Hi there strangers!
When we last met, I was about to have a baby. He will be six next month 😀
In those six years, TIME actually redid their list because there was such criticism about the lack of diversity and expertise in their original list. I also went back to graduate school to become a librarian. Last semester I took a young adult materials course and was reminded of this blog. I was inspired to come back and finish this challenge! It will still take me a few years because there are SO MANY other books I want to read. I toyed with the idea of switching to the books in the new list, but since I am about 75% of the way through, I am sticking with the original.
Somehow, I actually managed to read a few more books right after my son was born. He was a slow eater, so I read ebooks on my iPad while he nursed. Although I can’t tell you many details, I can tell you my verdicts for them:
Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang (new read)
Verdict: Should not be on the list. Yang’s other entry is much better.
Feed by M.T. Anderson (new read)
Verdict: Should be on the list. Great science fiction entry!
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (new read)
Verdict: Can’t remember much beyond the fact that I enjoyed it– keep it on the list!
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (reread)
Verdict: Such an important book. It’s a shame people try to suppress it. It should definitely be on the list.
And that brings us to our first 2024 entry…
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (reread)
This is the fourth time I have read this book, but the last time was over twenty years ago. I must note that two of those times were required. I have never enjoyed this book.
Sixteen year old Holden Caulfield has gotten kicked out of yet another boarding school and spends a few days on his own before returning to his home in New York City. Holden is exceptionally cynical and thinks everyone around him is a “phony.” The only people he seems to love are his little sister Phoebe, his late brother Allie, and maybe his older brother D.B? He at least tolerates him. Holden is clearly in need of mental health support, and the reader infers he is in some type of residential facility telling this story.
I went into this reread with an open mind, thinking that I might be able to better appreciate it far removed from being that age. However, the first thing that struck me upon rereading this book is that it is actually poorly written. I understand that Salinger was trying to channel a teenage boy, but that’s really not an excuse, especially if you read other books with the same point of view. After the first handful of chapters, I was bored to tears. It took me a long time to get through this book again. I know many people love this book, but I think there are just as many people who can’t stand it.
VERDICT: I think this book is a relic of its time. It was so unexpected at the time it was written, that it has managed to endure. I think the topics and themes of this book can be found in many other texts that are more universal and better written. Also, a privileged white male just doesn’t draw the same sympathy it once did. Let’s move on from this one!
yabookchallenge 