"Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”

Partially published in serial form between 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye is considered to be one of the best modern American novels. It follows the events in Holden Caulfield's life for a weekend after being expelled from his boarding school.  Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents because of its themes of alienation and angst. It also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, grief, connection, sex, and depression.

I think that this is one of those books that you have to read in a certain mood or at a specific time in your life (teenage years). Maybe because I'm not in the right mood or in my teenage years, this book did nothing to me. It's a "meh" to me. I know that Holden isn't intended to be a likable character but I just roll my eyes because he can be very annoying. Most of the time, I was just "Grow up already!". 

I liked the writing style and even with my annoyance with Holden, I have to say that he is the perfect example of an unreliable narrator. But, alas, it is still a "meh" to me. 

This 16-years-old jerk really hates phonies on 1950's New York. Boy, does he hate them. He's really bitter and all, about flunking out of school, for one. Sad too. He pent up all this frustration and anger and all. So he spends a whole book complaining about phonies and himself and everything. He really does, no kidding. It's not even very coherent most of the time. Anyway, the thing is, this book really kills me, it really does. It's grand. But he'd hate it if I said that, he really would. And if you read this book, you'll also hate it too. But you'll kind of love it as well. You really would.