Amazon.com: Customer reviews: A Farewell to Walmart (Kindle Single)

Top positive review

4 people found this helpful

My childhood...in a book.

ByBlackCatBibliophileon November 28, 2016

This book was creepy, it was like someone was writing about my own adolescences...right down to the veggie Subway sandwiches. The writing was fun and interesting I just wish there was more of it. Each chapter is a small little vignettes that are just enough to make me want to know about this author but then it's over. I hope to read more by this talented author.

I received this book for free from the publisher through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Top critical review

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3 people found this helpful

Arrogant, classist ranting disguised as coming-of-age story.

ByJoseph Kyleon April 10, 2017

It must suck, having determined at eight years old that one is inherently superior to the world around them. It must have been tremendously annoying, being forced to have lived a childhood that is absolutely normal. The horrors of an unspectacular yet unforgivably uneventful coming of age is a relatively new phenomenon, one borne out of a youth culture that increasingly disdains stability and comfort. Millennial author Carly Hallman’s novella, A Farewell To Walmart, is the epitome of this relatively new concept in the post-happiness world--shallow recollections from a young woman who mistakes her otherwise dull, atypical life for being edgy, different, rebellious.

A Farewell To Walmart initially proves entertaining—her recollection of being fascinated by the concept of the store's lobster tank versus the reality of it is adorable, and her tale of the horrors of being forced to participate in a fashion show makes for amusing reading. Yet as Hallman grows into a teenager, the stories become less interesting, and the evidence builds that she’s become embittered young adult with nothing but disdain for everyone and everything around her. (I could be wrong, but there’s absolutely nothing in the way of real foresight or reflection to make me think otherwise.) Instead of any kind of knowledge or wisdom gained from her youth, one simply sees an unapologetic and unsympathetic class hatred for the residents of her “small town,” who are, in her eyes, ignorant, overweight, backwards, and unforgivably not her.

What makes Hallman’s writing so sad is that it contains judgment without insight, experience without understanding. Happiness for Hallman comes only from escape, and with escape comes the ability to sneer at and judge those she assumed to have sneered at and judged her. Having moved from San Diego to the “small town” of Granbury, Texas must have seemed a culture shock, but then again, no seven year old is intuitive enough for the insights their adult self invariably imparts on their younger selves. Nor does Walmart play any real role in her short work, A Farewell To Walmart, other than to serve as the center of her scorn and derision of Middle America.

A Farewell To Walmart isn’t so much a coming of age story—one imagines Hallman having difficulty understanding that her oh-so unique story isn’t unique at all—inasmuch as it is the Portrait Of The Artist As An Insufferable Prig. Then again, simply because one has an English degree and a chip on their shoulder doesn’t mean that they have any actual insight or wisdom into their bitterness. If anything, this book is tragic—not for the tale that it tells, but for presenting the overwhelming evidence that even though its author has some writing talent, she is headed for a life of bitterness, cynicism, and unhappiness, based on a narrow-minded perception and prejudice towards a culture that she seemingly made little to no attempt to understand. Even sadder is that people of this mindset often mistake their prejudices for enlightenment, and in today's culture, that mindset is only going to grow stronger...

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Showing 21-26 of 26 reviews(Verified Purchases). See all 34 reviews

Best book ever? Yes.

ByVincent Galboon January 29, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book changed my life.

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Enjoyed

Byrebeccaon April 13, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Light and entertaining.

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Not terribly long, and not terribly in-depth on anything

ByLyn G.on January 14, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Not terribly long, and not terribly in-depth on anything, but it's decently interesting. It might have been more interesting had it had some more details in particular stories, but I think it was worth the less-than-an-hour it took me to read. It's written in a nice, friendly style, and is pretty humorous in a few spots. I would recommend it.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

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Disappointed!

ByPat headlesson January 15, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Clever premise and plot. I know four letter words and crude language are norm but the read would have been just as good without it. Consider the best selling authors who are successful without using such.

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Just not my kind of book

ByMary Showalteron January 21, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

My apologies to the author, I guess this just isn't my kind of book. I found it uninteresting and had to make myself finish it. There were parts where I felt some sympathy, maybe even empathy for the main character and one of her friends. But that's the most emotion it pulled out of me. I was mostly disappointed.

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At Least it Was Short

ByKeith B.VINE VOICEon December 26, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Life is like a whole cake waiting to be divided up and eaten. 'A Farewell to Wal-Mart' is like getting the thinnest slice that could still be called 'cake' thd author even mentions other places and adventures she had after she wrote this Kindle Short which skips aimlessly from her early teen years to early twenties. No real depth. No serious drama. What I don't think she understands is EVERY town to a teenager is somewhere they want to escape. There was nothing eventful in this story. It was brief moms of a mundane life and nothing special. The writing showed that she has some talent but it doesn't shine here. To be honest all I can say is I'm glad it was short and I'm glad it's over. I really didn't enjoy it. As a coming of age story it lacks any angst or real drama.