Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

77 reviews

mel_s_bookshelf'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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Racism

dfram's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

March 2020
I read this book in 24 hours, I was absolutely incapable of putting it down. I loved every single element on it. Relatable characters with immesurable personal growth; and yet, the essence of their personalities remained intact. Mental health discussions (with responsible details + relevant and important information for YA). The accuracy of the description of feelings of inadequacy among same-aged peers. The truth about young love, and how inevitable heart break is. The social criticism and the discussion about class and wealth (and how it impacts our relationships). How life changing it is to find someone who not only understands and accepts you for who you are, but loves you because of it and not in spite of what makes you you.

What I love about this book so much is that Marianna and Connell are normal people. They're as real as the next person is. I felt myself identified with the plot to their story. The truth is, nearly everyone I know has experienced what it's like to struggle between letting go and holding on tighter. The gist of the story is best summarized via the following popular saying: "if you love somebody, let them go. For if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were".

My only complaint? The lack of quotations to identify the dialogue took me an embarrassingly long amount of chapters to adapt to.

I wish there was more to this story.

10/10 would recommend.

April 2024
I agree with my past self! I felt able to fully immerse myself in the story and that is a feeling I seek when reading other books. I felt the characters were super relatable, and those that I didn’t love I could understand

except Marianne’s fam, fuck them

I loved that Marianne and Connell were flawed and awkward.

It’s physically impossible for me to love them together more than I do, after all they’ve been through tg

I’m a multiple timeline girly because I love a good character growth. I love how they grew independently and alongside each other. Topics such as depression, social class, suicide, privilege, and sex are dealt with such grace. This book felt like finding a soulmate. I have no doubts I’ll be revisiting Marianne’s and Connell’s story in the future (again) 😌

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion

nadiaherondale's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.75

I was expecting more, to be honest, while I liked the narration and the writing I hated the way dialogues where handled as a big monologue. Nevertheless I liked the exploration about Connell and Marianne's lives, personalities and relationship, I just was expecting for this book to be a favorite since it's so reverenced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Death of parent

thedambookshelf's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

cepbreed's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-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

“Marianne answers the door when Connell rings the bell.” 

 I read this entire book while my chest was constricted. Each line makes me feel like I can’t breathe, like there’s concrete blocking my throat. Oh god this is so tragic. Each misunderstanding makes me want to throw myself into a wall. I had this conversation with my roommate about why Sally Rooney doesn’t use quotations before I began reading. She told me it’s because it makes the book much more intimate, the characters are more lifelike when they aren’t confined to the grammatical conventions of a novel. She’s so right. I didn’t realize I had a little implicit bias when reading, when I see a quotation mark it sends off something in my brain. Without it my brain must take that extra step to realize something is a quote. I have to think first for once, how insane. I still don’t like how it looks but thank you for this Sally Rooney.

Once again I turned to my roommate and had a conversation after I finished and she asked me what I thought about Connell and Marianne, well that's the basics of her question anyways. I answered honestly and told her I prefer Connell. Something about him is just so much more compelling to me. Sure I like Marianne, I sympathize with her, but I feel more pity for her while I relate more to Connell. We talked to through and I came to a conclusion that I guess says more about me than about the characters. Marianne is a character who is full of anxieties, insecurities and vulnerability. As a woman these are all things I hate about myself. Because Connell is a man I don't see his faults in the same light I see her's in. With Marianne a lot of my issue with her comes from the response I would have about myself if it were me in her shoes. Damn.

Songs: 

• Casual - Chappell Roan
• Good Sex - Susannah Joffe
• Sidelines - Phoebe Bridgers
• About You - the 1975
• the 1 - Taylor Swift 
• Perfect Storm - Inhaler 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Death

ileesha's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

3.0

i shifted between 2.75 and 3 stars a lot while reading this i found the first few chapters when they were in high school almost unreadable but after i got through that, this book was more bearable i don’t think id ever go back to read it again but i enjoyed parts of it and read it all in one sitting 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Grief

kaneebli's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicide, and Blood

clarabean's review against another edition

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

ryanbada's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

jasminealizae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

I appreciate the perspective and insight this book brought me. 

Some of which I could genuinely and organically connect with. Despite miscommunication, which I hate, being one of the main themes in this book, if not a "trope", I really felt like it was approached realistically. I liked the growth of the characters in regards to their bad habits and their ability to overcome depression and feeling like they are worthless and just take up space in the world. Though, the fact that there wasn't a HEA is upsetting, but I get it and really kind of enjoyed that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism