The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is often considered a classic coming-of-age novel, centered around a teenager named Holden Caulfield who has just been kicked out of yet another prep school. The story follows Holden as he wanders around New York City over a few days, trying to make sense of the adult world, his own emotions, and the loss of innocence.

The book is famous for its first-person narration, which is written in Holden’s distinct voice—full of slang, sarcasm, and a lot of complaints. He constantly talks about how “phony” everyone is and seems to be angry at just about everything. Some people really connect with that sense of disillusionment, especially during adolescence, but honestly, I found it kind of exhausting. Instead of feeling sympathy for Holden, I mostly just felt annoyed. He’s clearly going through something serious, like depression or grief, but the way he expresses it made it hard for me to really care about what he was saying.

I think part of the reason I didn’t enjoy the book is that not much actually happens. It’s more of a stream-of-consciousness story than a plot-driven one. Holden drifts from one place to another, meets a few people, and talks a lot about how much he dislikes things. The themes—like growing up, identity, and loneliness—are important, but I personally felt like the book didn’t explore them in a way that held my attention.

That said, I understand why some people really like this novel. It was groundbreaking when it first came out, especially for its honest portrayal of teenage confusion and alienation. And there are moments that are thoughtful—like when Holden talks about wanting to protect kids from the harshness of the adult world, which ties into the book’s title. But for me, it just didn’t live up to the hype. I found Holden hard to relate to and the story repetitive.

I’d give The Catcher in the Rye a 5/10. I can respect its place in literary history and see how it might resonate with others, but it just wasn’t for me. If you’re into character-driven stories and don’t mind a narrator who’s more about feelings than action, you might still find it interesting.