Reviews tagging 'War'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

18 reviews

komiification's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

Completely devastating how people can love each other so much yet can continue to hurt each other. Can never really talk to each other. Alongside this theme, as well as other points relating to genocide (which is still, upsettingly, relevant to today), and the way people now engage with literature without this political edge, this is, easily a modern classic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

mooncraftbujo's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.0

Do not get the hype at all. I like the reflection on toxic relationships but there is not a single character in this story that I liked or felt an emotional connection to, and I fully got the ick from none if the dialogue being in quotation marks. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Abortion, and War

_meganrose's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

I can see why this book can be so polarizing for people. It gave me a similar feel to ‘One Day’ and ‘Alone With You In The Ether,’ which are two of my favorites. It had the potential to be right up there with them, but just fell slightly short. This was very emotional and humanizing. The complexity of the characters and their dynamic had me hooked. My only two major critiques are: 1. I wish there were quotations around the dialogue - it was confusing sometimes and 2. the final chapter was a let down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Cancer and War

eliya's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

This is written so beautifully. The narration is so heartbreakingly aware of minute details that make interactions meaningful. There were so many times listening to this book that I thought “yes!! that!!” at something that i’ve experienced interpersonally and wasn’t able to verbalize myself before. 

The chapters are written not like a story, but like a painful memory that the author is recounting for us as we try to understand what went wrong, where. This felt so real to me. 

Listening to the audiobook was a treat, the vocal performance was as stunning and empathetic. I plan on obtaining a copy of this book for myself and rereading it in a few years, just long enough so that I can forget enough of it to love it a second time. I loved this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Fatphobia, Suicide, and War

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.5

Not only was this whole book about a toxic relationship between these two, but the ending was so lacklustre. Also, why is she not using quotation marks??? I didn’t like that :/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Genocide, Vomit, and War

katjayorke's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.0

Beautiful and realistic story of a complicated relationship and young life. At times frustrating and at times loving and relieving. Abrupt but well suited ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: War

froggybooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: War

elspethmigliore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

this was truly one of the most beautiful books i have ever read. i have never story a book as real as this one. 

it was definitely frustrating at times how odd and confusing the relationship and characters were. but thats the point. both marianne and connell are so relatable in so many ways and even at their worst times, they made sense. even when both of them were communicating at their best, there was still lots of miscommunication and pain, which is so realistic and honestly made their connection even more special. i fell in love with the dynamic of their comfort and pureness from the very beginning. i’m honestly just dumping a bunch of words right now because i’m kind of in shock at how relatable and real this story was. never in my life have i felt so close to and understood by a book. both of the characters were so incredibly real and true and i just wish them both the best. 

this is 100 percent reread material ✅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Abortion and War

mary_johnston's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War