ryschop 's review for:

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

5.0

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is my first five star read of 2025. It was also my introduction to Sally Rooney, and I am blown away. I was always skeptical of Rooney’s lack of quotation marks, but I get it now. Her use of prose is incredibly poignant. I felt deeply for every character in this novel, even if I didn’t find them to be a “good person”. The way Rooney portrays internal and interpersonal conflict, turmoil, and resolution is masterful. Truly an incredible piece of literature.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Violence, Death of parent