Listen free for 30 days

  • Unmask Alice

  • LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries
  • Written by: Rick Emerson
  • Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
  • Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Unmask Alice cover art

Unmask Alice

Written by: Rick Emerson
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.22

Buy Now for $27.22

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

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: 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."

©2022 BenBella Books (P)2022 BenBella Books

What listeners say about Unmask Alice

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    19
  • 4 Stars
    5
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    17
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Deliciously dramatic

This really scratches my itch for a well-researched, well-written work of investigative journalism. Gabra Zackman’s narration is wonderful, as well. Highly recommended!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good book

Overall, this was a really good book. I did get a bit lost at one point, not seeing some of the connections to other aspects of the story. It was very enjoyable to learn more about this ‘Dr. B’ and the fraud surrounding her.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It’s weirder than you imagine

I loved Ricks telling of this story it is a classic “you’re wrong about” and so glad I read it! Truly entertaining, weird and morbidly sad. Also curious and tantalizing. I binged it over 24 hours so yeah… it’s worth a listen!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible

like many people here, I bought this book after listening the podcast "your wrong about" which did a three part series on Go Ask Alice - the last episode of which has Rick Emerson as a guest.

I Iistened to the podcast series because like many many (many) before me, I'd been obsessed with go ask alice as a teen. If I was excited to find my favourite podcast doing a 3 part series on Alice, you better believe I was ecstatic when I learned about this book.

Rick Emerson does a fantastic job covering a ton of different topics, social issues and cultural events here, and weaving them together into a cohesive, engaging story. At its core I think this book is not just an "unmasking" of the truth behind go ask alice, but a damming glimpse into American Christian hegemony and the tactics it's biggest supporters used - and still use - to accomplish their agenda.

I couldn't recommend it more and I probably will keep reccomomending for a really long time to everyone I know.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must read for those interested in satanic panic


I thought I knew a lot about the satanic panic, but this book reveals an entire hidden dimension. It is also a thoughtful discussion of the realities of teenage suicide and a wonderful tribute to a family who was broken apart by the monstrous acts of Beatrice Sparks. I hope that this book becomes a cornerstone of her “legacy.”

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth the listen

If you have any recollection of the Satanic panic, or read Go Ask Alice or Jay’s Journal, this is a must read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!