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jenuinely's review against another edition
5.0
It only took me two days to finish this book - it was that good. It was unique in that it made me feel like I wanted to meet the characters in person so I could punch them in the gut. Knowing that it's a memoir made it even more interesting...and inspiring. No child should ever have to go through what Jeannette Walls did. Beyond that, I can't say enough good things about this book - you have to read it for yourself.
ultimatekate's review against another edition
4.0
This book really made me angry--why can people who have absolutely no business having kids be able to have four?
Let me backtrack...
In the beginning, the Walls family is always on the run. The father is an alcoholic, who is intelligent, but believes everything upon everything is a conspiracy. He can't get a job because of the mafia, the government, the gestapo...The mother has a teaching degree, but chooses to be an artist. The family is barely able to scrape by; the father spends any money they have on alcohol, the kids barely eat, and all this time, the mother sits around, doing nothing but reading. In fact, at one point, the 12 year old narrator Jeannette tells her mother that she needs to get a job, and her mother says that it's "not fair" that she has to work. Later, when Jeannette suggests that her mother get a job and home with a wealthy family and take care of the kids, her mother says, "I've spent my whole life taking care of people! I just want to take care of me."
Perhaps now you can see why this book made me so angry. I know that there are people like Jeannette's parents who feed their children margarine sandwiches and tell them to go to the bathroom in a bucket that is dumped outside because there's no indoor plumbing and the "toilet" is already completely filled. I know that these people exist, but I still can't believe it. A part of me was hoping that Walls pulled a James Frey and made a lot of this up, but another part of me realizes she probably didn't.
Despite the knot in the pit of my stomach, I enjoyed the book. After all, only a book this engaging and well-written could spark such a vivid and real response. It's a quick and easy read, and despite how angry I was for most of it, the book gave me hope that no matter how messed up a person's childhood is, he/she can still end up as a normal, productive part of society.
Let me backtrack...
In the beginning, the Walls family is always on the run. The father is an alcoholic, who is intelligent, but believes everything upon everything is a conspiracy. He can't get a job because of the mafia, the government, the gestapo...The mother has a teaching degree, but chooses to be an artist. The family is barely able to scrape by; the father spends any money they have on alcohol, the kids barely eat, and all this time, the mother sits around, doing nothing but reading. In fact, at one point, the 12 year old narrator Jeannette tells her mother that she needs to get a job, and her mother says that it's "not fair" that she has to work. Later, when Jeannette suggests that her mother get a job and home with a wealthy family and take care of the kids, her mother says, "I've spent my whole life taking care of people! I just want to take care of me."
Perhaps now you can see why this book made me so angry. I know that there are people like Jeannette's parents who feed their children margarine sandwiches and tell them to go to the bathroom in a bucket that is dumped outside because there's no indoor plumbing and the "toilet" is already completely filled. I know that these people exist, but I still can't believe it. A part of me was hoping that Walls pulled a James Frey and made a lot of this up, but another part of me realizes she probably didn't.
Despite the knot in the pit of my stomach, I enjoyed the book. After all, only a book this engaging and well-written could spark such a vivid and real response. It's a quick and easy read, and despite how angry I was for most of it, the book gave me hope that no matter how messed up a person's childhood is, he/she can still end up as a normal, productive part of society.
aisling214's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
leggup's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this- it's a quick read. I'm disappointed that the mother doesn't receive a mental health evaluation, even now. Something is very wrong there.
I also wish more time was spent in the "present day" sections on the imposter syndrome and the lasting impact. I get the feeling that the author is still too close to those feelings. I think it would have been a better book if she wrote the childhood parts now and had waited to write the "present" parts until she had more distance.
I also wish more time was spent in the "present day" sections on the imposter syndrome and the lasting impact. I get the feeling that the author is still too close to those feelings. I think it would have been a better book if she wrote the childhood parts now and had waited to write the "present" parts until she had more distance.
kglynn's review against another edition
Man. Heartbreaking, hysterically funny, heartwarming. Is your "home" a physical place? Is it your "people"? Meditation on how we identify who we are, and how we contend with our pasts.
whatthesquids's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Addiction, Racism, Child abuse, and Racial slurs
morgainlafeye's review against another edition
4.0
Its hard to rate this book. The story is intense and unreal. It mirrors some of my own childhood which may be another reason I struggled with it. But also, I just kept powering through, anxious for stuff to finally get better. But while the author goes into extraordinary detail about her childhood, the new York phase feels glazed over. Probably because her recovery isn't really the point. The story is far more about her parents.
tgndcy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0