A review by annika_vanlaer
Normal People by Sally Rooney

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

2.5

“Marianne answers the door when Connell rings the bell”

This is how the book Normal People starts. This is how a very complicated relationship between two teens begins.
Normal People is a book written by Sally Rooney, that tells the story of two teenagers and their intense on and off again love life. Throughout the book Marianne and Connell both grow as a person while they’re trying to figure out who they truly are.

The message and the concept of the book has potential and gives the opportunity to create a good and well formed book. However, from my perspective the writer did not succeed in bringing this book to life the way it could’ve been. 
I truly believe in the potential of this book’s theme and that it could create an enjoyable and compelling story, unfortunately this wasn’t accomplished. 

First I would like to start by talking about the book's writing style. Throughout the book there were no quotation marks which made it challenging to read. It was difficult to see whether someone was actually speaking or not. What made it even more confusing was the use of flashbacks. This would happen in the middle of their sentence or conversation, as a result you no longer knew where you left off in the storyline.
Besides that, there were huge time skips between each chapter and as you can probably understand, is this a factor in the book that creates confusion while reading. Not only that but it leaves large gaps in the storyline, which provides an incomplete understanding of the book.

What I liked about Normal People is that the characters showed growth throughout the story and that they found their way into the world. They did have ups and downs, but this is something I really appreciate seeing. One character I really liked was Karen. To me she was a positive asset to the book, which is why I would’ve liked her to be there for Marianne in college and later in her life. She was in my eyes one of the better characters and better friends of Marianne, even though we saw so little of her. 

Even though I liked Karen, I disliked the majority of the main characters, which is a huge turn off for a book. Obviously their relationship was very problematic and everything but healthy, but for me it goes beyond that. What bothered me the most were the main characters and their personalities. It’s in the way they think, handle and interact with other characters. It is not so much the theme, but the characters that added a depressing vibe to the book. When I read a book I want to be invested, drawn in and touched by the story. While reading I would want to be thinking about the story and nothing else, but with this book I kept wondering when the chapter ended and when I could quit reading. I was not drawn into the story at all, I was just waiting for it to be over. Which may sound harsh but for me it’s just the truth.

I understand why the book and its theme could be popular amongst many people, but the way it was written and brought forward was disappointing. Therefore I wouldn’t recommend this book, especially not to teenagers. Books don't necessarily need a happy vibe to them, but if they create a depressive feeling, it’s just unenjoyable and tiresome.

Feel free to read the book, if you think you will like it or if the theme strikes you, but it’s just not for everyone and that is something you need to keep in mind while reading. 

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