adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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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dark emotional reflective fast-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

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective 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: Complicated

It started with a bit of a slouch (it wasn't to easy to adjust to 1940's New York slang at first), but I quickly found myself drawn to Salingers way of weaving the complex struggles of adolescence into the narrative through Holden's own conflicted perspective. And boy does he have a very strong perspective. 

While Holden is certainly a very... idiosyncratic character (he's a bit of a dick, quick to pass judgment on others whilst falling short of identifying the same flaws in himself sometimes), he's also a character that's very true to the adolescent struggle of failing to fit in. To find a purpose in a world that places a lot of restrictions upon people while growing up. And how in trying to rebel against the confines of adulthood and this sense of alienation from ourselves, we can get lost just as well as when we're giving in.

There's a lot of other interesting themes and often dark topics (like sexual assault and trauma) that get brought up, but this one resonated with me the most. 

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dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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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emotional tense fast-paced

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

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emotional sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
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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medium-paced

It’s just a boy who wants to appear angry but is really just a people pleaser who needs therapy. Also he’s a misogynist. But i somewhat understand some of his anger and disgust of people which is concerning. 

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emotional reflective medium-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

 "Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”

Partially published in serial form between 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is considered to be one of the best modern American novels. It follows the events in Holden Caulfield's life for a weekend after being expelled from his boarding school.  Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents because of its themes of alienation and angst. It also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, grief, connection, sex, and depression.

I think that this is one of those books that you have to read in a certain mood or at a specific time in your life (teenage years). Maybe because I'm not in the right mood or in my teenage years, this book did nothing to me. It's a "meh" to me. I know that Holden isn't intended to be a likable character but I just roll my eyes because he can be very annoying. Most of the time, I was just "Grow up already!". 

I liked the writing style and even with my annoyance with Holden, I have to say that he is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. But, alas, it is still a "meh" to me. 

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