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A review by jmarierva
Normal People by Sally Rooney
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Woof. This book. This was far more challenging for me and my preferred reading theme than I expected it to be.
This was my first Sally Rooney book. So being unfamiliar with her writing I went into this book assuming it was a nice modern romance.. This is actually a story about miscommunication, emotional abuse/trauma, bullying, awareness of self, emotional maturity, love, abandonment, dependency, and friendship. It was a LOT.
Personally, I found the characters pretty frustrating. Mainly because it seemed like a magnified version of how life can look for people who have trouble with any of those above themes?
But throughout the entire book I was waiting for the moment when they finally admit their feelings and commit to each other, or permanently end things. But the entire book was a constant back and forth of each other misunderstanding each other and then inadvertently or purposefully hurting each other - which I personally find frustrating to read in a book. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t objectively a good premise. The last two minutes of the book literally gave me so much anxiety and frustration.
This book is a look at real life and truly complex human emotions. It is veryyy well done. It was simple a hard read when I typically look for escapism in my books, not a highlighting of my own personal anxieties/insecurities.
This was my first Sally Rooney book. So being unfamiliar with her writing I went into this book assuming it was a nice modern romance.. This is actually a story about miscommunication, emotional abuse/trauma, bullying, awareness of self, emotional maturity, love, abandonment, dependency, and friendship. It was a LOT.
Personally, I found the characters pretty frustrating. Mainly because it seemed like a magnified version of how life can look for people who have trouble with any of those above themes?
But throughout the entire book I was waiting for
This book is a look at real life and truly complex human emotions. It is veryyy well done. It was simple a hard read when I typically look for escapism in my books, not a highlighting of my own personal anxieties/insecurities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Body shaming