A review by sukant
Normal People by Sally Rooney

3.0

uhhhh I really loved Conversations with Friends so I was looking forward to reading Rooney's most known work, but it was just kinda.....mid? While I think I quite like Rooney's writing style, the plot is wishy-washy, the characters don't feel nearly as compelling, and while the signature Rooney introspection exists (and gives this novel an interesting flavour - "He finds himself rushing to the end of the conversation so they can hang up, and then he can restrospectively savour how much he likes seeing her, without the moment-to-moment pressure of having to produce the right expressions and say the right things."), it feels like seasoning trying to do the heavy lifting with an undercooked dish.
Just heavy will they-won't they-when will they-why don't they vibes. I'll just go reread Conversations with Friends.