Reviews

Normal People by Sally Rooney

clarinechow's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jacintareilly's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“I’ll go” “And I’ll stay” 

“And we’ll be okay” 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness and Death

krysx's review against another edition

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

wizfizlizzy's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

aeonidon's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

patiolinguist's review against another edition

5.0

Equal parts exciting and poignant. I was not expecting to like it this much.

milliemoo77's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

love it so much. marianne has my heart

irxren's review against another edition

3.0

The book beautifully captures the complexities of modern romantic relationships, showing how our past experiences shape our present selves. The characters, Marianne and Connell, feel incredibly real with all their depth and flaws, making their struggles and obstacles relatable. Although, I couldn't help but wish that they had made more of an effort to overcome their challenges and find a way to make things work. One thing that threw me off a bit was the lack of quotation marks in the writing. It made the dialogue a bit tricky to follow at times. Another thing is the timeline jumps. It felt like we were hopping back and forth a lot, which could be a bit jarring. As for the characters, they're beautifully complex, but I wished they grew more. Marianne and Connell seem stuck in certain patterns, and Connell's behavior felt off at times.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and its realistic portrayal of relationships. It's a good read if you're into deep character exploration and don't mind a bit of narrative challenge.

miiirgen's review against another edition

reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

manderzreadz's review against another edition

3.0

I can see why this book is popular and widely read, but this type of book is just not my cup of tea. I need a plot with a bit more direction.