So, over break I read Go Ask Alice, by "Anonymous"
As a little background... the book is "based" on the diary of a teenage girl who is into drugs. It deals with her problems, her triumphs, and ultimately, it ends in tragedy.... she dies due to some drug related mishap, though the reader never finds out what exactly happened to her. There has been a lot of controversy regarding this book, as it seems unclear how closely or loosely it is based on an actual girls diary.
I read the story in 6th grade, and I really liked it a lot. As I read it again, 13 years later, I tried to keep two things in mind: 1. Why did I like this when I was 12 (and all the questions that stem from that)? and 2. How loosely is this based on some girl's diary... does it seem legit?
I didn't really enjoy the book this time around. I think that says a lot about the changes that take place between adolescence and adulthood. When I was 12, I was trying to figure the world out and be rebellious and all that good stuff, so I can see why the book was appealing to me then (also, a girl I liked then recommended it, so I started reading it for that reason, and I ended up enjoying it). It deals with some serious issues that many adolescents face, some of which I faced myself, and some that I found so outrageous I had to read on. I think the main reason I didn't like it this time around stems from (2) above.
When reading it, it felt like an adult was trying to write in the voice of an adolescent. It seemed false. Whether this was because its dated (the diary upon which it is based was written in the mid 70s) or because the woman who published the book took too many liberties, I can't tell, but either way, it didn't feel like the writing of an adolescent. It seemed like the style changed a lot between passages, too. Some were deep and very well written, while others were weaker. As with any writer, the author has her ups and downs, but it almost felt like you could find the places where an adults editorial hand came into play. Lastly, in the beginning, where all of the publication info is listed, it has the "This is a work of fiction, any references to real people and places are completely coincidental..." warning, making it seem even less like a diary.
The final thing I'd like to mention is that at a few points, I think the novel promotes discrimination against homosexuals. Here's why.... the main character... the writer of the diary... finds out that her boyfriend is engaged in a homosexual relationship. She then, in her diary, refers to him like, "that homo" and "that queer," and never touches on the topic again. She also turns him into the police for selling drugs, her decision partially influenced by his homosexuality. I was kind of alarmed that a book intended for adolescents that is so highly published and read would say such things an never clarify or mention anything else on the topic. Perhaps it is due to changes in mainstream culture and acceptance since the publication of the book, but still... it seems pretty odd, and utterly unfortunate.
Excellent review Tim. Post it to teen reads? I've never read this one and have no desire to for lots of reasons. Your review confirmed for me that my window of opportunity for this text is probably closed. The final assessment of the author's reference to homosexuality is pretty striking. While this isn't a text one is likely to teach, if you had it on your classroom shelf, it might be a note you would put in the front, or a question you would ask of the students reading it. Imagine if you hadn't re-read. Then, if someone asked you about it, you might say, "yeah, I read it and it was pretty good." Now, you'd have a completely different take.
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