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cats_22's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this book, which is a fictional portrayal of the author's grandmother. Lily Casey Smith was quite a woman - feisty, hard-working, no-nonsense and a feminist ahead of her time. She's a woman I'd much rather my daughters emulate than a Disney princess. It makes me want to write a book about my own grandmother, who shared many of the same traits as Lily. I wish I'd read this book before reading The Glass Castle - it's hard to reconcile the sweet little girl of this book with the disinterested mother in that book but the early warning signs are there. I did feel that this book ended abruptly and sort of artificially, which was my only criticism.
lillibrn's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
lilshorty's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was the first I read in one sitting, it captured my imagination as a young adult in the way few books have the capacity.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
lilyd's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
stefs1974's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
cdjdhj's review against another edition
5.0
I think that Jeannette Walls is my current favorite author. I read her account of her own childhood, Glass Castle, a few months ago and loved it. I didn't really expect this first person,true-life novel of her grandmother's life to be as enthralling, but it was. Lily Casey Smith was Jeannette Wall's grandmother who was a strong, compelling woman grew up in Texas and New Mexico, but spent most of her adult life running a vast yet remote ranch in Arizona with her husband Jim, teaching in one-room school houses and raising two children, the author's mother and uncle. The stories from this book are fascinating - funny, sad and everything in between - as the reader learns the life lessons Lily Casey Smith learned from her amazing life experiences. The book is interesting, enjoyable, and highly readable, divided into short chapters each telling a story that plays into and sets the stage for the next. Excellent book. Highly recommended.
designsbymeghen's review against another edition
3.5
I had to read this book immediately after reading Glass Castle. Walls did an incredible job capturing her grandmother Lilly’s spirit and painting a picture of the world she grew up in. She lived quite the life, and it’s very interesting to see how her influence affected her daughter, Rose Mary, and, in turn, Walls herself. It doesn’t get much more cowboy than this.
lindsayvale's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
debbarney's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Glass Castle and this book was almost as good. The writing was as great as the first book but the story wasn’t as interesting to me. That’s not to say it wasn’t great, in comparison, I wasn’t so much captivated by the story as I was with Glass Castle.