A review by daybringer
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Reading this as a teenager who had plenty of experience grieving by that point made this an especially poignant read to me. I remember the reactions of all of my classmates and thinking it painted them in an entirely different light, and truly separated me from them. These were people who disliked angst purely because they had never had any reason to feel it. Their criticisms of cynical Holden were valid, but the complete lack of understanding for why he was like that when it was so clearly framed in the story made this clear. Though the angst of my teenage years has faded, er, largely, the experience of reading this book at that time still sticks with me.