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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.
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.
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
sat0rii's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
Normal People is one of the most visceral, relatable, and psychologically fulfilling books I have ever read. Its writing style is witty (sometimes too witty) and its structure is certainly awkward in some places (lack of quotes withstanding), but it captures the rawness of its emotions and the depth of its characters with such detail and grit that I could feel the pages staring into my soul. While its focal point runs in circles, its characters and tone certainly don't. 4/5, would recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Cursing, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy
emilyvictoria_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
This book captures humanity and love so beautifully, leaving my heart aching. I love Sally Rooney’s writing style, the attention to detail is incredible yet so easy to read. She simultaneously creates relatable and shocking circumstances which leave me questioning everything I already know about the world. I love it 💖
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Blood
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
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
melinette7's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.5
It's the one I enjoyed the least by Rooney. It's very cleverly written but leaves you in a strange mood (almost empty?)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
kelseynj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
sydneythekydneybean's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.75
In the words of Taylor Allison Swift, "I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending."
Can someone please tell me how to talk about a book that they loved reading, but also hated every painstaking moment of it? Because I have no idea. Normal People is such an interesting book because it feels like something everyone is going to have a different opinion about and no one is especially right or wrong. Everything feels so nuanced, like every shade of grey in the color wheel. Do I love it? Do I hate it? Do I love it for the parts I hated or do I hate it for the parts I loved? Take the main characters, Marianne and Connell, for example. I feel so deeply connected to them, like I know them like my own heart and see myself in them, but I don't necessaily like them. But do I not like them because I see myself in all their "bad parts?" Yeah, I think so and that's uncomfortable as fuck. Their understanding of privilege and wealth, their view of what love and self-worth looks like, the submission and sometimes humiliation in their love. It's all so fucking uncomfortable, but I think it's all necessary to explain "normal people."
People hate uncomfortability. I'll admit that I hate it. I turn my back on anything I know will make me overly sad, but I also recognize that that mindset will only keep me stagnant. Connell is uncomfortable at the idea of other people knowing about him and Marianne. Marianne is uncomfortable about Connell seeing all the bad parts she's hiding from him. But because of this, they make no progress. They stay stagnant in their uncomfortable relationship and only when they begin to leave their comfort zones do they truly grow. Honestly, the ending of Normal People is the most beautiful part of the whole book, if only for the fact that it is dripping in hope.
(before we finish up, may i present a mini rant. although i loved this book, i cannot, in good faith, give it five-stars solely based on how the dialogue is written. nothing feels more pretentious then writing dialogue in any way that's not with traditional quotation marks. you're not making it artsy, you're making it harder for me to read and decipher what is speech and what is action. anyway, i just needed to get that off my chest.)
Normal People crawled into my skin and made a home there, and I do not believe it will be leaving any time soon. I feel like there are any number of reasons I could have hated this book, but I didn’t. I actually kinda loved it. It's weird, it's awkward, it's depressing, but you might find yourself in the pages of that book and it might have you look back on every decision you've ever made for the sake of being comfortable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Racism
court3sy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abandonment and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship
patriciapueyolopez'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
Minor: Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders