Reviews

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

chapita4's review against another edition

3.0

As someone who works with survivors, I wanted to like this story more. I held back because It is told in such an emotionally detached way that there is little connection. It's like reading a very dry movie script and reads like Ms. Walls heard the story from someone rather than experiencing it herself. I'm glad she told her story, and I'm glad that she survived and found success. I hope that she was able to connect with another human being because the chaotic abuse she survived would make it very hard to do so. I think there is self-preserverance that happens with emotional detachment and I imagine that it would be hard to emote knowing that people would critique your story and therefore your feelings.

spknorkhater's review against another edition

5.0

I don't even know where to begin with this book. Walls is just a fantastic writer, full stop. Her ability to explore the complexities of growing up with dysfunctional parents and most importantly, see and appreciate aspects of her childhood and upbringing is amazing, seeing as there are too many moments to count that are beyond heartbreaking.

helpi9k's review against another edition

2.0

I had to read this for class and just didn’t like it.

annalynn912's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

codergrl's review against another edition

5.0

I love a book that makes me fall in love (or hate) with the characters. This was one of them.

librarista's review against another edition

sad

3.75

cdjdhj's review against another edition

5.0

I have had this book on my "to read" stack for a while. I was unsure of reading it and thought it might be negative and depressing. To the contrary, I found it to be an interesting testament to the resilience of children and family, even with deeply flawed and dysfunctional parents. Jeannette Walls' memoir of her childhood and family is at once stark, gritty and real, but also tender and compassionate. It is clear that for all of their faults, her parents loved each other and their children, and the children, in turn felt love and loyalty toward their brilliant, yet peculiar and neglectful parents. The book is an intensely interesting look into one American family with bonds of love that somehow survived the addiction, neglect and irresponsibility of the adults while the children took the parental role and somehow kept it all together. Definitely worth reading

jthespade's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

alefiya's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

jackgonzalez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault