Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Normale mensen by Sally Rooney

199 reviews

hi_there's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Classism, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, and Alcohol

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

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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

thepsychonyx's review against another edition

emotional tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Gaslighting and Mental illness

filipa_maia's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Bullying, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Death

ilana_pop's review against another edition

Marianne had a wildness that got into him for a while and made him feel that he was like her, that they had the same unnameable spiritual injury, and that neither of them could ever fit into the world. But he was never damaged like she was. She just made him feel that way.

Upon the first reading in 2018 I found this the most miserable book I had ever read and absolutely hated it. A point I've been standing by for many years and have made some enimies with (not really, but still).
Reading it again in 2024 I can appreciate Sally Rooneys literary genius (as you can tell by the quotes). It is still an incredibly miserable book and frankly, I still don't enjoy it. At least now I can see that's the point of this story. Sometimes a book just isn't made for you, but that doesn't have to stand in the way of your recognition of beauty.

There's something frightening about her, some huge emptiness in the pit of her being. It's like waiting for a lift to arrive and when the doors open nothing is there, just the terrible dark emptiness of the elevator shaft, on and on forever. [...] Still, he would lie down and die for her at any minture, which is the only thing he knows about himself that makes him feel like a worthwile person.

All these years  they've been like two little plants sharing the same plot of soil, growing around one another, contorting to make room, taking certain unlikely positions. But in the end she has done something for him, she's made a new life possible, and she can always feel good about that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

tamaraepps's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Classism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Sexism, Death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

lookinabook's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

This book fucked me up. Five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

clar_a15's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Beautifully realistic and human.
Also set in Ireland, which was nice as i read it there.
I will definitely check out her other books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

damntessa's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Blood, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Death of parent

jameserinoreads'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

4.75

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Classism, Abandonment, Misogyny, Drug use, Sexual assault, Grief, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood, Suicide, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts