Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

80 reviews

library_of_al's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Bullying

marybsimp's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Racism, and Suicide

mangocorpses's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Classism

teawithgriffon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

Best book of this year. so moved. absolutely beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

narbine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Transphobia, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Child death, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, Excrement, Gaslighting, Racism, and Dysphoria

sarahweyand's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

2.25

This book is rated super highly, but I saw before reading it that my mom gave it two stars, so I didn't really know what to expect. I don't know if we dislike the book for the same reasons, but I agree with her rating. The disappointing part is that the story of Jeannette's life is tragic and worth sharing. The way it was executed, however, makes this such an unsatisfying read.

I don't doubt that Jeannette is a good journalist because that's exactly how this memoir comes across - cold, objective, and distant. That's not what was needed; I wanted reflection, feelings, insights, not a retelling of her childhood framed as some fairytale novel. It felt like half the story was missing without Jeannette including her emotions at the time or how the events of her childhood made her feel. I was fuming the whole time and she did a good job of retelling her life to elicit those emotions, but I felt like I was more upset than she was writing it.

Speaking of, I think Walls did too good a job of retelling her life to the point where I started to consider her an unreliable narrator. There was too much anecdotal detail; no one remembers stories from when they were three or four, let alone with the descriptions she provides. I don't want to start doubting an author for telling her clearly traumatic life story.

This is a long review but I'm almost done. The nail in the coffin for this whole memoir is the ending. There is zero catharsis. It feels like Walls refuses to fully acknowledge the harm her parents did to her. Hell, the synopsis of this book ends with the phrase " the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family". I'm sorry. Have you seen the trigger warnings I'm adding to this book??? There is no love. This family is not "peculiar", it was abusive. I'm left feeling empty and frustrated with the author, who should not be the target of those kind of emotions after reading a story like this one.

Read Educated instead.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

drtx_bwt's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative lighthearted sad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Bullying and Racism

rainerasnic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

this was such a devastating memoir. i loved how the voice throughout most of the story aged as the story progressed. the beginning has such a child-like voice which adds to how you feel for the author and what she went through. this was a hard but rewarding read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Medical content, Grief, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexism, Bullying, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexual assault

mini_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, Rape, and Cursing

Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Body shaming, and Car accident