Guest Review: Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Hey guys! If you remember, last year my friend Turner reviewed one of his favourite books on here and today I'm featuring him again for another favourite of his! If you're interested in writing a guest post or review, let me know!

Author: Anonymous

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Page Count: 213 pages, Paperback

Date Published: December 27th 2005 (First Published 1971)

Find it on Goodreads: Go Ask Alice

January 24th 

After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs....

It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life.

Read her diary. 

Enter her world.

You will never forget her.

For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful -- and as timely -- today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction

A Guest Review of Go Ask Alice by Turner!

Author: Anonymous (Beatrice Sparks)

Publisher: Prentice Hall

Page Count: 214

Date Published: March 5^th, 1971

January 24^th:
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.

Hey guys, it’s me again! I’ve wanted to come back and write another review for Kristy, and I couldn’t help but do it on one of, in my mind at least, BEST BOOKS OF ALL TIME.

Go Ask Alice tells the story of a 1970’s teenaged girl, dealing with her parents, sexuality, school, and drugs. Whether or not it ever was a proper journal has yet to be seen, as the author, Beatrice Sparks, has said she did in fact add sections for drama in some of her other “journal” books, such as Jay’s Journal. Despite the confusion, it’s survived the test of time, after being published 42 years ago, and has been read by millions.

I was very happy with how this novel was written, from the perspective of Carla. THAT’S ANOTHER POINT. Despite the book being titled Go Ask Alice, the “Alice” character is only mentioned briefly, after the narrator just picks up her bags and leaves home, and ends up in Coos Bay, Oregon. One sentence in the diary may, or may not, state the diarist’s name; “Daddy can’t come, he’s humping Carla”. This was after the mother of “Carla’s” boyfriend’s son asked her child to get his father for supper. All I can say is this encounter did not end well for “Carla” (I use the quotations because her name has never been confirmed).

In the end, I’d give this at least 4 out of 5 stars, because the journal has thought me why I shouldn’t even try illegal drugs. LISTEN UP KIDS, DRUGS ARE BAD. Thanks for your time J

Keep on reading,

Turner

Guest Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Hey guys! Today I'm welcoming one of my very good friends, Turner, to the blog for a guest review! He's been raving about this book and I haven't had the chance to read it yet, and don't know if I will, so I told him he should review it and put it on goodreads or something, and then I figured, why not on here? Just a bit of background: Turner has been my friend since we were five years old and we sit together on the bus everyday to and from school! But enough of me talking... Here's the review!

Author: Garth Stein

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Page Count: 324, paper back

Date Published: January 1^st, 2008

Enzo knows he’s different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television and listening carefully to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Now in his twilight years, Enzo finds himself thinking back on his life with the Swift family, reflecting on all he has learned about the human condition and how life, like racing, is about so much more than simply going fast.

What I Thought: Absolutely awesome!

Before anything else, I’m warning you, I may be a bit biased when it comes to this book, because I enjoy almost anything motor related, even lawn mowers, and my friends told me about this book, which she had listened to in an audio book, and I couldn’t resist. I bought the book, and read it on my trip back from Mexico. Four hours later, sure enough, half the book was done, and I had a new favourite novel in my hands.

You may be wondering the reason why I, Kristy’s friend Turner, am writing this review. After telling her bits and pieces of the book, she insisted I should write the review instead, as some parts of the book hit too close to home for her, and I was so amazed by this book.

To start, as you may have guessed, Mr. Stein wrote this book through the eyes of a dog. I believe that’s one of the best parts of the book, because most of the books I read are in the person of the main character, who more often than not isn’t a dog.

I really couldn’t put the book down while on the flight, and it just got harder and harder to stop reading as the night progressed. Eventually, it got too dark in the car to read it all the way home, but I was right back at it that night.

 The book is focused on Enzo re living his life as he, like all of us will unfortunately experience one day, lays on his deathbed in a quaint little house in a Suburb of Seattle, Washington. Most of the story followed a steady pace; some things were maybe a bit too descriptive and unnecessary, but besides that, it was a very compelling story about the life and times of Denny Swift and his wife and child. 

Some parts are quite sad, and during the last chapter, I will be open about this, I shed a tear, because I was going through the same thing Denny was, with my own dog Sheena, may she rest in peace, and it hit home quite hard. But all in all, it was a great book! I’d like to thank Kristy for letting me do a guest entry, and look forward to doing another one soon! 

Thanks Turner!

Let me know in the comments what you guys think about more guest reviews and I'll ask some of my friends if they'd be interested. Or if you're interested in doing a guest review for the blog, shoot me an email!

Happy reading!

~Kristy