Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - Pessoas normais

Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Pessoas normais by Sally Rooney

223 reviews

filipa_maia's review against another edition

sad 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

Normal People? NORMAL PEOPLE? Excuse me? That is nothing normal about these people. They need therapy. I'm just glad that, by the end, at least one of them is getting therapy. I'm so mad at this book, so mad at this story. Why? What have we done to Sally Rooney? Honestly, I read it because I do not DNF books but I though about giving up a couple of times. I just don't get the point.

I felt sorry for Marianne a couple of times. Her family is completely broken and she gets nothing from them. Her entire childhood was a mess, her time in school was a living hell... I get it. But when she gets older, when she became and adult, there is no excuse anymore. She replaced her childhood trauma for current trauma by dating a bunch of weird guys and having very wild sex. Just go get some help! Connell is just annoying since the beginning of the story and until the last page. That is one toxic relationship that should have stayed in high school.

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sinningsammy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.75

After I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down. As I read this book I think I felt every emotion known to man in all honesty.

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pestowing's review against another edition

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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

When people said this book was sad, I expected it to be in a gutwrenching way but it was more sad in a sorry way. Life just sucks sometimes--our circumstances, our minds--and we have to keep moving anyways. I think how annoyed I felt at this book at times is a testament to how real it is. I kept yelling at the Marianne and Connell to "JUST COMMUNICATE!!" but let's be real, I'm no different. What I love the most about this book is that the resolution of the book wasn't necessarily the ending, it was the realization I had about myself a few hours later.

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defunctfridge's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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shiveryteacup's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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naoml's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

I don't think I started to get it until pg 132 and I don't think I really got it until I read 175-190. I really wanted to love this, people say it's so good, and it has incredible moments. I personally didn't like the way dialogue was written, I found it hard to keep straight. Unsure how I feel about the ending, but would say it's worth a read

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steph_phanie's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Although this novel made me feel very melancholic, I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. I was quite invested in the complex relationship between Marianne and Connell, as well as in the relationships they had with themselves, their families, and the world around them.

I have seen the complaints about how all the back and forth, uncertainty, and pain could have been avoided if the two had just had a proper conversation, but not only do I think that was an impossible option for these characters, it was also beside the point. I felt the story was less about them as a romantic couple and more about them as individuals moving through their own trauma, presumptions, and societal expectations as they left childhood and became adults. The categorization of their relationship, as such, was just one part of this journey.

Normal People has many layers to it, and Rooney uses that space to comment on social norms, class division, self-worth, and bonds of all sorts. I was particularly moved by the stark contrast between the main characters' mothers, and could probably talk at length about this alone.

There is quite a gloom that settles over the story, and several triggering topics are portrayed in detail, so read with caution. But for those who love a good contemplative character study and don't mind unease, I think you will also appreciate the beauty of Normal People.

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