Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

74 reviews

nadas's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.5

had a very hard time getting into this book at first and I thought of dnfing multiple times: I could not care less for any of the characters, it made me incredibly uncomfortable half the time, VERY repetitive and honestly boring. I did like the second half though but I didn't feel like there was really any character development?? barely any tbh. 

the whole book was written so well though overall and some parts were soIheartbreaking. I definitely see why people like it but I do feel that it is still incredibly overrated and incredibly boring and uncomfortable half the time so it's just not for me maybe¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Minor: Racism

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Loved this book so much! Such a fantastic story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Mentions of mass shootings

lydiamar1e's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

kato_dg's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Blood, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship

finn_vibing's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racism

aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.0

I’ve finished Normal People by Sally Rooney in only a few sittings and was determined it wouldn’t get past three out of five stars for me, but the lonely tear I shed at the end of the book had me giving it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating. At first I had to get used to the lack of quotation marks whenever direct speech was incorporated into the story, which remained confusing albeit a little less as I continued. However, this is one of those books that will get you invested in its main characters since the reader gets to see both the events happening in their lives as well as the way Connell and Marianne look at life. You can’t really tell whether you like them or not, but you wish them well; after all, you know what goes on inside their minds and what has happened to them. You wish them well despite, no, because of their flaws. Because everyone’s flawed and so are you, and if they can find happiness, maybe it’s meant for you too.

Everything about this book felt so intense and complicated, even the ending, and I have to add that this is one of the books I believe should actually come with a few trigger warnings, maybe, if you’re not in the best place to read about certain issues.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Torture, Vomit, and Violence

tintinmd's review against another edition

reflective 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

4.0

Well, when I started the book I found some of the descriptions, especially of sex scenes, clumsy and kinda cringey. 

But I think the book slowly grew on me.

The endless back and forth romance and pining got a bit exhausting just sometimes

And there were times I couldn't help but wonder at the heteronormativity and valuing of sexual-romantic relationships over others. Such douchebags they kept choosing ufff! But then, I did like some of the observations and descriptions in the narration - the offhand and slightly unusual style. Some of the thoughts expressed by characters,

especially Marianne and Connell,

were very relatable. Some of them gave words to thoughts I hadn't put to words until now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Bullying, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent and Racism

rpapaluca'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

4.5

I put off reading this book for the longest time (didn't think it would live up to the hype), but I really wish I didn't! Normal People, at its core, explores the ups and downs of life/relationships/growing up post-high school. As most people are aware, this is done through exploring the intermittent relationship between Connell and Marianne over time. I really loved how this novel spoke about current issues, such as class division, miscommunication, societal expectations, group dynamics (and how they shape us as individuals) in a very realistic/unromanticized way - especially with sections like

Connell's struggles with mental health

.  As an early 20s uni grad, some of these parts were uber-relatable and I felt as if I could really see my own experiences in these pages. I also loved Rooney's writing style! She has a knack for writing about everyday things in such a beautiful way. The time jumps, flashbacks, and open dialogue also really helped with unpacking these themes from multiple perspectives. Not a lot happens plot-wise, so maybe avoid this book if you aren't into that. Ultimately, this is a book I will be reflecting on for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

Minor: Racism

mndy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Blood and Racism

abbyjoyw's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Racism