After reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, I realized that the saying “Never judge a book by its cover” is true! I thought it was going to be boring. I mean, it's a memoir, and I'm more into mystery and suspense stories. But this book was nothing like I expected: it was full of fun, sad, and exciting stories from Walls' childhood. It was one of the best books I've read.

This amazing memoir gives us a different perspective on the traditional American family. Walls and her siblings (Brian, Lori, and Maureen) have to survive the irresponsibility of her parents and are pretty much on their own. Her dad never stays in a job long, and he spends all their money on alcohol and cigarettes. Her mom is too focused on pursuing her dreams of becoming an artist to worry about raising her family. They are always moving because they either can't afford the rent or her dad is in trouble.

When I began this book I thought Walls' life was totally different from mine, but as I read I was shocked to find that we have something in common: the paths our fathers chose to follow. Both our dads are alcoholics and ruined their lives. My dad was pretty much always drunk too, wouldn't show up for work, and when he came home drunk he would beat up my mom. And so I could understand how she felt.

Walls' detailed writing also helped me picture her memories. She is so descriptive that I felt I was actually there. The unique way she describes her life turned a simple memoir into a stunning one that will touch your heart and help you see things in a different way.

There are people out there who are born storytellers, and there are lives that are worth telling about. When these two come together, it creates the most magnificent memoirs. In Walls' case, that's exactly what happened, and the result is this fabulous book.