Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Normale mensen by Sally Rooney

209 reviews

shiveryteacup's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Suicide

naoml's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

I don't think I started to get it until pg 132 and I don't think I really got it until I read 175-190. I really wanted to love this, people say it's so good, and it has incredible moments. I personally didn't like the way dialogue was written, I found it hard to keep straight. Unsure how I feel about the ending, but would say it's worth a read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Bullying

Moderate: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Eating disorder

steph_phanie's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Although this novel made me feel very melancholic, I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. I was quite invested in the complex relationship between Marianne and Connell, as well as in the relationships they had with themselves, their families, and the world around them. 

I have seen the complaints about how all the back and forth, uncertainty, and pain could have been avoided if the two had just had a proper conversation, but not only do I think that was an impossible option for these characters, it was also beside the point. I felt the story was less about them as a romantic couple and more about them as individuals moving through their own trauma, presumptions, and societal expectations as they left childhood and became adults. The categorization of their relationship, as such, was just one part of this journey.

Normal People has many layers to it, and Rooney uses that space to comment on social norms, class division, self-worth, and bonds of all sorts. I was particularly moved by the stark contrast between the main characters' mothers, and could probably talk at length about this alone.

There is quite a gloom that settles over the story, and several triggering topics are portrayed in detail, so read with caution. But for those who love a good contemplative character study and don't mind unease, I think you will also appreciate the beauty of Normal People.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Blood, Classism, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Rape, Gaslighting, and Death of parent

Minor: War

stacylaughs's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

sailorpisces's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Alcohol, and Self harm

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

geesmu's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, and Classism

lilias's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

In the beginning I kept thinking: When Harry Met Sally but make it shoe-gazing. Overall, I found this book to be both captivating and frustrating. I really loved certain aspects of Sally Rooney’s writing. Her moments that were here and now regarding Connell and Marianne were fantastic, and I reread some passages in awe of how well she showed the subtleties of human interaction. But I never really knew how we got here and there, especially when it came to Marianne. 

We mainly see things from Connell’s point of view. His mom, Lorraine, is a wonderful person and raised him on her own. He has a passion for reading, literature, especially. He is a poor kid who is constantly surrounded by rich kids, and the reminder of his background never goes away. It’s exasperated by Marianne, through no fault of her own, because she’s a girl who comes from an exceptionally rich family. His conventional views keep him from allowing Marianne to live at her full potential around him. He won’t reveal certain weaknesses around her, making their relationship full of potential but always unbalanced. Marianne feels that potential but blames herself for them never reaching it. Her leap to self-blame is probably familiar to a lot of women readers, and it’s furthered by her family, which is abusive. 

For some reason, Marianne, as a character, is not as fully formed as Connell. At times, it was as though Marianne was losing both as a character within the story and a character on the page. Towards the end of the book, I started to dread reading more. I usually read dark books, but the constant cruelty Marianne kept having to endure just wore me out. I wish Rooney had left it out because distracted from the central character studies.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, and Domestic abuse

In the beginning I kept thinking: When Harry Met Sally but make it shoe-gazing. Overall, I found this book to be both captivating and frustrating. I really loved certain aspects of Sally Rooney’s writing. Her moments that were here and now regarding Connell and Marianne were fantastic, and I reread some passages in awe of how well she showed the subtleties of human interaction. But I never really knew how we got here and there, especially when it came to Marianne. We mainly see things from Connell’s point of view. His mom, Lorraine, is a wonderful person and raised him on her own. He has a passion for reading, literature, especially. He is a poor kid who is constantly surrounded by rich kids, and the reminder of his background never goes away. It’s exasperated by Marianne, through no fault of her own, because she’s a girl who comes from an exceptionally rich family. His conventional views keep him from allowing Marianne to live at her full potential around him. He won’t reveal certain weaknesses around her, making their relationship full of potential but always unbalanced. Marianne feels that potential but blames herself for them never reaching it. Her leap to self-blame is probably familiar to a lot of women readers, and it’s furthered by her family, which is abusive. For some reason, Marianne, as a character, is not as fully formed as Connell. At times, it was as though Marianne was losing both as a character within the story and a character on the page. Towards the end of the book, I started to dread reading more. I usually read dark books, but the constant cruelty Marianne kept having to endure just wore me out. I wish Rooney had left it out because distracted from the central character studies.

camillarossi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

honipoems's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

For me, this book felt like a dark academia rainy cloudy novel. I could smell the books, the old wood and the smoke. 

The back and forth between being together and not being can be tiring. I wish Marianne and Connell to just be like « normal people » and accept their feelings sooner, but this story wouldn’t exist this way. They are both mentally ill, maybe even making each other ill. I don’t who between the who has more power on the other ? They’re definitely influencing each others. I wish Marianne would have a happier life with her family, maybe without her brother she wouldn’t be that unconfident & masochist. 

also didn’t except sex scene since the beginning but I understand why. It’s not a love story but the growth of their fucked up relationship. Also, I feel like sex is an important part of their relationship ? 

I didn’t expect the ending to be like this. It’s not a happy ending, it’s just the same as their relationship has always been. They’re together but life take them away of each others and they might be together again later.



I can’t find topics to add to help others users find similar books 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abortion