Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Normal People by Sally Rooney, Rini Nurul Badariah

950 reviews

jakepasseri's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I honestly don't know how to think about this book. It's certainly good, but I can't conceptualise my thoughts into words - I guess that's its biggest strength

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

jmdressel's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• 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

3.0

this book is very different from what i would normally gravitate toward, but i enjoyed it. it felt like i was getting a look at the inner workings of both main characters, while still having questions about their complexities as individuals. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

summerlyn's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This books is a roller coaster of emotions. I loved the main characters and hated them at the same time. Their actions and lack of communication drove me crazy but it was so painfully realistic. There is a larger look into Connell’s life than Marianne’s until later in the novel when it somewhat switches but I think that is based on when each character is more comfortable in their settings. Connell and Marianne are the poster for complex characters. I see why everyone talks about this book. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol

duod3cima's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I am reading the book after watching the show a few years ago (which I really enjoyed) and it did not disappoint. I found the characters equally frustrating, infuriating, and relatable. The writing style (especially the lack of quotation marks for the dialogue) took a bit of getting used to, but by the end I quite liked how everything blended together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

cleotheo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Panic attacks/disorders

adri_enne's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

I enjoyed this book in the beginning & midway especially the development of Marianne and Connell. I do appreciate how “bland” the characters are, the miscommunication, and the class divide analysis. Unfortunately, the ending for me just fell extremely flat and ambiguous. I wasn’t expecting them to ride off into the sunset of course, but the ending felt unfinished (maybe that’s intention idk). 

Sb: I must admit that I did watch the show after reading the book & it greatly improved my pov of the book!

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

everythingeatsandiseaten's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

3.25

beautifully written at times but adds really nothing at all to the romance trope. i find that the romanticization of marianne in particular as isolated, traumatized, etc. can come off in quite an ignorant manner. however i do think  this is purposeful because we view as she herself (and connell), but if not understood correctly can possibly be interpreted as a glamorization of her suffering. 
much of contemporary romance, especially from the 2000s and onwards feels like a wet dream— on one hand you have dark romance & monster smut, in the middle the absolute disgrace of colleen hoover, and on the other you get esoteric nonsense that fosters individuality through romanticizing mental illness and trauma. 
not to say normal people is the extreme fault of the latter at all; i’d say the biggest fault i find is within its predictability, although i wasn’t quite expecting originality from a booktok recommended novel! to give credit where credit is due, i thought rooney did a wonderful job of creating a realistic romance, however idyllic. she has so much capability with dialogue and the natural cadences of body language and movement and conversation, which is beautiful for preserving culture in a time where human nature and behavior has advanced so much and become so complex! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

patidimauro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I am crushed 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

sina4books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use and Death of parent

voldycat's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy