I second the recommendation. I loved the book, though (to be honest) I did read it when I was pretty young.

It's not just about taking drugs, though plenty of drugs are taken. It's an outsider's look at just how weird society is. It's also absolutely hilarious.. but fully appreciating the humor may require experience with drugs.

This is the rare case when watching the movie is an acceptable substitute. Johnny Depp studied HST for months to get it right.

The Rum Diary by Hunter Thompson was also absorbing.

Far from excellent imo. Repetitive and disinteresting in tone and topics(drugs.) Ok if you're a teenager.