Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Normal People, by Sally Rooney

122 reviews

laurenlee2158's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

sandysmith's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

I liked this book, but I found the lack of punctuation annoying and at times confusing, mainly concerning whether they were talking to each other or whether they are analysing what each other has said. The main characters are Marianne and Connell and their relationship,  at times i wanted to shout at them just talk to each other.  I felt the ending was unsatisfactory. But the book was beautifully written and it certainly wasn't a DNF and even if the plot didn't go anywhere you just wanted and were compelled to keep reading. A thought provoking read.

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Content Warnings

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

samjesperw's review

emotional reflective fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Drug use, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse

pretentiousnerd's review

dark emotional reflective 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

1.75

Honestly was really appalled by the cover...But this book quite frankly disappointed me. Really had to force myself to read although it's only 266 pages long . The characters are insufferable and don't seem to ever stop whining about futile subjects. Also kind of disappointed by the ending that one took too long to come and two wasn't as dramatic and sad as it was described to me... It is bittersweet at best and I really am being nice here. Lorraine and Joanna are the only characters worth reading and even they can't save the book from being atrociously boring and almost pedant. Marianne really is the character that made me sigh the most-and there's a lot of them ... Kind of get why she was bullied because the "I'm not like other girls " kind of attitude was just idiotic and didn't make me feel like I was supposed to have empathy towards her. Quite the opposite actually.
Not gonna go on and on about this waste of time but yeah... don't read this book if you expect something extraordinary...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Blood, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Violence, Eating disorder, Injury/injury detail, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug use

anton13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I was so sad to have to put it down. I have to say that I was in the beginning very skeptical about if I’d like it or not. Part of me didn’t even wanna read it. Now I’m glad I read it. It’s not my favorite cause of the heaviness of the story but it is well written and I enjoyed the relationship between the two mc’s. I do think that anyone that wants to read this should do an extensive look on trigger warnings cause this was so much more than I had expected from what I’ve heard from others. The end killed me. I can’t believe everything that happened within the last 50 pages. I’m happy for them both but also nooooo why did it have to end like that?! Connell is one of the best men out there and nothing can change my mind!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Body shaming, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, Classism, Self harm, Sexual content, Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, and Blood

Minor: Antisemitism, Drug use, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Body horror, Excrement, and Eating disorder

elizabethplucker's review

hopeful mysterious 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

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, and Drug use

Moderate: Classism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Sexual harassment

theovruh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, and Alcohol

nirvannamae's review

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

What a silly ending. I really love this book though. I wish I had given into Cameron’s praise sooner. This book has inspired a lot of writing from me. I wish I could tell everyone who has known me to read this and say see! I’m not so strange; but they’d think that’s odd too. And I don’t particularly care if they understand me or not. Very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Abortion

chrstnlvly's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

At first I thought it will be a hard read because Rooney is notorious for not using quotation marks. If you're a reader, then you will not have problems. I got used to it quite easily.

I did not think this book will affect me the way it did. I saw myself in Marianne (with the way she interacted with people and how people perceived her, not the family dynamics part). I never felt more seen.

This book was, honestly, plotless. It was a glimpse of Marianne's and Connell's lives. I found myself hating Connell one minute, then quickly understanding him a couple of pages after. I did not find their relationship frustrating - I found it realistic. Don't read this book expecting to read a love story. It's not. It's so much more than that.

Normal people indeed.

P.S. You can also read At The Clinic, a short story by Rooney. Marianne and Connell are 23.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Drug use, and Eating disorder

clarabean's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Very interesting, triggering tho

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Racism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts