"Go Ask Alice," by Anonymous was first published in 1971. The era is sometimes evident in the clothing choices made, but that is such a small part of the story. It is the horrific story of a teenage girl from a good family getting caught up in drug abuse that eventually leads to her demise. It is written in diary form, from beginning until her last entry.
According to Snopes, this book was the product of Beatrice Sparks, who produced several novels depicting teens in situations that ruined their lives, including AIDS, pregnancy, satan worship and eating disorders. It is clearly not an authentic diary of a teenage girl, but it is convincing enough to keep a reader interested, and clearly made an impact on some young readers (or so I heard at the library).
It is a short, quick read, and the main character is easy to relate to. Whether it is authentic or not, it does speak of the trials of finding friends, keeping friends, doing stupid stuff and all that comes with being a teen.
