A review by heyitsjude
Normal People by Sally Rooney

2.0

2 or maybe 2.5 stars,,,this book didn’t live up to the hype for me. I enjoyed some scenes like when Marianne and Peggy asked Connell his views on his privilege as a man and the scene when Marianne and Connell exchange emails to each other. I thought the banter within that scene and the intimacy of it was interesting. My biggest issue with the book wasn’t the fact that these characters are dislikable. I understand it’s a character study, but these characters lacked depth. Connell and Marianne had a very “manic pixie dream” vibe to them, and we are constantly told how different they are in comparison to their peers. They’re also given trauma and other burdens to carry which are mentioned in passing throughout the book, but is never truly touched upon. I feel like adding these struggles to Marianne and Connell was meant to add another layer to their character, but in only made them feel more one dimensional. I usually like books where not much happens, and I did like that it was a reflection of life and how people pass in and out of it, but as a whole this book didn’t really do it for me.