Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Normalūs žmonės by Sally Rooney

298 reviews

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.

henyouise's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. I think it's beacuase it's so unsatisfying. But I think that's the point. But I liked Sally Rooney's writing style and am interested in reading more of her books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Toxic relationship, Grief, Domestic abuse, Classism, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Bullying

Moderate: Death and Eating disorder

gondorgirl's review against another edition

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Sexual content, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

joscelynhe's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-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

2.5

Overrated. Didn’t like the writing style (nothing that was actually “said” was put in quotes - it was more distracting than anything else and I couldn’t get used to it the entire book). I felt so much secondhand embarrassment over every other interaction that the two main characters had with each other and with friends/family. Neither of them know how to communicate effectively and so you end up following the story of this on-again-off-again young couple who are not very likable to begin with and who end up not growing or learning much AT ALL by the end of the story. UGH. I’m so frustrated. I haven’t read a book this disappointing in a long time.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

lunar_witch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Grief, Abortion, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

maislily's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

ellislilylovestoread's review against another edition

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Grief

Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts

raindropxox's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Now: 4 stars. I loved this book when I first read it, and I do think it’s a great book, and everything I wrote below about the writing still stands. Maybe I shouldn’t change my rating, I don’t know… I just think that I love it less now probably because of the ending, not that there’s anything wrong with it specifically but it just didn’t satisfy me.

I think that miscommunication novels are realistic and interesting and a good cautionary tale, but I find it frustrating when the book ends with them still not communicating, which this one didn’t. I would have been okay with them not ending up together, had they not been compatible, but the lack of miscommunication at the end was just annoying to me. Though of course that’s an interesting ending in itself… I don’t know. The ending just wasn’t it for me. But I absolutely loved this book when I first read it :))

Originally: 5 stars. I loved this book. I wasn't expecting to like it that much, but it blew me away. I didn't think the prose would be that spectacular but I really liked it, and there were a few moments of lovely metaphors but they were dripped in and woven in beautifully so they didn't feel forced. The lack of speech marks at first I found odd but quickly started to like it, as it felt more personal, like it was a diary, or someone telling me their story out loud. The characters, particularly Connell, I connected to. I found that lots of his feelings were ones I feel myself but never really realised or was afraid to feel them. My only qualm with the book was the ending, but in some ways perhaps it was refreshing, and quite in keeping maybe with the characters. I have seen some people criticising the characters for their lack of communication, but I felt that Rooney captured what it is like to feel young and vulnerable and afraid of doing and saying the wrong things. Anyways, I loved this book, and I am not afraid to rate it 5 stars like I am with many books!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide

behindherpages's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

2.0

im losing my mind. what was the point of this book?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Antisemitism and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

martieliz's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicide, Eating disorder, Grief, Sexual content, and Blood