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sina4books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug use and Death of parent
th3bookth3if's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Normal People really dives into themes of communication, personal and inter-personal relationships, perception and popularity, and of course, love. In the background there’s this nagging theme of seeking validation and how we as humans try to connect with others and the world around us. The characters are incredibly relatable and well written, and the style of writing is unique and interesting.
Topics of mental health, family dynamics and relationship dynamics are consistently presented in ways that make you feel uncomfortable, yet completely invested in how Marianne and Connell will deal with them. The back and forth between the characters being alone and then surrounded by others is a prime depiction of how humans fall in and out of relationships, and how some end with little impact and others leave lasting wounds.
The way Sally Rooney describes and creates her scenes is truly magical, and I felt as if I was right there in the room with the characters. Her ability to describe the brutality of humanity and still instil the fact that people need one another to survive seems so simple, but she does it in a way that sits with you for longer than expected.
There’s a running theme of deception, and what counts as being truthful and honest to someone else versus yourself, specifically with Marianne. The way she navigates her own mind and what she deems as ‘the truth’ versus what she communicates is fascinating. There’s a sort of unease and disconnect between her and Connell in relation to the idea of truth, and it really impacts how they as characters and their relationship develops.
Overall, I think this book managed to make me go through every emotion known, and I think that’s the point. An absolutely incredible read.
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief
laasenpai's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
voldycat's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy
rotkrox1521'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
4.75
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
chloel29's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Alcohol
eatingwords's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
I enjoyed reading Marianne's and Connell's story. they felt raw and unpolished and real, but their miscommunication drove me mad and the ending of their story left me rather unsatisfied.
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicidal thoughts
dilani's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent
mhsieh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked reading about Marianne and how deeply her
Connell’s decisions to hide his relationship with Marianne and his later feelings of isolation in college directly connects to the title of this book and goes to show how much being perceived as “not normal” can affect someone’s life.
The no quotation marks thing threw me off at first, but it wasn’t too bothersome
It was a sadder book than I anticipated. It got kind of redundant near the middle, with the constant miscommunication between the 2 main characters, but I enjoyed the ending.
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
ionlywishtorot's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship