Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

402 reviews

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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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

4.0

There is something about Sally Rooney's writing that just clicks with my brain! I've read many different things that try to do something similar, but somehow it doesn't resonate with me the way her writing does. There's something deeply (and sadly) relatable about each of her characters, and it highlights similarities many people have, particularly ones that we are ashamed of. Frances' inability to be honest with her emotions (and refuse to express them, then somewhat believing her to be superior because of it, only to conflict with her deep-seeded self-hatred) touches every relationship and leads her to make amoral, selfish, and insensitive decisions. She desperately wants to be loved and admired, and she hates herself for it. Did I particularly like her relationship with Nick? Not really. I wasn't rooting for them, but that wasn't really the point.
I can't believe (yet simultaneously absolutely can) the book ends with them starting the cycle all over again and getting back together.
They both have an inability to express their own thoughts that it is weird (and makes sense) that their relationship lasted for as long as it did. Everything each character did was a recipe for disaster. For the first part of the book, I didn't particularly like Bobbi. I oftentimes found her selfish and mean. Her relationship with Frances was so toxic (again, that is part of the point), but at the same time so sad because they do genuinely have great moments of friendship. Sometimes Bobbi misses the point when she calls Frances out, but other times (particularly that last time she does in the book) really hits the nail on the head.
I don't particularly think they should have restarted their "non-relationship", but it's messy and suits them both, I suppose. Although, the ending scene promises even more destruction.
The dialogue is always top tier, and the conversations on the world, privilege, and politics stood out to me as it was one of the things I liked the most about Beautiful World, Where are You (though of course I loved the constant opportunities to psychoanalyze each character the best). This is definitely a sad girl, hot girl book, where a mentally ill woman makes terrible, amoral, self-destructive decisions. I liked it a lot, particularly the dialogue, commentary, and writing style, but I wasn't obsessed with it.

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kashrae99's review against another edition

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

3.75


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wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.0


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littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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cclopton's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective 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

3.5

This book is quintessentially “no plot, just vibes.” The relationships between the main character and the other story are the focus of the novel: how they interact, how she perceives them, and how she believes she is perceived by them. 

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wildestreadsoffrancis's review against another edition

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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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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ana_read's review against another edition

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reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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lailaite's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0


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katjayorke's review against another edition

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

4.5

A dramatic story with an inconclusive end. Exciting and reflective but not as conceptually driven as Sally Rooney’s Normal People. 

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holliesatchell's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25


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