Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks

7 reviews

jennmeadows13's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Bullying, Child death, Sexual content, Drug use, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

novacoconut's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I loved it. It pulled me in and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next, and whether she would get her life together. And it was great until the Epilogue. However, I also hated it…some parts were clearly not written by a young girl in her teens, and it took away from the authenticity of the diary. I also didn’t like the way the epilogue ended the book. If left too many questions but not in a cliffhanger type of way, but in a confusing what the heck just happened type of way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Drug use, and Addiction

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Grief, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

fabyio's review against another edition

sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

It's Mormon propaganda. The portraying of the characters and situations are borderline funny if you've actually experience or awareness of real life addiction and homelessness. Homophobic, fatphobic and all the fun things we can expect from a 70s propaganda book.

With this in mind, you can read it as a piece of fiction from its time and it's bearable. Finished in a couple days and cracked up at the ending. I'd call it camp-ish.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Child death, Classism, Death, and Drug use

All is wrong but it's funny to me.

quills4days's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder, Biphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

Minor: Alcoholism, War, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Abortion, and Suicidal thoughts

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

The text is not an authentic text. It is written by someone who has no idea what real addiction looks like. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Addiction, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Outing, Sexism, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

If you have ever struggled with addiction, pick another book to read. Pick one that captures addiction in a compassionate way.

elisweets's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This was one of my favorite books when I was in middle school. I used to read this book over and over again, but I haven’t read it in ages. 
Boy was I surprised to find out how much I disliked the book now.
1) I have one of the older copies that state that this is an actual diary of an actual 15 year old girl who got involved with drugs. As I was reading the book I started to realize how completely unrealistic the events of the “diary” seemed. I did some googling and found out that this who story was invented by Some life named Beatrice Sparks who was an American therapist and Mormon youth counselor as a cautionary tale for drug use. (Though people began to question her credentials and there is no proof of the PHD that she claims to have.) So this story was literally invented by religious fanatic who wanted to tell kids drugs were bad. That explains the bizarre amount of homophobia in this book as well.
2) I wish Beatrice worked harder to make this more realistic because omg. You’re telling me two 15-17 year olds ran away and started an entire business by themselves in the matter of weeks??? She couldn’t even properly explain what it felt like to be high on said drugs she was using. Smoking weed doesn’t make you trip out the way this book describes it. 
3) A lot of homophobic undertones and gay shaming. The main character experiences attraction to characters of the same sex but then in the same sentence talks about how sinful and gross that is.

I was severely disappointed while reading this. :( I can’t believe THIS used to be one of my comfort books

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Child death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Addiction, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Sexual violence

zombiezami's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I like this book as a snapshot of life in the 1970s. A lot of the text brought me back to the pain of being a teenager. However, a lot of the plot isn't very plausible. There's also a lot of homophobia thrown in for no reason. I waited until after I finished the book to look up anything about its publication, and found out the real author's identity. That was very illuminating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Trafficking, War, and Miscarriage