Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Над пропастью во ржи by J.D. Salinger

9 reviews

miannavonbroz's review against another edition

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reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This might just be me, but I don't appreciate his constant anger and discontent, even when he does nothing about it. This book was meant to capture the teenage experience, but I couldn't relate to this at all. This protagonist is just terrible.
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georgiasophia's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jo_lzr's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book is a character study. It focuses on being young and feeling the weight of people expecting you to have everything decided for the future, to know what career path you want to follow, when you might feel as if you know nothing. 

I have seen that many people dislike Holden. I agree that he is not someone that I'd like to hang out with but I don't hate him. I don't think I can, since his thoughts and behavior are affected by things he can't control. Firstly, I think he is autistic. Secondly, he found his dead brother's body when he was a kid and has been sexually harassed many times since a very young age. These are very traumatizing experiences for anyone, let alone a child. So that, combined with his autism, I believe explain why he thinks the way he does.
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dogfriend69's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My fav book of all time :)))) I want to shake Holden and yell "GET BETTER YOU POOR KID" he's a screwed up kid who has a good heart and the depiction of his thoughts and actions are unbelievably real to how I remember my adolescence. There is def some older language that wouldn’t be used if it was written today but it's compassionate to its characters and the situations they are in.
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hannah_cogo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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wuthrinheights's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I first picked up this book when I was a teenager and I loved it since. It was the first classic book I read that wasn't assigned in class. And that was the birth of my love for classics. Reading it again in my 20's, it's even better than when I first met him. 

Holden was witty and observant, sarcastic, and the biggest hater you've ever met. His narration was often so comical, I kept giggling or literally laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. Really, he killed me. 

But as you read on, this story of his account of spending the night alone in New York City, in between meeting all kinds of people in his life who happened to be available to meet him that night, while his memories weaved in and out, and he tried his hardest to hang on, your heart gets broken piece by piece. Holden's voice will stay with you and you can't shake him out. 

A full 5 stars for me. Heck, I'd give 6 out of 5 stars if I could. This is my favourite book and it holds a special place in my heart for it. 
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brittanymcmcmc's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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lizziertaft's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I was gifted this by my older sister when I was 18 and I never got around to reading it. She said it was intended to read before college, I didn’t understand until page 189. I found the words very comforting, unfortunately they came from a character who is suspect of preying on Holden sooo…He’s one of the many predators talked about in this book, to the point where I have to believe the author wanted us to understand how perverse men are. 

The POV of Holden gets old quick. The book is slow and severely overrated. What many consider a classic, I think is just outdated and dull. I do have empathy for Holden and hope he found healing where it was he was getting help for at the end. He reminds me a lot of an old best friend I had, I’m convinced Holden was a Gemini moon.
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yustawrites's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh my God. If you rate this book low then you're a phony. I swear to God you are.

I'm lost for words. I just loved it. Holden really feels like a close friend. This book is overall SAD, but the humour in it is very special and has made me laugh to myself a few times. Very well done.

The writing is direct, it doesn't feel like there are any fillers, everything Holden says is important and I loved being in his head for a few days (even if that meant being a little sad, worried, heartbroken).

Negative reviews tend to say that the writing is repetitive - but this is exactly the point. Holden is talking to YOU. He is telling you his story about what happened after he got kicked out of the school (again) - so shut up and LISTEN.

Other negative reviews talk about Holden as this annoying anti-hero. I read one that said something like:
 
"I enjoyed the main character. Or rather I enjoyed hating him".

He is a 16-year old boy on the brink of a mental breakdown.

You cannot post reviews like that and wonder WHY WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. It's exactly because of people like this - a.k.a. "phonies"; who won't listen, and shrug a struggling person off as "annoying", "rude", "obnoxious", "stupid".

This book made me cry. But what's different this time is that I cried while explaining the plot to someone else. Can you imagine? 

God I love Phoebe. She's so like my little sister (and that kills me). Little kids really are more clever than you assume, and they are so pure.


I would like to thank J. D. Salinger for the ending. I really thought Holden is going to die in the end, but if he did I don't know if I could've taken that. Thank you for giving him a chance. Thank you for letting him live. Thank you for making him my friend.
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