Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

912 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

I really wanted to love this book, especially considering all the hype that surrounds it. And there were definitely things that I enjoyed about it. I thought Connell and Marianne were really interesting as individual characters, Sally Rooney is very good at creating these very flawed but nonetheless relatable and sympathetic characters. Both Connell’s struggles with his mental health and Marianne’s abuse at home which leads her to pursue toxic friendships and relationships outside her home were very interesting to read. It’s a real shame that the relationship between the two was the most boring part of the book. The sentiment of two characters whose lives are intimately tangled together is a very intriguing one, but when their relationship ends up being a continuous cycle of miscommunication after miscommunication, it gets old pretty quickly. If it’s a trope you enjoy, this book will probably be right up your street. But for me, I’ve come to realise that no matter how well written (and this is a very well written book), it’s a trope that I really don’t enjoy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Racism

itsrua's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

nklimczak's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Suicide, Bullying, Classism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Grief

hjb_128's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Misogyny, and Drug use

Minor: Death of parent

aroush's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

modeislodis's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.25

Rooney is an exceptional writer, but I was upset that her characters couldn’t accept being so deep in love. It was portrayed like their love was a weakness. That bothered me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

13oclockreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

I went in expecting a romantic novel and clearly I was wrong. 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Suicide

blynn817's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

Most of these characters either need therapy or jail and I will let you decide with is which.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

orasmis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Eating disorder, and Death of parent

griseldapuspa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is the first Sally Rooney's book I read. It's a coming-of-age story, and it is very well written. But I do feel some issues are unnecessary. Yes, wounds are real and can change people. But they don't have to be exactly those issues. It's my opinion, but I think the issues highlighted are just to raise awareness of certain social issues.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Suicide