55 pages 1 hour read

Beatrice Sparks

Go Ask Alice

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1971

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Chapters 17-21

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 17 Summary: “January”

Alice enjoys the company of her father’s colleagues at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by her parents. Chris also attends, and the girls find the professors’ legal stories hilarious. Chris and Alice stay up until four o’clock and help with cleaning and dishes. Alice’s family sings and dances, happy with each other’s company.

Alice feels anxious about returning to school but is eager to study hard, specifically in Spanish. She struggles to settle back into her routine at school, and an old acquaintance asks to purchase drugs from her. Both Chris and Alice are invited to a party, but Alice tells her parents that kids at school are trying to sell them drugs. Their parents take turns planning fun outings on the weekends, like camping trips away. Still, the kids at school accost Alice about buying drugs. One boy twists her arm behind her back, leaving her bruised. Alice’s mom defends her when the kids call her at her house. However, her mom compliments two girls walking with Alice, telling her how highly she thinks of them, when the girls were walking with Alice only to ask for drugs. Alice feels slightly betrayed by her mother, who continues to judge people by their appearance.