Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

897 reviews

abidoodle's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was definitely a good book, and it leaves me with a lot to think about relating to communication and our assumptions and perceptions of how people view us or think about us. It also touches on issues of insecurity, self-worth, depression, socioeconomic status differences, and building friendship, trust and love. 

Honestly I took it in more as a social commentary on those things than as the story itself, and I found those inner-dialogues and how we got to see them interact with each other in ways that characters didn’t really fascinating. As a work of literature that is moving and deep and thoughtful, it’s wonderful. I personally didn’t really get into the story itself much, and found it difficult to get through at times, if I wasn’t reading a lot at a time. Also I personally just really struggle with the no-quotations style, although that is just a personal preference. Overall it’s an impactful read and I would recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

readay's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

katelyn_stark's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Death of parent

emmak788's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual content

ryan24watson's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

Sally Rooney wonderfully crafted two lead characters that hard to love, but even harder to not fall in love with. The #1 theme in this book is poor communication and jumping to conclusions, and though constant throughout the novel, it's kept fresh in ways that allows each situation to avoid feeling repetitive. I love the realistic role reversals as well -  the well-liked high school student becoming the outcast and vice versa. Two fully fledged out, independent protagonists embody a realistic picture of young loving relationships between people who cannot seem to figure out how to properly express how they feel nor how to actively listen to their partner without making assumptions about their intentions.

The only reason I can't give Normal People a 5 star review is the graphic descriptions of the sex scenes. I typically lean toward more lyrical, less vulgar descriptions of sex in books. The main reason being, it's the only thing that would prevent me from putting a copy of this story into the hands of every young person I know. This reignited my passion for reading. Thank you queen Sally Rooney.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

feodora's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Sexual harassment

annasph's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Really really good book that I finished faster than anything I tried to read in the past 5 years which have been a reading slump. I could not identify myself in the least bit with either character but it was a really good insight into other people? I cannot stress how much I loathed some of the things both of them (but particularly Marianne) thought and said, not from a moral highground (at least I hope so), but more of a really really exhausted spectators perspective.

What made me really uncomfortable was Mariannes constant need to submit herself to the men she has sex with. I can see how it is part of her characterization in the book, but I would have appreaciated a trigger warning these parts made me want to hurl my guts out. Again this does not make it bad, it is very very well written just very heavy material.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

kaylahcc's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide

semporina's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• 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

5.0

Would only listen bc of the lack of quotation marks in the book. I actually liked normal people more 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Police brutality, Grief, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

_meganrose's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

I can see why this book can be so polarizing for people. It gave me a similar feel to ‘One Day’ and ‘Alone With You In The Ether,’ which are two of my favorites. It had the potential to be right up there with them, but just fell slightly short. This was very emotional and humanizing. The complexity of the characters and their dynamic had me hooked. My only two major critiques are: 1. I wish there were quotations around the dialogue - it was confusing sometimes and 2. the final chapter was a let down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood, Violence, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: War and Cancer