Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Go Ask Alice Redux (Reviewing books for young adults)

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My niece turned thirteen the other day and I remember what I thought about at that age; what my friends and I talked about.  Although my parents were wonderful, it would have been very uncomfortable for me to bring up things with them.  We never had "the talk."  As to school guidance counsellors, there was only one, in all my years, that the kids ever had any faith in.  I used to read books on a variety of topics and I decided that perhaps they would be a good segue, should the need arise, for my niece to raise issuess with me.  I'm going to leave them around and she can read them if she wants.  That way, she can talk about "somebody in her school," going through something similiar.
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One of the books I ordered from Amazon was "Lucy in the Sky" penned by Annonymous.  The plot was very familiar to me, as I'd read "Go Ask Alice" many years ago.  In what ways are the plots the same?  A girl who wouldn't normally party is introduced by friends to pot and then, increasingly, to harder drugs.  Her father is a college instructor.  Alice ran away to San Francisco and the "author" of this book pays a visit to the city.  Both have artistic  interests.  Both books are writtten in a diary format.  I don't want to give away too much of the plot, so I will stop here.
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However, it will keep a reader of that age interested.  It doesn't shy away from sex and whether adults want to accept it or not, teens are familiar with the various practices hinted at in the book.  The point is made that the lack of sobriety may make the act reckless.
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It's an easy read and I think that people of about the age of fifteen will be the ones to most appreciate this.

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