Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks

34 reviews

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

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

gavinneedham's review

dark medium-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

1.75

Don’t read this book, it is not good. This is 200 pages of conservative puritanical backlash to the hippies. How they ever got away with marketing this as nonfiction I don’t know. The plot is so badly devised and unrealistic. The narrator is one of the most annoying in fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Injury/Injury detail

Read at your own risk. Problematic in every sense of the word.

robinks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This story seems a bit outdated, and it is very clear that the protagonist is white with the way she is able to keep finding ways to survive and get home. Some of it seems to glorify drug use as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Grief

Minor: Homophobia

aprillikestoread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have to give this book such respect. It’s somebodies diary, it’s somebodies life. I feel I have no choice to go read it with respect, sympathy, and give it 5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia

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

caties_books's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

2.0

It took me soooo long to get through this book because I just kept cringing. Every single heavy-handed remark made me close the book. How on earth did people think this was anything other than a Christian trying to convince people that sex, drugs, and gay people are the worst things to ever happen to humanity? The only reason I gave it an extra star is that occasionally, when viewed strictly as fiction, it kept my attention in short bursts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bethread's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Classism

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I think someone murdered her I really do. She was doing so great and her life was going so well and all of a sudden she overdoses? Seems a little fishy to me, but I’m sure because she had a record the police wouldn’t even look into it. 

I would’ve fought to look into it because it’s just so suspicious. She had a great sorta boyfriend, new friends that would help her be strong, and an understanding family. Even with all the heartache, I don’t think she would’ve killed herself or turned back to drugs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia

bristena's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

unidentifiedflyingoddball's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis