Reviews with content warning for Racism - Normal People

I feel like I need to sit on this a while to make a final rating, but for now it’s 4 stars. I see this book as a window into people’s lives and relationships. It’s messy, but it feels like that was intentional since real life is messy. I feel neither character is written to make you feel a certain way about them. It’s a raw look into their lives and thoughts, allowing you to make your own conclusions. There’s also moments that made me uncomfortable, but life has it’s uncomfortable moments. I still don’t have a solid opinion on this book so I would love to listen to other people’s opinions on this!

Content Warnings

bludgeoned_by_hail's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

This style of over-simplified prose is hard to get right but this book absolutely nails it. The skeletal writing feels clear and deliberate instead of lazy, and offers a clean backdrop for a moving and devastating coming of age story and its millions of moving parts (popularity, class, education, sex, mental illness, relationships with friends, family and partners).
And still most of all it's a love story. A very beautiful one.

Content Warnings

ericispublius's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense 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

Content Warnings

michaelion's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

These people are literally, as I'm sure others have said, so normal. I don't mean that derogatorily. I really enjoyed the book. I like slice of life even though I don't read or watch it as much as I should. Not as much attention is put into this genre even though it's just as important as any other.

My only issues are with the way it was written. That's more of a personal thing though. I find dialogue to be the most important part of a piece of media involving two or more people and in this book there are no quotation marks. The writing is very, very good, so the issue was when it flipped from being internal and external. Although I'm sure that was intentional. My other issue is I didn't like how their stories went. But that's another personal thing! If only they knew how to just talk to each other! Even still I think they're the kind of people who will get married in the future whether or not they work on themselves. They're it for each other. I like that, but I wish they were healthier!

Content Warnings

More...