Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

314 reviews

06_trinity's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Death of parent

criscroscris's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent

fbc_2122's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Abortion and Pregnancy

biapoweer's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

miilk's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.75

Connell and Marianne were kinda made for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Racism

Minor: Death of parent

itsaromance's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

Expected a romcom, found a deep and emotional story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

Rooney is such a good writer, and I love her style! I just wish the ending wasn’t so ambiguous and abrupt, and I wish I had gotten to see Marianne blossom at least as much as Connell since the book was supposed to be about the both of them growing up, growing apart, finding each other again, etc. But it was pretty much all about Connell and then sometimes Rooney remembered that Marianne has thoughts and feelings, too.

Marianne and Connell’s relationship is so fascinating though. It is so incredibly toxic, yet they clearly belong together at the same time. I think that their relationship is realistically portrayed, and I could sympathize with one or the other of them at different stages in their lives and their relationship. I think that is a testament to Rooney’s writing: feeling like I want/need to evaluate the characters, to pick a side, and to sympathize and empathize with them and why.

However, I hated the ending. Ambiguous endings infuriate me, especially when the ambiguity suggests what it suggests here. We’re really ending with

Marianne staking her worth on her on-again, off-again boyfriend and putting him above her and “letting him go” so he can, what? Some bullshit about how she’s a springboard from which his life can “truly begin”

?

Before I read the last ⅓ of the book, I was expecting to give it a 4 out of 5, but seeing Marianne’s storyline and the ending get fumbled leads me to give it a 3 out of 5.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

strawbert's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

The book is written very well and has many great memorable quotes. As another reviewer wrote, Sally Rooney makes the mundane spectacular. I enjoyed reading this book very much but I’m not sure what I got out of it. It felt like the characters did not grow and that each chapter was the same thing over and over - which seems like the entire point of the book to be honest. Nevertheless, the book kept me interested to the end. I think the hype for this book is based on how relatable certain parts may feel. I am now excited to read other books from Sally Rooney.

Summed up: Attemping to strike a balance between hope/understanding/independence and misery/shame while coming-of-age.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rhubarbpi3's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

2.0

I thought this was well executed and everything I just thought it would be happy but it just made me really sad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

coffeecass's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief