Tolog Review: The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle
by Jeanette Walls
reviewed by Melanie Corral

The Glass Castle, a heart wrenching memoir written by Jeanette Walls, reveals her many struggles growing up with a poor family in America. Narrated by Jeanette, the story tells about how both her and her brother Brian lived and grew up with dysfunctional parents who battled alcoholism and poverty. Their parents, Rex and Mary Rose, constantly move their family around in search for a better life, but somehow always backfiring horribly. Throughout this superbly written book, readers witness how Jeanette and Brian must grow up and mature too quickly in order to survive in the world. The two must behave strongly and make some truly onerous decisions hoping to impact their lives for the better. With a mournful yet uplifting ending, readers learn that taking responsibility for your own life is the key to living a happy one. Unlike many other coming of age stories, The Glass Castle is more realistic in the sense of the concrete problems these young people must go through. The most impressive part of this memoir is how Walls does not blame her parents in her writing for everything she had to go through. The light-toned writing prevails over the dark subject matter making this an enjoyable and not depressing read. This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy stories of maturity and young people taking charge of their lives for the better. Wall’s writing style particularly appeals to readers who are attracted to hardcore stories written in a light hearted manner. Through this story, readers experience the struggle these relatable kids must go through while at the same time wanting to play around and live happy lives. This is a wonderful read that will affect many people for a long time, reminding to them to appreciate their families and to be kind always.