Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Normal People

This was a beautifully sad book, that dives into the complex nature of relationships over time, alongside character development and trauma. It explores ‘love’, what that means and what it looks like in different forms and relationships. The ending, though fitting for the story, was disappointing, leaving things open-ended and unsatisfactory.

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kathis_wonderland's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.25

Normal People by Sally Rooney is an award-winning book. Connell and Marianne have known each other for ages. They went to school together and started seeing each other in secret. Over the years they fall in and out of their relationship and friendship, meet new people and experience new aspects of life. But in the end, they find their way back to each other.

One thing I am now certain of is that I am usually very unsure about books that won awards. I often do get why this book won awards and is so loved by many, but most of the time I do not really enjoy those books. This is why I also have mixed feelings about Normal People. It was a good book, but the story did not suck me in. However, at the same time, I couldn't stop reading most of the time. You see, I have very mixed feelings about this book.

For one, I liked the relationship and friendship between Connell and Marianne. No matter their downs and disagreements, they always found their way into each other's lives again. I was rooting for them! This is why I am not super fond of the rather open ending of this book. I want them both to be happy. Connell's mother is such a wholesome person. I adore her. She is a wonderful human being. One thing that bothers me is the big time jumps from one chapter to the next. I felt like I missed several aspects of the story that would have made it deeper. But then the book itself was already very deep and sometimes heavy to read. Some chapters exhausted me. And let's not forget the absence of quotation marks! This annoyed me the most as it makes understanding the text much more difficult. A big no from me for the absence of quotation marks.

All in all, I liked the book. I see why others love it so much, but I still have mixed feelings about it. Sally Rooney is a good writer, but probably just not my cup of tea.

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aegireads's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

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

4.0

i liked this but it's like a perfectly usual book. idk why people are so weird.

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angryoppossum's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

disappointed in the ending, just marianne giving up and being like “he probably won’t come back” like girl stop omg

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jasminealizae's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I appreciate the perspective and insight this book brought me.

Some of which I could genuinely and organically connect with. Despite miscommunication, which I hate, being one of the main themes in this book, if not a "trope", I really felt like it was approached realistically. I liked the growth of the characters in regards to their bad habits and their ability to overcome depression and feeling like they are worthless and just take up space in the world. Though, the fact that there wasn't a HEA is upsetting, but I get it and really kind of enjoyed that.

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