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kitty_reads_'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
4.0
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
- 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
And still most of all it's a love story. A very beautiful one.
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
ericispublius'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: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Body shaming, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Classism
michaelion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My only issues are with the way it was written. That's more of a personal thing though. I find dialogue to be the most important part of a piece of media involving two or more people and in this book there are no quotation marks. The writing is very, very good, so the issue was when it flipped from being internal and external. Although I'm sure that was intentional. My other issue is I didn't like how their stories went. But that's another personal thing! If only they knew how to just talk to each other! Even still I think they're the kind of people who will get married in the future whether or not they work on themselves. They're it for each other. I like that, but I wish they were healthier!
Graphic: Classism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Drug use, Grief, Biphobia, Antisemitism, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Blood
mel_s_bookshelf'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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism
dfram's review against another edition
- 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 read this book in 24 hours, I was absolutely incapable of putting it down. I loved every single element on it. Relatable characters with immesurable personal growth; and yet, the essence of their personalities remained intact. Mental health discussions (with responsible details + relevant and important information for YA). The accuracy of the description of feelings of inadequacy among same-aged peers. The truth about young love, and how inevitable heart break is. The social criticism and the discussion about class and wealth (and how it impacts our relationships). How life changing it is to find someone who not only understands and accepts you for who you are, but loves you because of it and not in spite of what makes you you.
What I love about this book so much is that Marianna and Connell are normal people. They're as real as the next person is. I felt myself identified with the plot to their story. The truth is, nearly everyone I know has experienced what it's like to struggle between letting go and holding on tighter. The gist of the story is best summarized via the following popular saying: "if you love somebody, let them go. For if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were".
My only complaint? The lack of quotations to identify the dialogue took me an embarrassingly long amount of chapters to adapt to.
I wish there was more to this story.
10/10 would recommend.
April 2024
I agree with my past self! I felt able to fully immerse myself in the story and that is a feeling I seek when reading other books. I felt the characters were super relatable, and those that I didn’t love I could understand except Marianne’s fam, fuck them I loved that Marianne and Connell were flawed and awkward.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Racism
Minor: Abortion
nadiaherondale's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Drug use, Death, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
thedambookshelf'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
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, and Suicidal thoughts
cepbreed'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
“Marianne answers the door when Connell rings the bell.”
I read this entire book while my chest was constricted. Each line makes me feel like I can’t breathe, like there’s concrete blocking my throat. Oh god this is so tragic. Each misunderstanding makes me want to throw myself into a wall. I had this conversation with my roommate about why Sally Rooney doesn’t use quotations before I began reading. She told me it’s because it makes the book much more intimate, the characters are more lifelike when they aren’t confined to the grammatical conventions of a novel. She’s so right. I didn’t realize I had a little implicit bias when reading, when I see a quotation mark it sends off something in my brain. Without it my brain must take that extra step to realize something is a quote. I have to think first for once, how insane. I still don’t like how it looks but thank you for this Sally Rooney.
Once again I turned to my roommate and had a conversation after I finished and she asked me what I thought about Connell and Marianne, well that's the basics of her question anyways. I answered honestly and told her I prefer Connell. Something about him is just so much more compelling to me. Sure I like Marianne, I sympathize with her, but I feel more pity for her while I relate more to Connell. We talked to through and I came to a conclusion that I guess says more about me than about the characters. Marianne is a character who is full of anxieties, insecurities and vulnerability. As a woman these are all things I hate about myself. Because Connell is a man I don't see his faults in the same light I see her's in. With Marianne a lot of my issue with her comes from the response I would have about myself if it were me in her shoes. Damn.
Songs:
- Casual - Chappell Roan
- Good Sex - Susannah Joffe
- Sidelines - Phoebe Bridgers
- About You - the 1975
- the 1 - Taylor Swift
- Perfect Storm - Inhaler
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Blood
Minor: Death
ileesha'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
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, and Racism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia