Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

1491 reviews

mugsandmanuscripts's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful slow-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

4.0

I'm finding this one hard to rate, because I think it's well done, but parts were excruciating to read. It doesn't work for me as a romance, but it works as a character-based, coming-of-age litfic novel.

A short summary: this is a dual POV story that follows the relationship and growth of the two main characters, Marianne and Connell. Connell struggles with anxiety and depression. Marianne comes from an abusive home and is bullied at school, but finds more popularity in college, where she begins a lot of self-destructive behaviors. Both suffer from self-esteem issues and terrible communication with each other. Those issues repeatedly push them apart, but they continue to orbit each other and fall into one another's gravity.

I think I would have liked the novel slightly better if it had focused on one of the characters rather than both, but then miscommunication was so awful between the characters that perhaps the second character wouldn't have been translatable without the second POV. But there was so much going on with both of them—Marianne's spiral features relationships with sadistic men, an eating disorder, and terrible friends. Connell struggles with intense social anxiety. They are only ever comfortable with each other, and yet they are inscrutable to one another.

Ultimately, I think this is a story that holds both despair and hope and was so believable that it hurt. The characters really did feel real. I liked it, but it's not one I'd read again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

dazzlingreader_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This book is good, but it didn't talk to me as much as i thought it would. In my mind the characters are well written but they are and feel so real you might think of bad of them just from their decisions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Classism

knfaroun's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Grief

hannahreadsawholelot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This novel made me look at the relationships and trauma I've experienced in my own life, and really assess how I'm dealing with those things, and reframing my life, motivations, and mentality surrounding them. I think everyone should read this book, as it discusses very important things, but it is not an easy read if not prepared to look inward. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense 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

3.5

as someone who hasn’t been in a situationship, i felt like the emotions and connections weren’t there. the ability to relate is where i feel people really connect with this book. that the characters are realistic and the way it’s told is so accurate. don’t get me wrong i still enjoyed the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Bullying

Minor: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

mockingjayx16's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

0.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Infidelity, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Body shaming, and Physical abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, and Gaslighting

they_planet's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This book just vaguely sickened me the entire time I was reading it, but I still couldn't put it down.

I hated every character except Lorraine, and every situation they got into felt worse for them, and for me as a reader.

I will never touch this book again, but I don't really regret reading it, if only to feel better about my own life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse

iamaprettyflower's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

I wish the characters would just talk to each other, because it constantly feels like they're purposely not understanding one another. It made me want to reach into the book and shake them for being so self-centred and emotionally blind. 

Also, Sally Rooney not using speech marks was an artistic choice that took a while to get used to?

Overall, I really wanted this book to be amazing as I've heard so many good things, but it just didn't hit the spot. I wanted to see the characters emotional intelligence grow, but it never happened. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gaslighting, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, Bullying, Classism, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Violence

abidoodle's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

This was definitely a good book, and it leaves me with a lot to think about relating to communication and our assumptions and perceptions of how people view us or think about us. It also touches on issues of insecurity, self-worth, depression, socioeconomic status differences, and building friendship, trust and love. 

Honestly I took it in more as a social commentary on those things than as the story itself, and I found those inner-dialogues and how we got to see them interact with each other in ways that characters didn’t really fascinating. As a work of literature that is moving and deep and thoughtful, it’s wonderful. I personally didn’t really get into the story itself much, and found it difficult to get through at times, if I wasn’t reading a lot at a time. Also I personally just really struggle with the no-quotations style, although that is just a personal preference. Overall it’s an impactful read and I would recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

readay's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts