Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Pessoas normais by Sally Rooney

16 reviews

begentile's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

"Todos esses anos eles foram como duas plantinhas, dividindo o mesmo pedaço de terra, crescendo um ao redor do outro, se contorcendo pra criar espaço, tomando certas atitudes improváveis."

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

bookgal1990's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

go_with_the_flow's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Dysphoria

ciaranhurley's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Dysphoria

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

This book is dreadfully beautiful.  It is unbelievably intimate, but I wouldn’t describe it as cozy.  It’s not optimistic either, but it’s honest and beautiful.  The characters are deeply flawed and written in a way that’s so skillful that you can’t fully describe them in words because how they’re presented on the page just gives you an indescribable sense of who they are.  Rooney is a master of literary subtleties, and this is definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read, even though I’m not sure I’d recommend it to everyone I know.  It takes a certain person, who doesn’t mind reflective pieces and honest grey morality, for them to enjoy and/or appreciate this book.  It deserves all the hype.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Dysphoria

Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood

ntvenessa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

4.75

You know a novel's got you in in its grips when after a 10hr work day, all you want to do is continue reading until there are no more pages to be turned. Lo and behold, you've accidentally been awake for what, 20hrs? This was exquisitely crafted in language and feeling. This is a book about intimacy, love, sex, and the eternally painstaking quest for our insatiable human need to feel understood, and by extension, belong. Some critics will point out the flattening of peripheral characters and use of questionable, if not, uninteresting tropes, but I don't think a book needs to check off a universal criteria list in order to be considered good. What's of value here is the reading experience as much as the feelings that linger after the story finishes. Rooney's skill and talent is abundant in her masterful prose and you are in good hands for this reading experience. I think the novel's intense focus on the main characters' problematic but redeemable personalities to the expense of other characters contributes to what makes this novel brilliant. We all believe ourselves to be the main characters of our own lives. We are just as self absorbed on our own individual quests. It would be nice if trauma was handled a bit better. But it would be nice if trauma was handled better in life too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Dysphoria