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Unmask Alice
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries | Rick Emerson
19 posts | 15 read | 41 to read
Two teens, two diaries, two sordid scandals. All from the same dark place: a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boys identity, and swindled her way to the National Book Awards. First published in 1971, Go Ask Alice shocked readers and reinvented the young adult genre. Fifty years and 5 million copies later, Go Ask Alice is more than famousits iconic. Even people who havent read it know the basics: Some teenager's diary . . . she's hooked on drugs . . . it might be fake . . . doesnt she die at the end? But Alice was only the beginning. In 1979, another real diary rattled the nation. The posthumous account of a boy lured into devil-worship, Jays Journal spurred the Satanic Panica literal witch hunt that lasted for decades, shattering lives and poisoning whole communities. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the Worlds Most Notorious Diaries is the true story of a young-adult blockbuster . . . of a terror that stalked 1980s America . . . and of the ruthless charlatan behind both. Author and veteran radio/television broadcaster Rick Emerson spent five years unearthing and assembling this amazing and , nearly unbelievable story: interviewing central and peripheral players, visiting key locations, and sifting through tens of thousands of documents. The story stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah desert called the fraud capital of America". Its the story of a doomed romance and an unhinged celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire. Unmask Alice is the gripping true story of a pop-culture smashand its ugly, ongoing fallout.
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IndoorDame
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Bailedbailed

It may be a case of me not the book, since I was having a bad pain day when I started this and having trouble concentrating on anything… But I found the writing dry and the structure jumpy, and around halfway through I realized I just didn‘t care how things wrapped up.

AlaMich Go Ask Alice freaked me out as an adolescent in ways that I didn‘t even understand until fairly recently. I have feelings about the “author.” 🤬 11mo
dabbe Hope you're feeling better soon! 💙💚💙 11mo
IndoorDame @dabbe thank you! 🙏❤️ 11mo
64 likes3 comments
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TheBookHippie
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So. In the late 1970s parochial school made us read Go Ask Alice as a scare tactic. My friends and I never believed it was true. However, we did like the read. It didn‘t work as a scare tactic. We knew from our friends in witnessing ourselves, or even some of us experiencing that the drug part that was written, wasn‘t true or accurate. I think Beatrice Sparks was vile and way more insidious then I have realised. What a terrible evil she was. ⬇️

TheBookHippie It‘s very sad that a book that did help a lot of people I knew and even me reading about this girl, even though we knew it was fiction- to know that this woman was so evil behind it, -it‘s quite devastating. Alice was us struggling so hard. I threw the book. How completely sad. 12mo
TheBookHippie Also Laurie Halse Anderson among many other trouble childhood survivors credit this book- Alice- with saving them. Lauries book is (edited) 12mo
TheBookHippie Also Paris Hilton was in the school they talk about in this book that was so abusive. 12mo
See All 8 Comments
EKonrad I thought this book was so fascinating. It‘s good that she‘s finally getting unmasked as a fraud. 12mo
TheBookHippie @EKonrad I agree. What is interesting to me is we took it as untrue because of how it was presented to us, by the same people who were telling us all kinds of other lies to create fear and control. We did though like Alice and understood struggling. The girls she stole their narrative from even in part, was really evil but there are no words for what she did to Jay. The effect her writing had on the drug laws is another level evil Karen, unreal. 12mo
willaful Oh, I have to read this! I got one of her books to review 25 years ago, about AIDS, and it was such absolute nonsense. 12mo
willaful Yikes, make that 30 years ago. And the children's/YA lit world was already deeply suspicious of her, but it took this long for it all to come out. 12mo
TheBookHippie @willaful So so awful, all the damage she did. She destroyed people and families and so much more with her false narratives. I heard the AIDS book was very damaging and homophobic she was a bigot and an antisemite and “religious” clearly a damaged person but there‘s no excuse for all the evil she did or the willing participants ..control, power and money.. ugh 12mo
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

How have I made it this long without reading “Go Ask Alice” by Anonymous? Turns out, Anonymous is actually Beatrice Sparks, who never wanted to be anonymous in the first place, but publishers thought the book would sell better if it was presented as a real diary. They were correct, to put it mildly. This is also the stories of the actual people who inspired the “diaries” written by Sparks, two troubled teens and their families. What a scam.

Cinfhen I just read Go Ask Alice this past year. What a crime that the whole thing was a scam!!! 1y
Shaaaannnn Wait, what?! I had no idea. I need to read this asap!! 1y
sarahbarnes I‘ve somehow never read Go Ask Alice either. That‘s crazy! 1y
See All 13 Comments
Chelsea.Poole @Cinfhen @sarahbarnes I had half a mind to read it now but I feel like I‘m too old to “get it”. Plus, you know, it‘s a lie 😆😳🙄 Did it work for you, @Cinfhen? I am afraid I can‘t be objective at this point. (edited) 1y
Chelsea.Poole @Shaaaannnn oh yeah…it‘s bizarre! 1y
Cinfhen As a “work” of NF I thought it was compelling but as fiction, it was awful ( dated & cheesy) 😣 1y
Chelsea.Poole @Cinfhen yes… A Million Little Pieces comes to mind 😬 1y
Cinfhen EXACTLY!!!! 1y
EKonrad This book was crazy! Loved it! 1y
Megabooks Great review!! 1y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I felt the same way Cindy did reading it as an adult. 1y
Chelsea.Poole @Megabooks I don‘t think I will. There‘s too many others demanding to be read 🤓 1y
Megabooks Fair enough for sure!! 👍🏻👍🏻 1y
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GidgetsTreasures75
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12-1-22: My November Book Wrap Up part 1! These 3 books were terrific and I gave them 5⭐️.

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jdiehr
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Pickpick

When I was a young teen in the early 80s, 'Go Ask Alice' blew me away.

Fast forward forty years and 'Unmask Alice' did the same thing.

Turns out the diaries weren't anonymous after all, but were written by a Mormon housewife who went on to publish several other 'diaries' dealing with hot topics such as Satanism and AIDS.

I have to say that, as part of the intended audience, 'Go Ask Alice' scared me away from drug use.

ElizaMarie I was also blown away by this book! It made me really sad how the author of Go Ask Alice manipulated that other family though. I mean, I'm very conflicted with the “ends justifying the means“. 1y
jdiehr @ElizaMarie ? I wish I had thought of the phrase "the ends justifying the means" because that's really the crux of it all. It's definitely not justified for Jay's Journal ? 1y
ElizaMarie @jdiehr and to have everyone “know” who the real “Jay” is. So horrible! That poor family! 1y
Megabooks I felt so bad for the family of Jay‘s Journal. She‘s a truly despicable person! 1y
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GidgetsTreasures75
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Pickpick

11-3-22: My 110th finished book of 2022! I was completely invested in Go Ask Alice as a young girl/teen. As an adult I‘ve heard the rumors it was not real but this book really breaks it all down. Beatrice Sparks was the creator of Alice and Jay‘s Journal a similar diary concept. To think this woman‘s made up story had such an impact, and is still selling, is unbelievable. Highly recommend this book. It‘s an easy read and so informative.

GidgetsTreasures75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣1️⃣0️⃣ 1y
17 likes1 comment
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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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Pickpick

Gripping exposè on the fraud behind “Go Ask Alice” and other “real diaries” published since the 1970s. Now known to be fake, these novels were marketed as truth which created fear in parents, contributed directly to the Satanic Panic, and had devastating repercussions for a family. Emerson pulls no punches here, nor should he. I read these “diaries” as preteen, so it was so interesting to revisit them as an adult (minus the pearl clutching). 4⭐️

19 likes1 comment
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Go Ask Alice always read as fake hyperbole to me, so I was surprised to read it was taken so seriously by most when it came out in 1971. This book chronicles the real-life conniving and damage done by the middle-age mom who wrote it. The truly sad part of this exposé about Beatrice Sparks was the real-life family who gave her the diary she virtually ? fabricated into Jay‘s Journal, her follow up that fed into the satanic panic of the 80s.

EKonrad This book made me so angry! I couldn‘t believe some of that woman‘s actions! Crazy! 😬 2y
Megabooks @EKonrad yes! She was horrible!! 2y
MicheleinPhilly This book was absolutely bananas! What a nutter! 2y
See All 8 Comments
AlaMich I read this as an adolescent. Recently I read an article written by a woman who feels that she suffered a sort of low-key trauma from it. I realized from reading that piece how influential—and NOT for the good—the book had also been on me. (edited) 2y
Megabooks @AlaMich I can definitely see that, especially depending on your age when you read it, etc. the woman who wrote it really gave no shits about anything but her own fame and notoriety. It was truly appalling. (edited) 2y
Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly she was! And she did so much harm in service of her own ego. I felt so sorry for Alton‘s family. She really did them dirty. 2y
LeahBergen I read Go Ask Alice for the first time when I was about 12 (so late ‘70s) and firmly believed it was a true diary. 😆😆 And I have this waiting on my TBR and can‘t wait! 2y
BarbaraBB I felt so too @LeahBergen 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y
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LKK526
Pickpick

In the ‘70s, Go Ask Alice came out, purportedly the diary of a 15-year old girl who got into drugs and died. There was a frenzy among parents and the government alike. Satanism, misinformation about LSD, pot, all impelled by the editor of the diary, Beatrice Sparks who subsequently produced other “diaries”. The press was complicit and it seemed such a herd mentality that no one stopped to think and ask questions. Rick Emerson does a good job

bthegood 3 picks in a row - you are on fire!! Glad you are finding some books you enjoy - I just recently got out of the so-so range to picks myself! Have a nice day 🙂 2y
LKK526 Must be something in the air! Happy Labor Day😃📚 2y
LKK526 @marleed @ozma.of.oz @jlhammar thanx for positive feedback. I have been having e-trouble and didn‘t get notified of reactions. 2y
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LKK526 @ozma.of.oz @marleed @jlhammar thx for the positive feedback. I have been having e-trouble and didn‘t get your comments 2y
jlhammar I put a hold on this one at the library. Sounds good! 2y
7 likes6 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Pickpick

This was absolutely 🍌👖crazy. Like many children of the 80s I was obsessed with Go Ask Alice. My sheltered little Catholic brain found it salacious and scandalous. I literally haven‘t thought about this book for 40 years and had no idea any of the background behind the scam artist who penned it. This was a wildly compelling read and brought to mind the current book banning nonsense as well as a certain BS “group” that starts with the letter Q.🥜

LeahBergen I recently bought this, too. Your review has me even more excited now! 👏👏 2y
squirrelbrain I stacked this a little while ago and now I‘m even more keen to read it! 2y
eanderson Sounds good! 2y
Megabooks I need to read this! I keep forgetting about it. 2y
72 likes7 stack adds4 comments
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ElizaMarie
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Pickpick

❤️❤️❤️ Don‘t even know what to say…. Just wow ❤️❤️❤️

😈😈😈

+ 3.57 = #PennyAPage

#ReadMyRoom
@AkashaVampie @jb72 @Bookworm54 @AsYouWish @CocoReads

CocoReads Why did no one tell me I was a devil worshipper? 🤦‍♀️ 2y
jb72 Well hells bells….😈 2y
Bookworm54 Sounds so interesting! 2y
31 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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ElizaMarie
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Cults!

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ElizaMarie
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ElizaMarie
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Such a sad reality.

BethM Truth 2y
20 likes1 comment
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ElizaMarie
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Getting my car detailed so I‘m sitting in a Dunkee‘s reading and it‘s freezing in here!!!

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ElizaMarie
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I will try to read this one (I think my eyes are ready for a physical book). My husband found this one when we were hanging out at a book store and picked it up for me, saying, “this one looks like you should read it.“ It looks really interesting. So, I am excited to start it.

5feet.of.fury That sounds wild! Go Ask Alice is a classic 2y
ElizaMarie @5feet.of.fury OMG! I know! It‘s so interesting how so much of the 70s-80s parents were manipulated 2y
22 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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EKonrad
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Pickpick

I remember reading “Go Ask Alice“ back in the day - the story behind it is super crazy! This was a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me! #arc

Full review: https://erinkonrad.com/2022/08/08/unmask-alice-book-review/

UwannaPublishme I remember reading Go Ask Alice. Who knew! 2y
EKonrad @UwannaPublishme I had no idea and was just intrigued by the subtitle. It‘s a crazy true story! 2y
26 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vivastory
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I stopped by B&N to pick up the new Tremblay and the new Keefe. While there I did a bit of browsing & came across the pictured which sounds fascinating! It's about Beatrice Sparks, the imposter behind several famous diaries including Go Ask Alice. I was tempted to pick it up but as there is a short wait list at my library, I will go that route.

MicheleinPhilly OOOOOH! STACKED! 2y
vivastory @MicheleinPhilly I had no idea about this 🤯 2y
See All 9 Comments
vivastory @squirrelbrain Fraud/imposter stories seem to go hand in hand with summer too for some reason 🤔 2y
Megabooks Stacking!! Those books make me so angry!! 2y
Centique This sounds fascinating. I also had no idea! 2y
Addison_Reads I have this one on hold at the library and I just picked up the new Tremblay as well. I'm so excited to start it. 2y
vivastory @Addison_Reads I'm going to start the new Tremblay as soon as I read Death on the Nile. I've heard great things. I can't wait! 2y
LittlePixels This is the second time I've heard of this book today. I need to read it! I loved both of Beatrice Sparks' books as a tween, but never gave any thought to the story behind them 2y
74 likes6 stack adds9 comments
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DogMomIrene
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Mehso-so

Such potential. Compelling topic. Author did solid research, but his snark was too much. He couldn‘t contain his loathing for the woman who brought us Go Ask Alice and Jay‘s Journal. His narrative was also disjointed in places, making me wonder where he was going. But he consistently made disparaging remarks about Beatrice Sparks. Just give me the facts. They‘re outrageous enough to make me dislike her. Don‘t need your adjectives hammering away.

43 likes1 stack add