Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Normale mensen by Sally Rooney

69 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

I really wanted to love this book, especially considering all the hype that surrounds it. And there were definitely things that I enjoyed about it. I thought Connell and Marianne were really interesting as individual characters, Sally Rooney is very good at creating these very flawed but nonetheless relatable and sympathetic characters. Both Connell’s struggles with his mental health and Marianne’s abuse at home which leads her to pursue toxic friendships and relationships outside her home were very interesting to read. It’s a real shame that the relationship between the two was the most boring part of the book. The sentiment of two characters whose lives are intimately tangled together is a very intriguing one, but when their relationship ends up being a continuous cycle of miscommunication after miscommunication, it gets old pretty quickly. If it’s a trope you enjoy, this book will probably be right up your street. But for me, I’ve come to realise that no matter how well written (and this is a very well written book), it’s a trope that I really don’t enjoy. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism

a_rash_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

libbylou1201's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

tilly_jaques's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense

• 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Suicide, Pregnancy, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Death, Alcohol, and Death of parent

packedjam's review against another edition

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

4.0

😵‍💫

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, and Eating disorder

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Fatphobia, Vomit, Classism, Abortion, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Drug use, Blood, and Racism

maozeydong's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Minor: Racism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Sexism

coolaboutit's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood and Eating disorder

Minor: Racism

rubyreadzz's review against another edition

dark emotional informative lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Abortion

kitty_reads_'s review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

I feel like I need to sit on this a while to make a final rating, but for now it’s 4 stars. I see this book as a window into people’s lives and relationships. It’s messy, but it feels like that was intentional since real life is messy. I feel neither character is written to make you feel a certain way about them. It’s a raw look into their lives and thoughts, allowing you to make your own conclusions. There’s also moments that made me uncomfortable, but life has it’s uncomfortable moments. I still don’t have a solid opinion on this book so I would love to listen to other people’s opinions on this!

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Sexism

bludgeoned_by_hail's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

This style of over-simplified prose is hard to get right but this book absolutely nails it. The skeletal writing  feels clear and deliberate instead of lazy, and offers a clean backdrop for a moving and devastating coming of age story and its millions of moving parts (popularity, class, education, sex, mental illness, relationships with friends, family and partners).
And still most of all it's a love story. A very beautiful one.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, Racism, and Pregnancy