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brandie_abbie19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
heather077's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood
dlsmk's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
graysonreadstoomuch's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Self harm
divingforroses's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
janaptrsn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity and Abortion
cecilethomas's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Classism
nightfell's review against another edition
- 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
Normal People perfectly captured that bittersweet feeling of wanting to be with someone (platonic or romantic) but not knowing how to initiate it, and the fear of emotional intimacy so perfectly. This feeling is shared by so many people that I'm not surpr this book is so popular, and I would recommend to anyone who likes romance/literary fiction.
To all the people who struggled to read this because there were no question marks: stick with it, I swear it gets easier and you don't even notice it after a bit. It's just about intuitively identifying what sounds like speech and what is thought, which is simple.
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault
cepbreed's review against another edition
- 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
“Marianne answers the door when Connell rings the bell.”
I read this entire book while my chest was constricted. Each line makes me feel like I can’t breathe, like there’s concrete blocking my throat. Oh god this is so tragic. Each misunderstanding makes me want to throw myself into a wall. I had this conversation with my roommate about why Sally Rooney doesn’t use quotations before I began reading. She told me it’s because it makes the book much more intimate, the characters are more lifelike when they aren’t confined to the grammatical conventions of a novel. She’s so right. I didn’t realize I had a little implicit bias when reading, when I see a quotation mark it sends off something in my brain. Without it my brain must take that extra step to realize something is a quote. I have to think first for once, how insane. I still don’t like how it looks but thank you for this Sally Rooney.
Once again I turned to my roommate and had a conversation after I finished and she asked me what I thought about Connell and Marianne, well that's the basics of her question anyways. I answered honestly and told her I prefer Connell. Something about him is just so much more compelling to me. Sure I like Marianne, I sympathize with her, but I feel more pity for her while I relate more to Connell. We talked to through and I came to a conclusion that I guess says more about me than about the characters. Marianne is a character who is full of anxieties, insecurities and vulnerability. As a woman these are all things I hate about myself. Because Connell is a man I don't see his faults in the same light I see her's in. With Marianne a lot of my issue with her comes from the response I would have about myself if it were me in her shoes. Damn.
Songs:
- Casual - Chappell Roan
- Good Sex - Susannah Joffe
- Sidelines - Phoebe Bridgers
- About You - the 1975
- the 1 - Taylor Swift
- Perfect Storm - Inhaler
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Death
itstheconnorsbookclub's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Classism