Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous

Warning: In order to fully discuss this novel, there are going to be a lot of spoilers. If you don't wish to read this book, or do not care about spoilers, then read on!

Novel: Go Ask Alice, written by Anonymous*

*There has been a lot of discussion about the author. It was originally published as the edited diary of a girl who committed suicide. Very soon after, however, a psychologist named Beatrice Sparks started presenting herself as the editor of the book. Currently, it is established that Sparks was the writer of Go Ask Alice, using a few actual stories/diary entries of one of her patients, but making up the majority of the novel. Therefore, I will treat the book as a novel while discussing it.

It's like: The style of Perks of Being a Wallflower with a plot similar to Thirteen Reasons Why, but ten times darker and drug-filled

Summary: I have absolutely no idea how to summarize this novel, so here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/go-ask-alice-anonymous/1100300729?ean=9781416914631

Though I would say it's more of a roller-coaster or cycle of ups and downs, rather than a spiral downward. 

What I thought of...

• The Plot: I would have to say that the plot was good. Did I like the plot? No, but it carried the story well and showed the horrors of drug addiction. I am honestly not sure how realistic the plot is; the novel was written in 1971, which was the era of hippies and drugs (or so I'm told, I was born in the 90s), but it seemed far fetched. The novel is partially based on someone's actual diary, however, so I suppose it must be a little accurate.
• The Characters: Go Ask Alice is certainly a plot driven story. The main character who is writing the diary entries never states her name, but critics speculate her name is Carla based on one line in the book. Most of the characters are not involved in her life for very long except for her family members, so it's hard to make a connection with them. It's hard to make a connection with any character really because you only ever see Carla's view of them, which isn't exactly unbiased. Even Carla's personality is constantly changing so it is difficult to make a connection with her too. I like novels where I can relate to the characters, and it was hard to do that with this novel.
• The Style: I did not like the writing style in this novel. Maybe I'm setting the bar too high, but Carla sounds ten rather than 15 when she writes. There are moments of pure brilliance and some of her diary entries sound more realistic than others, but they don't increase in maturity as she gets older; there is no growth in her writing though she certainly has changed. 

Miscellaneous: I MUST RANT ABOUT THE END. The summary on the back cover of the novel hints at her suicide, but the ending was so hopeful until the last few lines that I was denying the idea of suicide. It might have changed the history of the girl whose diary this was based on, but it would have been worth it! While the majority of the novel was heartbreak and pity for Carla, I think it should have been a story of hope. People need to be told that you can persevere through your problems and that your past does not need to define your future. Instead, the ending made a novel solely a story of the horrors of drug addictions and that many people suffer like Carla. Maybe I just like happier stories better, but I thought the book would have been more powerful with a hopeful ending.

Recommendation: I read this book because multiple people have recommended it to me, but it really is not my kind of book. Some people might like it, though, so if the description of the plot sounded intriguing and my rants seemed stupid, then go ahead and read it; I won't say that people shouldn't read it! I can see how some people would like it, but its definitely not the book for me!