Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publishing Date: March 1998
Format: paperback, purchased
192 Pages
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Synopsis
January 24th.
After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs...
Go ask Alice.
The harrowing true story of a teenager's descent into the seductive world of drugs. A diary so honest you may think you know Alice- or someone like her. Read her diary. Enter her world. You'll never be able to forget Alice.
My Review
When I first picked up this book, I really wanted to love it. I had read Letting Ana Go and really liked the style it was written, so I thought I'd like this one just as much. I've heard questions about whether this is a true story or not, along with Letting Ana Go, and it really doesn't matter to me. Obviously I'd like it to be a true story since that's how it's advertised, but regardless, its more about the content of the book itself.
The girl in this story is difficult for me to relate to because she's young and very immature. Maybe if I had read it 10 years ago, when I was her age, I would have felt differently, or maybe it's because this book was set in the 70's (from what I can gather, though correct me if I'm wrong). She didn't really comprehend what she was doing and didn't think about her actions. She kind of just did things she wanted and maybe thought about it later.
I feel like saying I liked this book is the wrong word because it's not a book about a happy subject, but I did like that it portrayed, or tried to portray, the life of a teen addict. Some of the parts of the book may have been a bit exaggerated, like running away for weeks at a time, and then her parents just seeming to be happy she was home, but not upset with what she did. If that were me, my parents wouldn't have let me leave the house for months! And I likely wouldn't have been able to still hang around those people who I ran away with! Maybe its just different times, but it seems a little unrealistic. However, that being said, I do think this book did a good job of touching on the subject of addiction, though I don't think it delved deep enough into how it can hurt not only the addict, but those around them. That is likely because of the point of view the story is told from - the addict may not really understand how she is affecting those around her.
Overall, this book was okay. I didn't love it, but it was a quick enough read that I pushed through and finished it in a day. I'm glad to have read it because I've heard about it many times and was really curious. That being said, this wouldn't be a book I'd reread.
No comments :
Post a Comment