Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

89 reviews

eliya's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

This is written so beautifully. The narration is so heartbreakingly aware of minute details that make interactions meaningful. There were so many times listening to this book that I thought “yes!! that!!” at something that i’ve experienced interpersonally and wasn’t able to verbalize myself before. 

The chapters are written not like a story, but like a painful memory that the author is recounting for us as we try to understand what went wrong, where. This felt so real to me. 

Listening to the audiobook was a treat, the vocal performance was as stunning and empathetic. I plan on obtaining a copy of this book for myself and rereading it in a few years, just long enough so that I can forget enough of it to love it a second time. I loved this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicide, War, and Fatphobia

leonie01's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, and Sexual content

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Alcohol, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Death, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

Minor: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

filipa_maia's review against another edition

sad 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

1.0

Normal People? NORMAL PEOPLE? Excuse me? That is nothing normal about these people. They need therapy. I'm just glad that, by the end, at least one of them is getting therapy. I'm so mad at this book, so mad at this story. Why? What have we done to Sally Rooney? Honestly, I read it because I do not DNF books but I though about giving up a couple of times. I just don't get the point.

I felt sorry for Marianne a couple of times. Her family is completely broken and she gets nothing from them. Her entire childhood was a mess, her time in school was a living hell... I get it. But when she gets older, when she became and adult, there is no excuse anymore. She replaced her childhood trauma for current trauma by dating a bunch of weird guys and having very wild sex. Just go get some help! Connell is just annoying since the beginning of the story and until the last page. That is one toxic relationship that should have stayed in high school. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Dysphoria, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Bullying, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Death

damntessa's review

medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Blood, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Death of parent

jameserinoreads'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

Sometimes painfully relatable. As the author is Irish, so are her values and global political views, prepare to be triggered if you don't believe in human rights and socio-economic equality. I all seriousness, lovely read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Classism, Abandonment, Misogyny, Drug use, Sexual assault, Grief, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood, Suicide, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

q17's review

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

nicnatreads's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, and Bullying

sailorpisces's review

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Bullying, Classism, Alcohol, and Self harm

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

jordan_noel's review

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I didn’t necessarily love this book. I didn’t really love the characters, and I don’t know if I really expected anything to happen. But I don’t think the book is trying to say there’s destiny. In fact, I think it’s the opposite. Sometimes people end up together and help each other and try to be loved by each other. They aren’t going to be perfect. And they aren’t necessarily meant to be. Sometimes it can work out for a bit and sometimes it doesn’t, but hopefully life helps you have a person to stick with anyway.

I don’t think Connell and Marianne are good people and they’re not always good friends. Luckily, they still care about each other and help each other right before saving might not be possible anymore. Maybe we can’t ask for more than that in normal people. That’s just who we are, and that’s the best we’re going to get.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, Abandonment, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness