Go Ask Alice

Bibliographic Information: Sparks, B. [Editor]. (1971). Go Ask Alice  Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Plot Summary: The anonymous diarist of this novel begins her journal with normal teenage worries about weight, friends, fitting in, boys, sexuality, and parental misunderstanding.  She is desperate to fit in, and after a move to a larger town, the diarist finds herself at a party with some old friends, where she unknowingly drinks a soda laced with LSD.  After coming down from her high, she vows to never take drugs again only to voluntarily try them a few days later.  So begins her battle with drugs, the consequences of which include drug dealing, bad boyfriends, running away from home, rape, prostitution, homelessness, hitchhiking, bullying, and a stint in an insane asylum, to name a few.  Complicating her desires to stay clean are the horrible drug-loving friends who latch on to her and drag her down their descent into drugs.  After nearly dying from her habit, the diarist returns home with renewed strength to straighten out her life.  She even becomes romantically involved with Joel.  Will she finally break free from her drug habit?

Critical Evaluation: The story of the young girl in Go Ask Alice takes readers on a roller coaster ride through the rough stages of drug addiction.  The hardships the diarist experiences teeter on the verge of fictional, because it seems implausible that one young woman can really endure so many conflicts.  One theme throughout the novel is weakness, mostly in part of the main character herself.  Her initial weaknesses are those experienced by many teens: desire to fit in, obsession with weight, and conflict with parents.  Her desire to fit in leads her to join the wrong crowd and expose her to the dangers of drugs.  The drugs only compound her weaknesses by impairing her judgment, for addiction suffocates all her ability to reason, and she becomes a slave to the high.  It is heartbreaking to watch her break free from Drug Hell, return home with stalwart resolve to stay clean, and finally end up back in the depths of narcotics.  If she had more confidence in herself would she have plummeted to rock bottom?  We’ll never know, but parents can use this novel as a teaching tool to show their child possible consequences of drug addiction.  

 

Reader’s Annotation: Raped, beaten, homeless, hungry, and stoned.  All she wants to do is go back home to her family, but will they take her back?

Information about the author: When Go Ask Alice was first published, it was done so under the guise on an anonymous diary, but as years passed Beatrice Sparks came forth as the novel’s editor.  Beatrice Sparks, a youth counselor, claims she used journal entries from an actual teenaged client of hers, and added fictional events based on other patient’s stories.  

The details of where Sparks earned her PhD are fuzzy, as well as details about her professional experience (Wikipedia, n.d.).  

Before her death in May of 2012 she published eight diary style novels, and two other works.  

Genre: Realistic/Controversial Fiction

Curriculum Ties: English (literature)

Booktalking ideas (one or two):

1. Psychiatrist’s perspective (considering the controversy of authorship).

2. Journal from diarist.

Reading level/Interest age: 15+

Challenge Issues: This novel includes drug use, homosexuality, rape, sex, violence and homelessness.

To defend challenged material I would:

1.    Read/watch/listen to the material to become familiar with the content.

2.    Familiarize myself with the Arizona Common Core curriculum standards http://www.azed.gov/azcommoncore/teacher/ to defend how the material can support the learning of these standards.

3.    Refer to the Library Bill of Rights: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill

4.    Refer to the collection policy of my library.

5. Collect reviews from staff/students/patrons who have used the material

References:

Wikipedia. (n.d). Beatrice Sparks. Wikipedia. Retrieved 1 May 2013 from

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Sparks