The Glass Castle

Reader reviewed by Sam Rothstein

This book was one of the all time best books I have ever read. The stories that are told throughout the book can really get at you. One of the things that really made it standout was the different moods throughout the book. For some of the chapters you would get heatwarmed by story about her adventures exploring the country, and some times the book talked about death. The way that the mood was changed and how interesting the stories of this girls life are make the book. Every chapter starts a entire new life, she is always moving around and meeting new people. Every time she does a "skedaddle" she is faced with a whole new set of problems that her and her family always manage to conquer and come out the other side better people. Another thing that really made the book stand out was the way she described the characters. I was fascinated by the way her dad operated and how he decided to live his life. I don"t judge his methods for always moving and choosing to live life as a home less person. The way the whole family blindly followed Rex the father is my favorite part of the book. They clearly all put a lot of trust in him and have come to believe in his methods because they have been working all there life.

Reader reviewed by Casey T

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a distinguished, never to be forgotten memoir that is absolutely extraordinary. Jeannette Walls is an amazing writer and strong person considering that she had to relive this horrible poverty and maltreatment while writing this memoir. This book was sort of a revelation for me, because its such a shock, and so alarming that people could be accustomed to what Jeannettes life was like, and consider it typical. The book is so powerful; it really shows you to not ever take anything for granted. Jeannettes parents never tended fully to her and her siblings, they didnt ever give enough care and seemingly failed as parents, and her dad, an alcoholic who many a time took from the familys money to satisfy his alcoholism. But despite her parents shortcomings, she still describes her parents with such admiration and fondness. Even though Jeannette lived in such a way, nomadic and barely having anything, she embraced life with such a great optimism, and was very adventurous. This book was so sad to read, it was hard to believe because thats so irrelevant to me and my lifestyle, and so different from what Im used to, it shocked me. It made me think of how we only want more that what we have, and are never content with which we are blessed. Jeannette Walls is a lovely writer and her words will inspire you. All throughout the book, not once does she ever refer to how horrible her life is and how unfortunate she is. Still, regardless of all thats gone wrong, she still has determination to be successful. I highly recommend this book, its one youll never forget.

Reader reviewed by Melody

After years of hiding her life story, Jeannette Walls finally came out with this memoir, describing her dysfunctional family, and how she ended up in New York. The story begins with Jeannette on her way to a party in New York City. Sitting in her car behind a red light, she turns to see her mother fishing around in a pile of waste, looking for anything valuable.
The story then skips back to her early childhood, and her life with her mother, father, and to siblings. Her mother is a writer, artist, and an excitement addict. She believed that kids should learn things on their own, and never worried for her children. Rex Walls, her father, is a jack of all trades, who later becomes an alcoholic. When he wasnt drunk, he inspired his children with his knowledge and great love for geology and physics. The family lives their life like nomads, wandering from one rural town to another.
Eventually the family settles in a small mining town. Slowly, the Walls family falls apart, as both parents refuse to provide for their children. Rex spends days away from home, spending up all the money at local bars. Her mother refuses to work, even though she has a teaching degree. The Walls children take care of one another, and as they grow, they get the courage to leave their parents and live on their own.
Not only is this a memoir of the hardships of growing up with such a bizarre family, but also a story of the unconditional love a family has, even though it is far from perfect. This memoir is nothing exceptional, but it is a great read on the love of a family, and how it survives through lifes obstacles.

Reader reviewed by M. Diamond

This true story follows the life of Jeannette, one which is far from the lives of many people. She didnt grow up with everything most people have. Actually, she grew up with nothing but a family and a significant amount of determination like I have never heard of. As her childhood goes on and she faces problem after problem, she becomes stronger. Her family was truly homeless and battled with finding places to live, making money to buy food, and in the case they couldnt afford to buy any food at all, rummaging out food from anywhere possible. This rough story goes back and forth between feelings of hope and despair. As crazy as her parents were at times, Jeannette and her siblings were determined to rise above their problems, get an education, and eventually raise their own families while holding a job.

I enjoyed this book a lot and thought that Jeannette did an exceptional job describing her life, making it easy to picture exactly what was going on. This book really made me think about what I have in life and how much everything really should be appreciated. I felt like I knew the characters in the book and was able to feel for them, whether it be embarrassment during the tough times, or joy as they made their way to the top leading towards success. Although the family goes through a great deal of difficulty, to the point where they literally have nothing but each other, they come through in the end and improve their lives immensely. It just goes to show that you shouldnt give up or lose your priorities in life. I think everyone should read this book because it really is a remarkable story that you will never forget.