A review by heresyourletter
Normal People by Sally Rooney

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

2.5

I liked the pacing of the book and had a hard time putting it down. That being said, the writing style wasn’t my favourite. There were also a lot of political views that were thrown in for no reason (not related to plot or character development), in a holier-than-thou, preaching sort of way (which even as a progressive, can be annoying).

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Addiction, and Bullying

Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Infidelity, and Suicide

Characters smoke cigarettes throughout the book. The two main characters have sex frequently (but the descriptions aren’t super graphic). Throughout the book, the main characters hurt each other emotionally by making big decisions that affect their relationship, without communicating with the other person. Both main character experience bullying at different points in the book. Class conflict throughout the book, as one main character is wealthy and the other is working class. One character argues that a woman (who doesn’t actually appear in the story) should have an abortion because she doesn’t have a job and isn’t in a relationship with the father. One character drinks until they vomit.

When the two main characters first get together, one is embarrassed to be seen in public with the other, so they keep their relationship a secret. One main character is verbally (and occasionally physically) abused by their family, then gaslighted by their family members whenever the abuse happens. This culminates in the main character’s nose being broken after trying to escape from a family member. The scene is intense and the injury is rather graphic. One main character experiences rural discrimination upon moving from a small town in Sligo to Dublin for university. The female main character is a masochist, getting into relationships with men who physically and emotionally abuse her. One main character is diagnosed with depression and put on medication. One main character is mugged. There is a brief description of the injury. Two characters share a bed and almost have sex, despite being in relationships with other people. One minor character dies by suicide.