Lady Reader's Bookstuff: Review - Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Review - Lucy in the Sky by Anonymous

2:44 PM | Posted by lady reader |

A riveting first-person tale of addiction, in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Jay’s Journal.

The author of this diary began journaling on her sixteenth birthday. She lived in an upper middle class neighborhood in Santa Monica with her mom, dad, and Berkeley-bound older brother. She was a good girl, living a good life...but one party changed everything. One party, where she took one taste—and liked it. Really liked it. Social drinking and drugging lead to more, faster, harder... She convinced herself that she was no different from anyone else who liked to party. But the evidence indicates otherwise: Soon she was she hanging out with an edgy crowd, blowing off school and everything she used to care about, all to find her next high. But what goes up must come down, and everything—from her first swig, to her last breath—is chronicled in the diary she left behind.

My Thoughts:

I want to say upfront that I do not compare books to one another. I don't think that is a fair thing to do. Not for the author nor the novel. However, Lucy in the Sky has been compared to Go Ask Alice by basically saying that it is just a modern day version. That being said, I am going to voice my opinions based on the two books and their similarities.

I really like the message in this book. I always will. I will always stand up for it. I'm not sure I care for how it was delivered. Then again, I am old school. I don't care for text speak and every other word in all capital letters. I felt the MC was a bit over the top in trying to make her point in almost everything she does. This may be typical for, say, an average teen girl. I just didn't buy it. I was annoyed with her and the repetitiveness of her actions that were not relevant to the story.

I ~~think~~ know I would have been happy with the original version of Go Ask Alice. It did not need to be updated for me to understand the message. It is still the same [and always will be] however you rearrange the setting. However, maybe kids these days did/do need it updated so it's more on their level and they can relate better?

It is a shame that children/teens and even adults turn to a substance so that they can feel better about themselves. Maybe even like or believe in him or herself.

There will always be drugs. There will always be peer pressure. There will always be temptation. There will always be curiosity. There needs to be more education, the use of common sense, and willpower, and self-esteem, and the courage to say NO.

I read every single page of this book. Even though I was irritated at ~~some~~ several points. My rating is not deferred by what I did not like because that is my opinion. My rating is based on the message of the book and how it was portrayed and because the situation is not only extremely sad but also one that's very true and a serious reoccurring problem.

I still feel that no matter how it is worded this type of scenario happens every day and my original review for Go Ask Alice will suffice for this book as well. That review can be found here.

*Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads: Here
Purchase the book: Here

2 comments:

Uniquely Moi Books said...: I loved Go Ask Alice and it was way before my day and I don't believe I'm that old?! I haven't read this one yet, but I'm having the feeling that if I do, I'm going to have the same struggles that you did. Some things aren't meant to be updated. Love the review, and I also love the main idea of the book, but if the characters are too 'in your face' it's a total no go.; June 20, 2012 at 7:18 PM
DMS said...: I read Go Ask Alice a long time ago and thought it was very well done. This book does sound like an updated version- but the main character does sound tough. I really likd your honest review. Thanks for sharing. :)
~Jess; August 6, 2012 at 8:59 PM