emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

May I say I had to read this book for English class so yea. Anyways I truly did not enjoy this book most of the book I only really started to enjoy it was the last couple of chapters. I really did not like Holden because he was hypocritical and honestly a bit of a misogynist. I thought some of his ideas of life were a bit out there like his whole stance on movies. Though I can say I did enjoy how you could see how unstable he was at the very beginning of the book and how his mental health declined throughout the books, by the way he became more erratic, desperate, the way he spoke so fast and thought a million thoughts so fast. I also did enjoy some of the messages in the last few chapters and the interactions with his little sister Phoebe. Because if Phoebe I felt I saw more of Holden true character and what he could be. But it’s only really then ending with his sister that redeemed a bit of the book for me, for most of the book I was miserable at the least. 

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A beautifully crafted book. Holden is a lost soul who doesn’t quite fit into the world around him, and it’s moving to read how he approaches life. Brilliant!

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funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark funny reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a very fast read, that I enjoyed. Other than that the book was mid. Houlden is so homophobic, racist, sexist it was truly uncomfortable to read. I know this book was written in another time, where things like this were “acceptable”, but still, this aged like milk. 

Other than the problematic parts, again, this book was mid. Had no point. The ending is just like every other chapter. I was waiting for a huge twist that never happened. At the end the author basically says: “ this book was about nothing, and you waisted your time.”

Sure as hell felt like it.

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dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I'm sure there are folks who relate to Holden Caulfield bc they read this as teens or idk and those people are valid but the people who felt despair at being forced to read this book for high school English class and forced themselves to read this drivel and analyze it and find meaning, but as they read on felt how their joy or love for reading vanished and subsequently never picked a book up again are equally, if not, more valid bc this book is stinking garbage. I can agree Holden is probably autistic, depressed and grieving for his dead brother, and is a traumatized teen boy for what he saw at Elkton Hills, but the way Salinger writes evaporated any bit of empathy I could have for this kid and I just don't care. If kids can relate to this guy, more power to them, but there's nothing ingenious or nostalgic enough in this book to justify reading it as an adult, or for any reason for that matter, and the TCITR haters are right. There are so many enjoyable books you could read! Don't make the same mistake I did. Never pick up this book or DNF it once you start feeling like bashing your head against something or crushing small things.

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