Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

43 reviews

emilkaek's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

Liked this more than the other Sally Rooney book I read (Beautiful World). The plot was a little bit faster, but maybe I just enjoyed the romance aspect. Felt very much like a story that could be true

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Addiction

heresyourletter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

2.5

I liked the pacing of the book and had a hard time putting it down. That being said, the writing style wasn’t my favourite. There were also a lot of political views that were thrown in for no reason (not related to plot or character development), in a holier-than-thou, preaching sort of way (which even as a progressive, can be annoying).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Addiction, and Bullying

Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Infidelity, and Suicide

Characters smoke cigarettes throughout the book. The two main characters have sex frequently (but the descriptions aren’t super graphic). Throughout the book, the main characters hurt each other emotionally by making big decisions that affect their relationship, without communicating with the other person. Both main character experience bullying at different points in the book. Class conflict throughout the book, as one main character is wealthy and the other is working class. One character argues that a woman (who doesn’t actually appear in the story) should have an abortion because she doesn’t have a job and isn’t in a relationship with the father. One character drinks until they vomit.

When the two main characters first get together, one is embarrassed to be seen in public with the other, so they keep their relationship a secret. One main character is verbally (and occasionally physically) abused by their family, then gaslighted by their family members whenever the abuse happens. This culminates in the main character’s nose being broken after trying to escape from a family member. The scene is intense and the injury is rather graphic. One main character experiences rural discrimination upon moving from a small town in Sligo to Dublin for university. The female main character is a masochist, getting into relationships with men who physically and emotionally abuse her. One main character is diagnosed with depression and put on medication. One main character is mugged. There is a brief description of the injury. Two characters share a bed and almost have sex, despite being in relationships with other people. One minor character dies by suicide.

avabudavari's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Addiction, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Mental illness

lindsey_holmes's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

sestout's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Sexual assault

Minor: Classism

nicnatreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, and Bullying

readsbykels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Classism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Drug use, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Death, Alcoholism, and Body shaming

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

mesposito827'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Bullying

Minor: Abortion and Addiction

cdoubet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Body horror, Cursing, Grief, and Rape