Scan barcode
jessicabearbooks's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
"She was attuned to the presence of his body in a microscopic way, as if the ordinary motion of his breathing was powerful enough to make her ill"
Although I didn't love every second, this book is a masterpiece. Sally Rooney's writing style does take some getting used to and I was wary coming into reading this due to the drama about the lack of quotation marks in her writing. But I found by the end of the first chapter I wasn't bothered at all and actually liked how not even the reader knows exactly what it being said - thus reflecting the miscommunication between characters. Whether this was Sally Rooney's intent, it works, and I liked it. Please if you're put off reading this because of the style, just try. And use your own mind to decide if it works for you or not, do not let TikTok and others decide for you!
The romance is raw and frustrating. It's definitely there and it's challenging and it's sort of cute. Marianne and Connell are definitely difficult to like, as are all the characters, apart from Lorraine. The characters all had depth and I was actually frustrated not to have more backstory as to the 'why' and intentions for a lot of character's actions. Which again, was annoying but adds to the overall confusion and miscommunication. Could I justify everything Sally Rooney has chosen to do in this book? Absolutely. But that's real life and this is a story about real experiences and real people - Normal people if you will.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I can't be like normal people."
The quotes are beautiful and heartbreaking, mainly because I saw myself a lot more than I expected to throughout this story. This book definitely makes the reader feel as though they are looking in a mirror, or stood on a stage infant of everyone else. I felt exposed but safe at the same time as I could read about these dramas and heartaches happening to characters that I could see around me in the real world. I chose to annotate and used a tab for "Human Condition" which got its fair share. Sally Rooney exposes humanity and the thoughts that a lot of us choose to hide, believing foolishly that we are individual and alone in thinking them.
Part of me feels even more lost after reading this, and part of me feels found.
"But it wasn't accompanied by any specific images of what real life might look like or feel like. All she knew was that when it started, she wouldn't need to imagine it anymore".
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Rape, Self harm, and Blood
kajang's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
"Art is to comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable."
This book is extremely thought-provoking to say the least, I have bullet points on all the topics mentioned in this book I'd like to write essays on, which is quite an effect this book has on me. I think it talks about topics like abuse, mental health, self-love, social hierarchy and class really well. One of the things that really stood out to me is the idea of a hierarchy of pain; because although Connell belongs in working-class and is considerably struggling financially, he has a loving mother who cares for him above all. Meanwhile, Marianne born extremely well-off and arguably has less to worry about is treated disgustingly by her family, whether in the sense of verbal abuse or physical abuse.
Which begs the question of is she allowed to feel sadness towards such pain when there are others suffering worse conditions than her?
The answer is easy, yes, she's allowed to feel anger and sadness towards her predicament because her feelings are valid; this is a struggle constantly demonstrated by Marianne as she constantly gets looped into a horrible partner again and again.
Although I really do appreciate the themes and topics the book approaches and the way it is handled, I can't bring myself to give it a higher rating due to the amount of smut scenes described in here.
It's nothing insane or extremely detailed but it appears pretty consistently which kept rubbing me off the wrong way.
Which is to say it's nothing inherently wrong with the writing, merely a difference in preference where I don't find it quite my cup of tea.
Overall, I really do appreciate this book and the topics it discusses. Recommend to anyone looking to read about something very introspective on the lives of two miserable college students.
I would advise those who dislike open endings, pretty flawed-characters or descriptions of smut to pick a different book that might suit your preferences better!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault
hilumin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Racism, and Pregnancy
06_trinity's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Death of parent
komiification's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
emilyvictoria_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Blood
katelyn_stark's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
court3sy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Abandonment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault
bookishbrenbren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I don't think I've read such a captivating book in a long while. I was completely immersed in the inner workings of this tiny little polarized world. It was engrossing, I couldn't put it down and when I did, I kept thinking about it. I feel invested in these characters and I think the author did an incredible job of bringing them to life and capturing what life is like when you're a teen/new adult. Especially the internal life we live inside our own heads.
on the other hand I fully agree with almost all criticisms of it that I've read ๐ the book is pretentious bordering on delivering a campy teenage movie (he's 17, a soccer star but he's top of his class but he's incredibly shy but he also recommends The Communist Manifesto to peers) and the not-like-other-girls girl even gets a makeover but not before she's read Swann's Way by herself at lunch. ๐ ok. Then also the treatment of disordered eating, classism, abuse and masochism and some light racism-makes-the-bad-guy-bad could also have been better handled. and honestly like on a very literal level, I feel silly caring who Connell Waldron asks to high school prom. But isn't it a sign of a strong writer that she can make me care about something like that? Ugh idk I am so torn. The characters are slightly cliche but nobody can write internal thought like this. I just don't know, send help ๐ณ๏ธ I can't deny the pull that this book had on me and the fact that it made me feel things. I am a Marianne loyalist and I feel like I genuinely know her. She came to life for me.
But idk I guess I also expected something more serious (but less self-serious?) than this ๐ซฃ for all the hype and marketing it got
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
caroline_123's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Mental illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse