finishing it at 12:45 AM. It was captivating and full of really emotion. Alice wanted so much to become a good person but drugs took control of her everything. I'm at a lose for words as how one person can actually go threw so much at such a young age.

jess

[review from 2012]

I just read Go Ask Alice. I’d been avoiding it for a while, even though my mother said I should read it. And I just read it and well, I don’t know what to say. It’s kind of an odd book. And I’m tired. Ugh. 

I didn't like it, really, but it was very real and frightening.

kendall p

After reading some other reviews and educating myself on the author I will not be leaving a review. It’s really sad the author feels the need to guilt trip and lie to children.

Jaymie Lemke

Every teen should read this book. I read this in 8th grade and vowed I would never touch drugs because of it.

Francis Buggey

I enjoyed this book mainly because it was a good look at what can cause substance use disorders. The person who wrote this (whether this is anti-drug propaganda or an actual diary) has shown the risk factors that can cause a substance use disorder as well as other comorbid disorders that come with it. The ending was super disappointing.

✨Tyler ✨

Flavia Louise

Actual rating: 3.5/5
Now I would have probably "enjoyed" this book a lot more if I didn't find out that it was basically faked.
Now I wanted to read his book forever, but it felt kind of threatening to me considering I thought it was non-fiction and in that case it would have been a lot harder to read.
Actually I had the exxperience of reading it thinking it was non-fiction for the first 52 pages before taking a closer look at it on goodreads and finding out that it's not real. That fact largely contributed to me being able to read it fast because it being not real made it a lot less emotionally challenging for me, which is good in a way. But as far as my rating goes emotional involvement with the story is a huge factor and finding out that a book that looks like nonfic is faked put me down

Alice could be anyone - she could be someone you know, or someone you love - and Alice is in trouble ... Being fifteen is hard, but Alice seems fine. She babysits the neighbour's kids. She is doing well at school. Someday she'd even like to get married and raise a family of her own. Then she is invited to a party, a special party where the drinks are spiked with LSD and Alice is never the same again. This tragic and extraordinary true-life story shows the devastating effect that drug-abuse can have. But the big difference between Alice and a lot of other kids on drugs is that Alice kept a diary . . .

Alex

Go ask alice is the diary of a fifteen year old drug dealer and user. Its really powerful, touching, page turning and emotional. I think it represent the subject really good (obviously bc it is written by an addict) but just the fact that it has been published for the world to read and learn is really incredible. In my opinion every teenager, adult and parent has to read this to really understand the thoughts of an addict and not to be judgemental all the time. Highly recommended.

Go Ask Alice

Reviews

Highlights