The catcher in the rye / JD Salinger

Regarded as one of the great American classics, this novel brings to life the character of protagonist, Holden Caulfield. After he is kicked out of yet another prestigious boarding school, he decides to embark on a journey to the city to really have some fun. The beauty of the novel is in the narration - Salinger brilliantly uses first-person point-of-view to allow the reader to understand Holden in a way so realistic it is impossible to not see him as a blood-and-flesh person. You can look beneath the veneer - beneath the arrogant personality of one of the most annoying characters ever seen - to catch a glimpse of a true soul. Fantastic writing.

Who would enjoy this book? Good choice for NCEA Wide Reading, also for people who enjoy social realism and commentary on human personality.

Reviewed by Calista