Reviews with content warning for Rape - Normale mensen

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Normale mensen by Sally Rooney

77 reviews

red_reader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

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mpetrera's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

I really enjoyed this book despite a lot of prominent negative reviews leading me to think I wouldn’t. I think being from an areas similar to where Connell and Marianne grew up (albeit different country) lends itself to helping that, however, I thought their character development was quite satisfying. I feel as though many reviewers are expecting more character development and find the story ‘boring,’ when the title is literally called ‘Normal People.’ This is meant to be a story about normal people from a normal, small town who are afflicted with all the normal shitty things that can happen to you in life. Throw a bit of depression, poor communication, and inward emotional lability/instability in and you have the depressingly beautiful but unremarkable story of Marianne and Connell. Excellent work in my opinion.

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filipa_maia's review against another edition

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sad 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

1.0

Normal People? NORMAL PEOPLE? Excuse me? That is nothing normal about these people. They need therapy. I'm just glad that, by the end, at least one of them is getting therapy. I'm so mad at this book, so mad at this story. Why? What have we done to Sally Rooney? Honestly, I read it because I do not DNF books but I though about giving up a couple of times. I just don't get the point.

I felt sorry for Marianne a couple of times. Her family is completely broken and she gets nothing from them. Her entire childhood was a mess, her time in school was a living hell... I get it. But when she gets older, when she became and adult, there is no excuse anymore. She replaced her childhood trauma for current trauma by dating a bunch of weird guys and having very wild sex. Just go get some help! Connell is just annoying since the beginning of the story and until the last page. That is one toxic relationship that should have stayed in high school.

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hannah_medii's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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aleilvandrea'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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annahnoyes's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

3.5

This was an incredibly unique read, that while I wouldn't say I was overjoyed by it, demands more than 3 stars, but not quite 4.

It was terribly normal. (Hence the title I guess.) But that in itself is impressive. This book encompasses and illustrates the lives and actions of normal people. They aren't special, they have issues. I found the internal monologues of the two characters to be so authentic feeling. Almost uncomfortably so.

This is a perfect example of a character-driven novel with focus on humans exclusively. No plot, climax, or story line whatsoever. Just the lives of two characters.

The ending was a little underwhelming, but honestly I think it just solidifies the reality and normalcy of this book. After all, we don't always have a clean ending in life.

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maislily's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

great book! theres a stylistic choice to not use quotation marks with speech which can be sometimes a little difficult to keep track of but doesn't interrupt the flow of the book really. the pacing and dating use in the chapters is easier to follow if reading the book quite consistently which is something to keep in mind. i read this after watching the BBC adaptation and have to say its very well translated. i find it to be a very raw representation of young relationships without belittling the emotions of being young, acknowledging the importance that comes with any and all relationships we experience especially at a time when emotions are so high and the world feels so small yet so large.

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