Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Pessoas normais by Sally Rooney

1499 reviews

star101's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

cnannery19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

reflective slow-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

1.0

I have no idea what I was meant to take away from this book. The characters were uninteresting and shallow, I strongly dislike the writing style, and the relationship dynamic feels so overtly problematic with no self awareness that it was boring. I also know this was likely intentional but the understanding of BDSM was so rudimentary that it was virtually absent and that grated on me.

I really struggle to understand why people love this book so much. It just didn't connect at all for me, and I feel like I was missing something.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Classism

Minor: Racism

squibbers_stox's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts

fire_wolf's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Death of parent

gdulecki's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I’m giving this a begrudging three stars - I did not like the characters, there were no quotation marks, and the writing style felt weird, but I also couldn’t put this down and read it in just a couple of hours because it was so captivating. I am so angry at the ending, Marianne needs some damn therapy, and the self sabotage and self degradation was so potent that I feel it in my bones after finishing the book. The way BDSM was portrayed was horrendous, and I think it was supposed to be??? I don’t know man I see why people really liked this but I don’t know if it was for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Classism

lprin's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse and Suicide

errie's review against another edition

reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

bookishevy's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

Once again, a really popular book that has Goodreads reviewers divided. I had to see for myself. 

In secondary school, Connell is the popular star of the school soccer team, while Marianna struggles to make friends because she's intense and opinionated. But they end up connecting when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, and they agree to keep their relationship secret. 

At Trinity College in Dublin, a year later, Marianne adjusts well to her new surroundings while Connell can't find his footing. Marianne and Connell continue to circle one another. Although they stray toward other people, they are always drawn back together like magnets. 

I had to put on my social work hat to understand Marianne. She suffered a lot of trauma growing up, and it's made her numb, so she allows men to have their way with her. She's steadily gravitating towards jerks. It's self-destructive. 

Connell feels out of his league in Dublin. He's around people from a higher social class who are different from Marianne, and it's affecting his confidence. He keeps going back to Marianne because she's the only one he can be himself around. Even though her aloofness frustrates him, he trusts her. They have history. She represents home. 🥺 

Marianne feels safe with Connell, but she didn't grow up in a loving home like he did, so she doesn't think real love is possible. She doesn't take men seriously. So, despite their history, she doesn't believe Connell really loves her because she doesn't feel worthy of love. While Connell works on himself, Marianne is unaware of how her childhood trauma affects her relationship with him, the only man who's handled her with care. 

These two intelligent people must figure out how to make it work, and I rooted for them every time they spun the block. They need each other. 

And I needed this read to be longer, but I understand why Marianne remains a work in progress. We all are. I love that it ends on a promise. I wouldn't mind a ten-year follow-up with these two. 

I enjoyed it, but I can see why this read is so polarizing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide