Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

292 reviews

bookishbrenbren's review

emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

This review is going to sound silly but here goes

I don't think I've read such a captivating book in a long while. I was completely immersed in the inner workings of this tiny little polarized world. It was engrossing, I couldn't put it down and when I did, I kept thinking about it. I feel invested in these characters and I think the author did an incredible job of bringing them to life and capturing what life is like when you're a teen/new adult. Especially the internal life we live inside our own heads. 

on the other hand I fully agree with almost all criticisms of it that I've read 😂 the book is pretentious bordering on delivering a campy teenage movie (he's 17, a soccer star but he's top of his class but he's incredibly shy but he also recommends The Communist Manifesto to peers) and the not-like-other-girls girl even gets a makeover but not before she's read Swann's Way by herself at lunch. 👀 ok. Then also the treatment of disordered eating, classism, abuse and masochism and some light racism-makes-the-bad-guy-bad could also have been better handled. and honestly like on a very literal level, I feel silly caring who Connell Waldron asks to high school prom. But isn't it a sign of a strong writer that she can make me care about something like that? Ugh idk I am so torn. The characters are slightly cliche but nobody can write internal thought like this. I just don't know, send help 🏳️ I can't deny the pull that this book had on me and the fact that it made me feel things. I am a Marianne loyalist and I feel like I genuinely know her. She came to life for me. 
But idk I guess I also expected something more serious (but less self-serious?) than this 🫣 for all the hype and marketing it got 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kkrebo's review

challenging slow-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

1.75

I can’t get over Sally Rooney’s writing style when it comes to dialogue and also just how unloveable she makes her characters. I feel like this book lowkey glorifies anorexia and glamorizes depression (but i could completely have a wrong take). 
Just wasn’t for me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Death, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Grief, and Mental illness

wonkywishes's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Bullying

itsrua's review

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

kd1322's review

challenging sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

honestly this book was underwhelming. some of it just seemed pointless and I don't really understand why some elements were only shown at specific points like Connel's depression at the end. The themes were interesting and I like the way the book was written with time passing as it does represent their relationship well. the author has written it fairly well with the ability to really take you back to the past from a present moment, get you engaged with that story then pull you back to the present. however, the ending was so open and the book really wasn't as interesting as I would've liked it to be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Blood

moriahleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual violence, Death, Grief, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Child abuse and Death of parent

alice_ca_glisse's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Classism, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Death of parent

a_rash_read's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Alcohol, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

avabudavari's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Addiction, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Mental illness