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Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries

"Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson goes a long way to showing what investigative journalism could be in the right hands . . . this book is undeniably buzzworthy." --Portland Book Review


"An absorbing and unnerving read . . . this book demands to be finished in one sitting." --Booklist

Two teens. Two diaries. Two social panics. One incredible fraud.

In 1971, Go Ask Alice reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portrayal of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. The supposed diary of a middle-class addict, Go Ask Alice terrified adults and cemented LSD's fearsome reputation, fueling support for the War on Drugs. Five million copies later, Go Ask Alice remains a divisive bestseller, outraging censors and earning new fans, all of them drawn by the book's mythic premise: A Real Diary, by Anonymous.

But Alice was only the beginning.

In 1979, another diary rattled the culture, setting the stage for a national meltdown. The posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist, Jay's Journal merged with a frightening new crisis--adolescent suicide--to create a literal witch hunt, shattering countless lives and poisoning whole communities.

In reality, Go Ask Alice and Jay's Journal came from the same dark place: Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family, stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards.

Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries is a true story of contagious deception. It stretches from Hollywood to Quantico, and passes through a tiny patch of Utah nicknamed "the fraud capital of America." It's the story of a doomed romance and a vengeful celebrity. Of a lazy press and a public mob. Of two suicidal teenagers, and their exploitation by a literary vampire.

Unmask Alice . . . where truth is stranger than nonfiction.

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384 pages

Average rating: 8.36

85 RATINGS

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3 REVIEWS

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Community Reviews

killjoy.femme
May 06, 2024
8/10 stars
I very much enjoyed this book and it's reflection on the impact of Sparks' detrimental choices made on others. in writing false narratives and pitching them as truth Sparks' supported various waves of panic throughout the US that created chaos and unnecessary fear. I don't think any of this is slandering Sparks. It seems she did all of that herself. Emerson created clarity in his narration and research. He uses citation. He researched. He didn't just say he was given information by anonymous. Or handed information from anonymous' family. Or interview or treat anonymous as a false psychiatrist and use it for fodder. Sparks was a menace. And a liar. If she graduated from any institutions or held and of the jobs she mentioned she was part of ... it would be very simple to find. Emerson did a wonderful job of clarifying the mystique and trouble Sparks caused through her never ending quest for notoriety.
Betty66
Apr 30, 2023
10/10 stars
What happened to the peace protesters of the ‘60s and ‘70s? This is the story about how our own government destroyed a social movement and addicted a country. Are we being good little wage slaves yet?
JillYogaLove
Oct 21, 2022
8/10 stars
It started slow for me but kept my interest and by the time it ended, I wanted more. Great audiobook, really enjoyed it

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