Scan barcode
zeynepsiir's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Blood, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
komiification's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Racism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, and War
mockingjayx16's review against another edition
- 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
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
iamaprettyflower's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
emilyvictoria_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Blood
felishacb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Blood, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Drug use
Minor: Bullying and Suicidal thoughts
_meganrose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Minor: War and Cancer
jjmydude's review against another edition
- 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
Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
chantelsorae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Blood
rachellen's review against another edition
- 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
Admittedly I had watched the show multiple times before reading the book today, so I’d lacked the urgency to actually read it. I am so very glad I have now.
The show does follow the book but I found it so much more emotional as a whole to read the words said between Connell and Marianne. Particularly, when Marianne says ‘most people go through their whole lives, Marianne thought, without ever really feeling that close to anyone’. Also - ‘Marianne, he said, I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.’
The reason as to why I love this story, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it or the writing, is because it is flawed. The characters are flawed through and through, constantly making their lives difficult because of the intrusion of their desires and emotions and hate. This is what it means to be a sentient human being. That is why I love this story.
I found the power play between the two characters incredibly multifaceted, it evolved constantly. Marianne belongs to a different social class with more money and her mother is her family’s cleaner which in turn funds Connell’s family home. Yet neither have fathers, they are not present or deceased, when they meet. On the other hand, Connell has power over Marianne, particularly in their school relationship, as Marianne is incredibly vulnerable and abused at home leading to insecurities where she is wanting to please Connell to (possibly) make him stay (the secret relationship, university conversations and so on). In school, Connell is popular, Marianne is not. In university, Marianne is popular and even gets Connell a job so he can pay rent, whilst Connell is not popular and works jobs. Marianne has a paid for flat with her own room and so on, Connell works to pay for a shared room in a house. When Marianne leaves home, she relies on Connell and his family, and is no longer wealthy, so they also both become equal (?) financially after they win scholarships, possibly bending more to Connell’s favour as he worked. The power play constantly changes, I believe it balances out in the end, yet the ending infers that there are more power imbalances/balances to occur.
When I found myself on the final page I felt panicked at Marianne’s coolness, particularly after a bicker between them, but when she ends with saying ‘I’ll always be here. You know that.’ - it was probably the most devoted, unprompted, purest thing that Marianne says to Connell in the entire book. It is a pledge.
I could go on for days. But I won’t bore readers of this review any longer.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Blood