The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

My first book review is of The Catcher in the Rye, a 1951 high school English classic. It's about a depressed teen, Holden Caulfield, who hops between boarding schools. Holden narrates the story, giving the novel a consistent, strong, and sometimes even predictable voice. Throughout his journeys, Holden makes mature observations about the world as he experiences it. He realizes that there are many phonies and that most of the people in his life are insincere. 

Over the course of the novel, Holden matures. Before Holden had a taste of the real world, he was somewhat apathetic. The more he saw and experienced, the more empathetic he became towards people in all types of situations. 

I don't see a moral lesson that could be learned from The Catcher. I can learn from it what mistakes not to make; not to get kicked out of boarding school, not to order a prostitute up to your hotel room (it ends in embarrassment because you're not mature enough for it), or not to blow all your money over the course of two days - but no moral lessons. 

I would rate this book three out of five stars because it was good but not great.