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luciataylor's review against another edition
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
3.75
The way that this book was written: Alice’s perspective followed with her email to Eileen, and then Eileen’s email back followed by her perspective was unique and enjoyable. Buried in a contemporary novel about two complicated relationships were essays about politics and culture which were very interesting while also indirectly sharing a lot about the characters and the way they view the world. Although the intolerable Felix and icky Simon made the novel hard to get through and the relationships impossible to route for, on my second Sally Rooney book, I have realised that depicting these deeply flawed characters and terrible men in 'situationships' without condemning their behaviour or having any redemption to them is the point of her books. Rooney is actually just brilliant at writing complex (and hateable) characters without explicitly spelling out their actions and words as “bad,” although they are intolerable to read and see women fall for (it is realistic - perhaps why it’s so frustrating) it is interesting to read from the third person instead of living it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Emotional abuse
shann32's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.25
This book fell unfortunately flat for me. The characters were mediocre, some downright unlikeable. There wasn't much plot to the story, which I guess was probably intentional, but I kept waiting for something to happen, and it just never did. It was disappointing that one of the main relationships in the story was toxic and manipulative, but there was no narrative around that dynamic and no real character development around that.
Some of the prose in the emails between the two characters is reflexive and relatable.
I wasn't a fan of some of the writing style of lists and run-on sentences.
Some of the prose in the emails between the two characters is reflexive and relatable.
I wasn't a fan of some of the writing style of lists and run-on sentences.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
veroverovero000's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Grief
lovelybubbles's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexism, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Self harm, Death of parent, Mental illness, Bullying, Biphobia, Drug use, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, and Classism
berilikum's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lealee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Emotional abuse
boogiebeez's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
I can't help comparing all of Sally Rooney's books to each other, though I'm unsure if I should. So far, my least favorite has been Conversations with Friends, but I can't decide if I liked this book more or less than Normal People. What I can say is that this book was tender and introspective, exploring the deepest crevices of relationship dynamics in the modern age. I found Felix to be a sort of Nick Carroway, observing these dynamics, which is why throughout the book he has grown to be my favorite character. The email portions were cool ways of developing on themes outside of the main plots between Alice and Felix and Eileen and Simon, and they revealed more about the characters than the remainder of the novel, in my opinion. I really only feel like the book got better around Lola's wedding, so before that I was sorta bored. Also I realized I am not a sex scene girly (at least not Sally Rooney sex scenes)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Emotional abuse
plumdustsuns's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
2.0
I like Simon, I believe, but Rooney’s choice with the age gap with him and Eileen made me SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Yes, they’re both older now but it was insinuated that he had these feelings since she was young even though he didn’t act on it.
I’m not sure if I feel the best towards Eileen, though. While I understand her, she also undermined Alice’s work and mental health a lot and I don’t think that was fair or nice of a friend to do. Especially as someone who’s also in the literary field, it’s a little hypocritical.
But I’ve liked reading Rooney’s work so far (just read this and Normal People though). I like how she is able to portray the everyday life and the ‘seemingly mundane’ as dramatically and importantly as it feels. The ending of this felt a lot better and less sterile than that of Normal People’s (the book, at least).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
clairew97'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
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
akirma's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
2.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts