sandysmith's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
jasminealizae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
jenniferb147's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, and Domestic abuse
gabrielleclarke05's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I related to Connell too much 👩🏻🦯👩🏻🦯.I don’t have one negative thing to say about this book, obviously there’s the whole quotation dialogue thing but I didn’t mind it after the first bit. I love Connell so much. The story is just a deep character study on how relationships are affected through simple communications and the drastic changes it can cause in life. The title is literally the plot like it is just about normal people doing everyday things with a lack of communication due to trauma and how things can end up
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
caitatkinson_'s review
- 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: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Classism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Bullying, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, and Domestic abuse
annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
in a word, this book was upsetting. i've heard someone (specifically, booktuber emmie) describe reading The Goldfinch (haven't read it myself) as having a kind of second-hand depression effect, and i understand it now because Normal People had this very effect of me. three particularly disturbing scenes come to mind:
Spoiler
Connell's former economics teacher attempting to sexually assault him, Marianne's entire relationship with Lukas, and the otherwise-nondescript scene ~88% through when Connell and Marianne have sex for the first time since their first year in collegewith that main point out of the way, it was objectively well-written with lovely prose. i really liked its pacing, jumping forward in time but catching readers up with flashbacks. its general concept reminded me of The Namesake, following a character or characters across years of their life and focusing mainly on romantic relationships, and i prefer Normal People's execution over The Namesake's. 2⅜ stars
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Injury/injury detail, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Infidelity, Abortion, Body shaming, Death, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit, Self harm, Addiction, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, War, Drug use, Racism, and Toxic friendship
kathrinellis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence
elyssajoh's review
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
danielleor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Drug abuse
Minor: Abortion, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, and Alcohol
megalicious'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship