aoifemcmorrow 's review for:

Normal People by Sally Rooney

4.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Normal People is a poignant and accurate portrayal of the successes and frequent failures of communication in romantic relationships, particularly during your twenties, when everything often tends to be marred by uncertainty and flux, all the while interspersed with fleeting moments of often naive hopefulness and clarity.  There is a depth and complexity to Sally Rooney’s sharp prose which details Marianne and Connell’s relationship from adolescence to adulthood. Their fraught trajectory oscillates in a way that feels both specific to the narrative, yet it is universally relatable. Rooney also addresses themes of socioeconomic status, mental health, and complicated family dynamics. I believe that what ultimately lingers with the reader is not resolution, but instead a quiet, resonant sense of recognition, and an understanding within that. 

“All these years, they’ve been like two little plants sharing the same plot of soil, growing around one another, contorting to make room, taking certain unlikely positions…They’ve done a lot of good for each other. Really, she thinks, really. People can really change one another.”