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fbc_2122'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: Domestic abuse and Alcohol
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy
thlad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Classism
rtanner17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I can see why people can find this a difficult story to relate to. If you haven’t experienced anything similar to the characters, some of the plot lines can seem unrealistic or unnecessarily dramatic. But this book does a fantastic job at displaying an anxious attachment/avoidant attachment relationship. Not only that, but other themes such as how trauma can affect a persons character, differences in classes, battles with mental issues, the effects that loneliness has on young people. It is a beautifully written story that is honest and real. While it doesn’t have a traditional “happy ending”, we can see that the characters have changed so much and carry the good from their past as they move forward into their futures.
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
fiwwa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
beccaglasserbaker's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence
serenekallickal's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual violence
mattyvreads'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? It's complicated
5.0
I love how she structures her story: linear vignettes and flashbacks which tell us so much about each character — how they think, how they choose to behave. It is devastating, beautiful, and profound.
I love the ending of this book. Throughout the book, we see this couple that “should work” due uncomplicated, unconditional love, and yet circumstantially, each party is in a mismatched phase of their lives and independent journeys.
They are like an almost-circle, drawn out, but whose end never meets its point of origin. They are so close to be aligned, and never can settle comfortably due to where they are in their lives.
Of course it needed to end with another missed connection and misunderstanding.
This book is really well-written and quite brilliant. I am excited to re-read. Salley Rooney is such a good writer, she actually made me care about a straight relationship. That says everything.
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault
staci64'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
3.5
Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Connell and Marianne need Jesus.marimoon9's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Toxic relationship
estelleidekreads'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
3.75
honestly i was not really expecting to like this but i did. it does what it says on the tin - just feels very real. i liked that the book is called normal people and yet the MCs wish they were normal as they feel other bc that’s just it - there’s no such thing as “normal”.
i do this the depiction of BDSM is quite problematic like !!! safe words !!! pls !!!
i thought the mental illness bits were very realistic, including the fact that M’s ED is never really addressed and seemingly flies under the radar other than a couple comments about her being very thin these days.
a. life’s events are rarely neatly tied off with little bows. shit happens & keeps going until we die. in this sense it’s very realistic
b. it just makes sense with their character development. i wouldn’t have believed a HEA with where they’re at in their lives they’ve just got so much unhealed trauma & unresolved issues. and yes they've grown but not enough to break the perpetual cycle they’ve been stuck in.
but i absolutely hated it. i’m an open ending hater to my core and it was just SO annoying! these kids need so much therapy and honestly idc what people say, they’re toxic together. ITS NOT HEALTHY!!!
i reckon this is one of these books that’ll just stay with me which is defo props to the author. still mad about the lack of quotation marks tho
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship
minor TW for a predatory teacher flirting with a 17/18 year old also a lot of dubcon