Go Ask Alice Summary

A 15-year-old girl begins a diary, using it to pour out her deepest fears and concerns about adolescence, including her body image, awkwardness in school, confusions about her budding sexuality and strained relationship with her parents. Her father, who is a college professor, announces a job change that involves moving to a new town, a development that lifts her spirits. However, the move proves challenging for the unnamed diarist who struggles to fit in at her new school. She eventually befriends Beth, a Jewish neighbour. During Beth's absence for summer camp, the diarist spends time with her grandparents and reconnects with another old friend, Jill, who introduces her to drugs at a party, leading to her first LSD experience.

The diarist further explores drugs and loses her virginity while under the influence of acid. She goes through a whirlwind of emotions, feeling both attraction for her old crush, Roger, and guilt about her drug use and sexual experiences. She also fears possible pregnancy. Upon returning home, she is readily accepted by her family and gets prescribed tranquilizers for insomnia. During this time, she feels that her friend, Beth has changed and forms a new friendship with a trendy girl named Chris. The duo, sharing a distaste for the establishment and their families, dive deeper into drug abuse and even start selling drugs to afford their habit. They eventually witness a shocking scene involving their friends Richie and Ted, which propels them to relocate to San Francisco, swear off drugs, and start anew by opening a jewelry shop.

However, their commitment to sobriety does not last long. They attend a party thrown by an older woman named Sheila and end up using drugs again. A horrific revelation about Sheila leads them to quit drugs once more and they manage to set up a successful jewelry shop. The diarist returns home for Christmas, is revived by her family's love, and even manages to resist the advances of her old friends to try drugs. Nonetheless, she eventually succumbs and falls back into drug use, leading to a police raid and subsequent probation. With her life spiraling out of control, the diarist hitchhikes to various states, experiences the harsh realities of life on the streets, and eventually meets a priest who convinces her to return home. She does and, despite experiencing some terrifying drug-induced episodes and losing her grandparents, she manages to maintain her sobriety, forms a romantic relationship with a freshman named Joel, and even begins to dream of a future in psychology or child guidance. Tragically, the story ends with her mysterious death from an overdose, underscoring the dangerous and oftentimes deadly consequences of drug abuse.