Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - The Glass Castle

This is a very well written story, by and about someone who overcame an intensely horrible foundation in life to become stable and successful.
I won't say I liked it, though.
The last third or so was the best out of the book- tbh I would have rated the first half 2 stars. This might be because the beginning events take place before she could possibly remember them.

I know it's a memoir, and it's her perspective on her own life, but something I can't quite put into words to felt off about it. It reads very casually, in parts that are clearly not lighthearted. Some people described it as straightforward writing style but it felt more detached to me. I obviously dont know the facts of her life but I felt the distinct impression of someone exaggerating, not necessarily to gain sympathy or praise, but more because they actually see themselves as the main character of the world. The whole family is clearly very intelligent (even though both parents are extremely closed minded, selfish, and arguably psychotic) and the kids took a lot of initiative despite never being taught or shown any responsibility.
I think the biggest thing that made it difficult for me to relate and/or take something from this book is that the people in it don't feel real. Walls describes everyone in her life as very clear good vs bad characters- there are the evil ones and the victims, and no in between. And despite this, she shows almost no resentment and describes no clear forgiveness. Everything that was done to the children is swept away and they sort of just act like nothing happened once they are on their own. There's no boundaries set but there's also no reconciliation.

I listened to the audiobook, which the author reads herself. I would have preferred a different reader but I would say I'm glad I listened rather than reading it in physical copy.

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katmystery's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Utterly engrossing. The compelling true story of the author’s difficult and atypical childhood and her complicated relationship with her erratic parents. Walls’ no-nonsense storytelling is riveting, and she narrated the audiobook herself. As an unsupervised child who raised herself from a young age, the author encountered many situations which may be triggering for some readers, so be sure to check the trigger warnings if you’re interested in reading this.

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rachelandrews's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring sad fast-paced

3.75

she really cooked on the last line icl

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emmabjones's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

A beautifully written memoir about overcoming odds and preserving. Filled with anecdotes from early childhood to established adulthood, Walls paints an elaborate picture of the chaotic, adventurous, unpredictable, and difficult life her and her siblings lived under her parents roof, or lack of one. This story shows the strength of determination and sticking together.

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