maitthegreat's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up
this book is fine. it wasn’t terrible, wasn’t great, and certainly was not as emotionally intense as i expected from reviews i see on booktok.
things i enjoyed:
- LORRAINE. she honestly carries so much of this book just by being the sweetest mom in the world.
- the audiobook narrator! (5 stars to Aoife McMahon)
- the soft, simplistic, gentle descriptions; these gave an immediacy to the story that helped move a story that lacked any real plot
- the descriptions of both main characters’ depression is very realistic and relatable. honestly that segment nearly 80% of the way through the book was the first time i truly felt for the characters.
- the time jumps were done in an accessible and intelligible way, and it was easy to understand setting and timing of different scenes.
things i didn’t enjoy:
- zero plot whatsoever (which is not inherently a negative thing, especially in a story about personal and interpersonal development rather than external plot points, however, this story had nearly no personal/interpersonal development. it needed one or the other.)
- as stated above, there was no character development. in the last bit of the book, marianne keeps mentioning how she and connell have been good for each other and helped each other become better people. that’s a very sweet sentiment, but we as readers don’t see either of them grow in any meaningful way. they change externally: their popularity, location, education, and the friends around them. however the two of them seemed to only get worse emotionally and morally. which leads to my next point…
- marianne and connell are not good people. i would not say they’re bad people, but they aren’t good either. really they are themselves very selfish and self-absorbed, and both of them will do nearly anything for approval. characters of course do not need to be good to be interesting, but connell and marianne are not only not good, they are also quite shallow and honestly pretty boring.
- the secondary characters do not meaningfully exist outside of adding drama to the lives of m and c. this isn’t the worst thing, but does make the story rather one-dimensional.
- marianne’s terrible and abusive boyfriends and her terrible and abusive brother feel more like torture-porn than like a real depiction of terrible circumstances that the character is meant to grow from. i wouldn’t mind them so much if she showed some growth by the end in her choice of relationships, but she doesn’t. by the conclusion of the story, connell is obsessed with possessing and exercising power over marianne, and although more gentle about it than her exes, is not a particularly healthy example of love himself. maybe i am too idealistic, but i wish that the only examples of romantic and sexual love were not (1) literal physical and verbal abuse, or (2) a tolerable but certainly far from exceptional boyfriend who is described (and thinks of himself!) like he is an angel sent from heaven to protect marianne.
this book is fine. it wasn’t terrible, wasn’t great, and certainly was not as emotionally intense as i expected from reviews i see on booktok.
things i enjoyed:
- LORRAINE. she honestly carries so much of this book just by being the sweetest mom in the world.
- the audiobook narrator! (5 stars to Aoife McMahon)
- the soft, simplistic, gentle descriptions; these gave an immediacy to the story that helped move a story that lacked any real plot
- the descriptions of both main characters’ depression is very realistic and relatable. honestly that segment nearly 80% of the way through the book was the first time i truly felt for the characters.
- the time jumps were done in an accessible and intelligible way, and it was easy to understand setting and timing of different scenes.
things i didn’t enjoy:
- zero plot whatsoever (which is not inherently a negative thing, especially in a story about personal and interpersonal development rather than external plot points, however, this story had nearly no personal/interpersonal development. it needed one or the other.)
- as stated above, there was no character development. in the last bit of the book, marianne keeps mentioning how she and connell have been good for each other and helped each other become better people. that’s a very sweet sentiment, but we as readers don’t see either of them grow in any meaningful way. they change externally: their popularity, location, education, and the friends around them. however the two of them seemed to only get worse emotionally and morally. which leads to my next point…
- marianne and connell are not good people. i would not say they’re bad people, but they aren’t good either. really they are themselves very selfish and self-absorbed, and both of them will do nearly anything for approval. characters of course do not need to be good to be interesting, but connell and marianne are not only not good, they are also quite shallow and honestly pretty boring.
- the secondary characters do not meaningfully exist outside of adding drama to the lives of m and c. this isn’t the worst thing, but does make the story rather one-dimensional.
- marianne’s terrible and abusive boyfriends and her terrible and abusive brother feel more like torture-porn than like a real depiction of terrible circumstances that the character is meant to grow from. i wouldn’t mind them so much if she showed some growth by the end in her choice of relationships, but she doesn’t. by the conclusion of the story, connell is obsessed with possessing and exercising power over marianne, and although more gentle about it than her exes, is not a particularly healthy example of love himself. maybe i am too idealistic, but i wish that the only examples of romantic and sexual love were not (1) literal physical and verbal abuse, or (2) a tolerable but certainly far from exceptional boyfriend who is described (and thinks of himself!) like he is an angel sent from heaven to protect marianne.
jcpdiesel21's review against another edition
4.0
A fairly simple story that is elevated by Rooney's elegant, thoughtful writing. Marianne and Connell are such fascinating characters who continually keep coming into each other's orbit over a brief, formative time period within young adulthood, and many of the observations made by them are deeply relatable and quite thoughtful. I found the ending a little bittersweet and somewhat lacking, probably because by then I had become so attached to the two and didn't want their story to end.
shutupdivs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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
5.0
this book destroyed me btw
mundinova's review against another edition
4.0
“She believes Marianne lacks ‘warmth’, by which she means the ability to beg for love from people who hate her.”
Oh, Sally Rooney! I both hate and love your books. The characters act in such human and realistic ways that it becomes infuriating when they don't learn from their mistakes, just like real people. Their insecurities drive every interaction and life choice. These people are plagued with guilt and a need to be accepted by others. If it makes you uncomfortable to see people try and fail repeatedly, then this isn't the book for you. True, it's a romance, so there is a happy ending, but the journey to get to that HEA is mundane, with trivialities that keep the lovers apart.
Between the two characters, Connell was my favorite. His actions made the most sense and his insecurities were endearing. Marianne was too cold and masochistic for me to connect with. But I do see how they became a great couple. He made her safe and she gave him confidence to see himself for who he really is.
Story: 3 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 4 stars
Oh, Sally Rooney! I both hate and love your books. The characters act in such human and realistic ways that it becomes infuriating when they don't learn from their mistakes, just like real people. Their insecurities drive every interaction and life choice. These people are plagued with guilt and a need to be accepted by others. If it makes you uncomfortable to see people try and fail repeatedly, then this isn't the book for you. True, it's a romance, so there is a happy ending, but the journey to get to that HEA is mundane, with trivialities that keep the lovers apart.
Between the two characters, Connell was my favorite. His actions made the most sense and his insecurities were endearing. Marianne was too cold and masochistic for me to connect with. But I do see how they became a great couple. He made her safe and she gave him confidence to see himself for who he really is.
Story: 3 stars
Character Development: 5 stars
Writing: 4 stars
horourke's review against another edition
4.5
this is the first time i’m returning to this book since college. I feel as though I have a deeper understanding for the characters now - when I first read it I felt heartbroken by their actions, but now I can better appreciate their complexity. I was much less sad this time around. While Connell and Marianne can be frustrating, their relationship is fascinating and profound. To be loved is to be changed
e_marielafrance's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
brianashaelene's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
hmmessina's review against another edition
5.0
one second away from texting him a pdf copy of this book out of nowhere (started sobbing 3 chapters in)
i think my rating is biased because i feel personally victimized by the specific type of relationship detailed in this story as well as the fact that it takes place in ireland
i think my rating is biased because i feel personally victimized by the specific type of relationship detailed in this story as well as the fact that it takes place in ireland