Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Glass Castle FTI by Jeannette Walls

88 reviews

kale_lr's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racial slurs and Racism

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

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

thehmkane's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Incest, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gaslighting and Racial slurs

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

jessicagill's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Racial slurs

machenn's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Death, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

tomnoor's review against another edition

3.0

I would have liked more introspection or analysis from the author regarding the intensely traumatic events of her upbringing, even just to acknowledge that what was happening was incredibly fucked up. Instead it felt like she was implying that because her parents theoretically loved her and she turned out okay despite all odds, their neglect and abuse could be characterized as quirky rather than dangerous. The author obv isn’t required to dish out details of her personal trauma for her audience, but I wish she’d done something to acknowledge that what happened to her, even if she made peace with it, was not okay for her or anyone else to go through. Just super weird to have a book end with

her family giving a toast to the man who had, amongst so many other things, refused to lock or even close the front door of their house after a stranger wandered in from the street and sexually assaulted his child in her own bed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death of parent, Child death, and Medical content

mirajuliee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.0

i do not even want to rate this book because it is such a horrible, heartbreaking  and emotional story. i loved the writing style of the author, she somehow captured every little detail in a way, that you don’t want to stop reading this book. it makes you mad and sad at the same time thinking it was all reality while instantly appreciating your own life a whole lot more.  i’m so glad there was a rather happy end to this shocking life story but i don’t think i’ll read it ever again because it has many graphic triggers and gross details. it affected me a lot emotionally, i’ll definitely think about this one a lot. 

(also, and i don’t know if this was just my version of the book but it had tons of spelling mistakes/random misplaced letters which distracted a lot while reading) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, and Racial slurs

Minor: Animal death