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A review by dogmomirene
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson
3.0
I remember reading Go Ask Alice in the 80s as a rite of passage.
When I started as a middle school English teacher in the late 90s, I was shocked when the librarian told me that the book was actually fiction. She gave me the highlights version of how the cataloguing of the book had changed over the years.
When I saw this book listed on NetGalley, I was pumped. I wanted to read the whole story. How did this author or publisher get away with passing off this diary as real?
The three stars are entirely for the research put into this account. Emerson clearly did his due diligence and pieced together multitudes of documents and interviews to share this publishing hoax.
Sadly, Emerson’s snark gets in the way of his narrative, and his organization gets muddied in places.
As I was reading, there were several times when I wondered where he was going, but I could always count on him adding a disparaging footnote. Funny how he criticized Beatrice Sparks’ writing style, but his own style included sprinkling nonfiction with so many adjectives.
It almost felt like reading a first draft. Definitely a frustrating read for me. The topic is so compelling, and I know this book could have been a five-star read.
If you’re someone who remembers the Go Ask Alice buzz from your childhood, or you’re pursuing a master’s of library science, or you have some niche interest in this topic, then you can probably read this book and take away some good information. Just be prepared for a snide guide.
Thank you to NetGalley and BenBella Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
When I started as a middle school English teacher in the late 90s, I was shocked when the librarian told me that the book was actually fiction. She gave me the highlights version of how the cataloguing of the book had changed over the years.
When I saw this book listed on NetGalley, I was pumped. I wanted to read the whole story. How did this author or publisher get away with passing off this diary as real?
The three stars are entirely for the research put into this account. Emerson clearly did his due diligence and pieced together multitudes of documents and interviews to share this publishing hoax.
Sadly, Emerson’s snark gets in the way of his narrative, and his organization gets muddied in places.
As I was reading, there were several times when I wondered where he was going, but I could always count on him adding a disparaging footnote. Funny how he criticized Beatrice Sparks’ writing style, but his own style included sprinkling nonfiction with so many adjectives.
It almost felt like reading a first draft. Definitely a frustrating read for me. The topic is so compelling, and I know this book could have been a five-star read.
If you’re someone who remembers the Go Ask Alice buzz from your childhood, or you’re pursuing a master’s of library science, or you have some niche interest in this topic, then you can probably read this book and take away some good information. Just be prepared for a snide guide.
Thank you to NetGalley and BenBella Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.