What readers think of The Glass Castle, plus links to write your own review.

I'm sorry, but there is NO way this book is a memoir! I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and am only finishing it because I'm so far into it. The stories, while vivid and incredible are too insane to believe. Making her own braces? C'mom!

I think the thing that makes it difficult for me to believe is the fact that any of those children are SANE! And she is a wealthy writer. The kind of abuse/neglect she supposedly endured is the very thing that serial killers are made from.

I look for someone to expose this as an embellishment (like A Million Little Pieces). It is just too hard to believe!

I had to read this memoir for my English class , and I loved it. I couldn't believe how, even though the Walls' parents didn't take care of their children, it made them the more independent and the more aware of this world. Jeanette Walls is a survivor.
Amazing book .

This book is full of despair, sadness, and troubles. It made me sorrowful to think that people could survive in the harsh conditions the way Jeanette and her siblings did. It is beautifully written and tells her darkest memories with nothing held back. From this point on I will always think of Jeanette Walls as a inspiration for telling her story.

This is a really great book!!!!!
:)

Walls story was tremendously moving, her innocent love for her parents was joyful and tragic. Her awakening to the truth that she had to let her parents be who they are and the courage to let herself be who she needed to be. Excellent. I could not put it down

I recently read this book as part of my pre-college "required reading." My final words? AWFUL. Sorry folks, but if you're looking for an uplifiting, inspiring read, this book is NOT it. I was disappointed and angered as I read about the horrid refusal of Walls' parents to comfort and provide for their children.

I will grant that Walls is certainly a good writer. She has the ability to infuse her account with chilling detail. However, my question is: What good does it do us to read her story? Yes, she may have learned some valuable lessons from her traumatic life...but at what cost?

Though it certainly doesn't hold any punches on the nitty-gritty-ness of Walls' life, The Glass Castle seems to subtly hold up such a life as ironically admirable...as if surviving these things (and subsequently writing about them) is ultimately glamorous. News flash for Walls: It isn't.

The book was way too repetitive. Yes, her parents sucked, yes, her life was bad. A lot of people have bad lives. I understand that her father is an alcoholic and she could only rely on her brother and sisters and she's probably scarred for life but things turned out well for her in the end. Here's a secret... it's okay not to always have blind faith in your father. Fathers aren't superheroes, they're human like anybody else. I had to annotate this book for class and honestly, I didn't annotate much because you could see everything coming or it was typical. Only read this book if you like hearing the same things page after page after page.

Jeanette Walls is an inspiring author. She has touched my life in a way no other read has. I can relate to several of her stories, but her life seemed so much more extreme and complicated then mine ever was. So I think to myself, "What do I really have to complain about? I can free myself from this life and get away from it all and achieve so much more, just like Jeanette did." I hope so many other readers understand this logic and are able to achieve more for themselves, knowing they deserve it. Jeanette has inspired me and undoubtedly many others.

I work as a detention officer at the county jail. Everyday i listen to inmates complain about their lives. I recommend this book to them and hope that after they read it they can see that their life may not be so bad.
After I read this remarkable story I realized how good most of our childhoods have been and that no matter what the situation we can overcome it and be productive individuals. Thank you for sharing your life with all of us; I truly believe it has made me a better person.