A review by mayday_the_cleric
Normal People by Sally Rooney

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 A vivid and emotional story about a young couple who are still trying to figure themselves out in a messy world. The dynamics between Marianne and Connell and how they struggle with their feelings remind me a lot of how I often behave at times. The moments when there are hidden forces pushing you at the back of your mind, making you feel and do things that you can’t properly explain, and sometimes, you feel like you barely even know yourself. Just like normal people, they have insecurities, fears, doubts, and desires that they don't know how to make sense of, forcing them to question their identities many times throughout the story. 

A lot of readers seem to have problems with the miscommunication issues between the two, but I honestly find them quite realistic. They both have pretty understandable reasons to keep things from each other, and they are not equipped enough to effectively unpack their emotions and the traumatic experiences they’ve gone through. As someone with social anxiety, their misunderstandings with each other are what I relate to the most since it can be so hard to comprehend what goes on in other people’s minds. 

Overall, this is such an enjoyable read. I blazed through this pretty quickly, and by the end of the book, I am proud of the characters for what they’ve gone through and I feel like I've learned quite a bit from those two. 
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