Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Normal People

I felt like I was rooting for Connell and Marianne while at the same time not really knowing what I was rooting for. This discussion of power dynamics was really beautifully done.

But

i have never read a book that ended so abruptly and i think i love it?

Honestly I did struggle with the dialogue not being in quotation marks...but I did adjust!!!

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lagoony_snail's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

4.0

This is a sad look into the life of a hurt young woman and the young man she trusts. You follow the journey of their relationship with each other and with the people around them over many years. Harder to read with the lack of quotation marks.

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cnh_828's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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

3.25

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cpratreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I loved this book. I read it very quickly, and would have had read it much faster if I didn't have to work and could have stayed up all night to read it.

I loved the narrative style, the two narrators, and my favourite moments were often when we revisted the same moment from both perspectives.

It certainly led to a lot of discussion with my partner, who recommended the book to me.

5/5 will read again. I really loved it. Sally Rooney is now an auto-read for me.

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defunctfridge's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.25

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ada_elisabeth's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.25

Oh boy, this was a lot.
When I initially picked up Normal People, I thought I was going to hate it. Why? Because of the distinct lack of quotation marks. Occasionally quotation mark-less books work for me, but it's a rare occurrence, and Normal People did not seem like the kind of book that should have no quotation marks. However, once I was able to move past the weird dialogue writing, I found this book to be... enjoyable? I am a firm believer that there are limited things on this earth more satisfying than finishing a book, so there's something a quite enjoy about quick reads, which Normal People was. I always feel a little like my nine-year-old self reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in one day when I manage to read more than thirty pages in one sitting, and Normal People really delivered in that department.

However, the more I read, the more concerned I became. Firstly, I have never read a book about two people who are so willing to let others walk all over them. What happened to strong-willed, independent people? I suppose Connell and Marianne were made for each other because of how passive they both were. Secondly, Marianne needs help. Girl is really out in the world thinking she's unlovable and deserves bad things because of her abusive family. She also knows she needs therapy, but refuses to actually get it for some reason? (Props to Connell for realizing that he needed help.) Also, I feel like Marianne had a whole eating disorder thing happening there that just... was never addressed? Like, several characters commented on how thin she'd gotten, she never eats a full meal and orders less food at restaurants, and she even states at one point that she doesn't eat anything between breakfast and nine pm. I feel like this aspect of Marianne's life (and how it was related to her other mental health issues) could have been explored in much more detail. Also, the fact that she actively sought out abusive boyfriends was incredibly concerning. Please go get help, Marianne.

Connell was also concerning, but it a much less prominent way. The way Sally Rooney wrote his depression was kind of humorous, in a dark way. Case(s) in point:

"Well, here I am on the floor, he thought." (Connell, on being to depressed to make it to his bed so he just flopped down on the floor.)

"'... someone who's going through a mild depressive episode could expect to see a score of maybe fifteen or sixteen.'
'Okay,' he says. 'Right.'
'And what we're seeing here is a score of forty-three.'" (Connell and a counselor on the results of his depression survey.)

Although these are far from the best quotes in this incredibly poetic novel, they were my favorite. In any case, I was concerned the entire time, but I enjoyed reading this book, so 4.25/5 stars, rounded down.

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naoml's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

I don't think I started to get it until pg 132 and I don't think I really got it until I read 175-190. I really wanted to love this, people say it's so good, and it has incredible moments. I personally didn't like the way dialogue was written, I found it hard to keep straight. Unsure how I feel about the ending, but would say it's worth a read

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jameserinoreads's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.75

Sometimes painfully relatable. As the author is Irish, so are her values and global political views, prepare to be triggered if you don't believe in human rights and socio-economic equality. I all seriousness, lovely read.

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