Normal People is a contemporary fiction novel about Connell and Marianne, teenagers from a small town in Ireland. Connell is a poor but popular jock, and Marianne is wealthy, lonely and feels out of place. The two strike up an unlikely and somewhat rocky relationship. As they navigate emotional upheavals of growing up and going to college, their paths continue to cross at crucial moments.

I found this book emotionally gutting, sincere, and relatable. While it is sad and frustrating at times, when the characters seem lost and struggling, I think it has a hopeful tone overall. Rooney handles difficult issues like abuse, self-worth and mental health in a way that feels real and raw. The timeline a little confusing to me, but it adds a slice-of-life feel to the story; like vignettes as opposed to a continuous narrative. I think it will have more universal appeal than just as a "Millennial" novel, as I've heard it called. Teenage angst and coming of age stories are not new concepts, and I think this one is done well. I'm glad I got to know Connell and Marianne, and will try more from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Normal People</i> is sort of a love story. It's a little like <i>When Harry Met Sally</i> in the way it's told, but it most certainly isn't romantic. Not really, not in the conventional sense. It digs its claws in you and draws you in, creeping under your skin with its quiet, unintrusive language and its soft, whispering words, and then it doesn't let go. There is so much left unsaid in the end. So plain, with so much lingering underneath; unquotable, but still saying so much. Absolutely fascinating.

<i>Normal People</i> follows two characters, Connell and Marianne, through their high school and college years, as they revolve around one another ceaselessly, even as the world around them changes. In high school, Connell is popular and Marianne is not; in college, it is the opposite. Yet, even as they part ways and fall in love with other people and meet the wrong people and do terrible shameful things to themselves, they keep on falling back on each other almost relentlessly - like a hidden bruise you insistently prod until it's an open wound.

I didn't care for either character, but you aren't meant to. You're meant to empathize with how they screw up things that are good and dive headfirst into self-destruction. You're meant to care about their unending codependency, on how difficult it is to let go and forget when you find someone who knows you, who truly knows you, especially when peers and expectations around you force your hand.

Sally Rooney's writing is so simple, but so precise. A single sentence carries an ocean of emotions. She reaches an itch you didn't know you had under your skin and she tugs on its strings and unravels everything you thought you knew, because it's so empty, so realistic and awkward and off-putting, so frustrating. Her words are hollow, but they make you feel something so profoundly bone-deep it's indescribable. Somehow, I am unmoved, yet the introspection still sinks in.

How does she do that with such precision? Baffling.

You can predict an ending and refuse to believe the author has the guts to write it, and then it happens. It takes a whole lot of guts to write something so unassuming yet daring, to create a mess and shatter people and leave it. Here, it works - because <i>Normal People</i> is nothing short of a masterpiece. Not a likable one, but exquisite in the smallest of ways nonetheless.

Let it be known I am displeased, but Sally Rooney sure as hell knows what she's doing.

We first meet Connell and Marianne when they are teenagers who, on the surface couldn’t be more different. Marianne is a quiet loner who comes from a wealthy family. Connell is athletic and popular—but his mother also happens to be a maid for Marianne’s family. Despite the odds, the two soon develop a secret relationship—and a complicated friendship that would last for years to come.
The story follows Connell and Marianne through college and young adulthood as they struggle to discover themselves, and to make sense of what they are to each other. It’s smart, messy, surprising, heartbreaking, and achingly real. I loved it.

I enjoy Sally Rooney' writing style very much.. I really felt the angst of these two lover throughout the book. The only drawback for me is the story reminds me of a lot of young adult novels. Dont get me wrong a lot of Ya but my patrons i work with don't. Well deserved British National Book Award.

DNF @ 10%

Literary fiction is one of my favorite genres - however the writing style of this one is just not for me right now. Some of the descriptions of relationships between our main characters and others also is hindering my enjoyment of this book. Putting it down to get back to it at a later date for now. I'm sure when I'm in a better mood to read this type of book I will enjoy it but that is not at this time.

His hand moves over her hair and he adds: I love you. I’m not just saying that, I really do. Her eyes fill up with tears again and she closes them. Even in memory she will find this moment unbearably intense, and she’s aware of this now, while it’s happening. She has never believed herself fit to be loved by any person. But now she has a new life, of which this is the first moment, and even after many years have passed she will still think: Yes, that was it, the beginning of my life.

Stunning! This is a book you either love or hate. I loved it.

Reading this book has been called compulsive and it is just that. Written in very spare prose, the story touches on first love, the class system, bullying and mental illness, among other very topical themes. Once I started this book, I could not put it down, and it is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. It perfectly captured the pain of young love and the teenage years. Although I usually don't gravitate toward Young Adult books, this one is a stunning exception.

'Normal People' follows Marianne and Connell from their brief but explosive affair during high school, to university in Dublin. Connell is poor but popular in high school and is ashamed to be seen publicly with Marianne. She is considered an oddball and an outsider even though she is from a wealthy family.

Once they get to university, their roles are reversed and Marianne is now the popular, smart girl with lots of friends. Connell is now the outsider and he and Marianne do the familiar dance of will they or won't they?

Connell was so beautiful. It occurred to Marianne how much she wanted to see him having sex with someone; it didn’t have to be her, it could be anybody. It would be beautiful just to watch him. She knew these were the kind of thoughts that made her different from other people in school, and weirder.

The author is an astute observer of human behavior and of the pain of first love and adolescence. This book stirred up so many emotions that I highlighted almost every page! I read this book in almost one sitting and could not wait to see what the next page would bring. Although the book touches on very heavy themes, the author actually uses humor and wit to lighten up the mood and the dialogue and settings felt perfectly believable and real.

I can't say enough about this book and highly recommend it for readers of all ages. I won't soon forget Connell and Marianne and applaud Sally Rooney for writing such a beautiful book. A must-read!

Marianne, he said, I’m not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.

I thought I would enjoy this as it was being marketed as an epic love story however, from the outset I didn't connect with Connel or marianne. Also, the structure of not having quotation marks in the narrative doesn't at all work for me so that's an initial reason I was disappointed. As the story progressed I wasn't feeling as if I wanted to root for them, I was confused about what I was supposed to even think about them at all. It's confusing I know but nothing about this story worked for me. Another case of an overt hyped book in my opinion.

Got 25% into it. Gave up as plot was going nowhere fast. Did not finish. Book was probably targeted for a younger audience than me.

Not much happens in this zig-zagging story of two people navigating the confusion of their lives and their love for one another. And yet, it totally sucked me in. It’s certainly a character-driven story, which are often my favorite if done correctly, and Rooney’s writing is so well done. I liked the flash-forward setup - it really moved the story along nicely. Connell and Marianne are both flawed and lovable - you root for them despite their missteps and all the words left unsaid between them. Their story felt real as they struggled to find the meaning beneath their friendship/relationship amidst the outside pressures of friends and family and the world. The ending left me feeling a bit anxious, but it felt complete and appropriate to Connell and Marianne’s story.

Normal People is a quiet coming of age story which drew me in immediately as it's a story about early relationships and missed opportunities.

Marianne and Connell are both very bright but couldn't be more different, Yet when they meet, something clicks. Marianne's a cold, emotionless teen who comes from a wealthy but dysfunctional family. She's awkward and others her age think she's just plain odd. Connell is handsome and popular, his family is poor and his mother is a cleaning lady for Marianne's family. One day when he goes to pick his mother up at Marianne's house, they begin to chat and soon become friends and eventually sexual partners. Fearing he will be teased by his peers if their relationship is found out, he wants them to keep things secret and just between them. She goes along with this, probably because she's used to be mistreated, at least emotionally, by her own family.

The following year both Marianne and Connell end up at Trinity College in Dublin but here their roles seem reversed. Marianne becomes the popular one, a social butterfly and it's Connell who's feeling insecure, shy, depressed and like he doesn't fit it. Although they come in and out of togetherness, they always seem drawn back to each other.

The story is told from both of their POVs and although well written, at times I felt a bit frustrated by the story and the failure by both to communicate what they were feeling. It reminded me about just how very much we are a product of our upbringing. I also wish that the author delved more into Marianne's family and why she was treated the way she was growing up.

There are many themes running through this novel: social class differences, relationship dynamics, mental health issues, bullying, young love and more. A deeply drawn story with an overall darker tone. I'm glad I read it and, the more I've thought about this one, the more my opinion changed a bit overall to a slightly more favorable rating.

https://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2019/05/normal-people-sally-rooney.html

A profoundly moving, somewhat depressing love story. The author does a tremendous job of capturing the ebbs and flows of intimacy in this very intense relationship between two very different people. Definitely an author to watch, in my opinion. This book will not be for everyone, but it will stay with me for some time.

A "new adult" book that truly aligns with the interests of readers of more traditional adult books. The spare writing style gets us straight to the core of the very interesting characters without wasting words or slowing down the plot. Something different to recommend to readers of mainstream women's fiction, particularly if they are looking to expand their horizons to read something fresher and more modern.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The story of two friends trying to determine their exact "relationship status" over the course of several years (from high school thru college), it felt like this story could have been one chapter had the characters just stopped and had an honest conversation with each other. so much about this book has to do with what is unsaid between people, and while some readers might respond to that, I found it insanely frustrating. that being said, the writing is very eloquent and I can see why Rooney has a lot of fans.

after reading this love story between these two college students, i was left feeling exhausted and drained. i admire the authors writing, but in the end i am flummoxed by all the hype this book had.

I have so many conflicting feelings about this book. The writing was beautiful, but it was such a deeply sad book that I had a difficult time reading it and had to set it aside several times. I literally felt like I had a huge weight on my chest the entire time I was reading it- which was, maybe, the point. It’s definitely a testament to the author’s talent that she is so adept at drawing you into the characters’ depression and other feelings so intensely.

This was such an interesting look into a co-dependent relationship that spanned from teenagers to adults. I would have liked to have had a happier ending where their personal issues got resolved so their relationship could have worked out..

I throughly enjoyed reading the coming of age story of Connell and Marianne. I kept wanting to find out what would happen nex5 in their relationship to see if they would find their way back together. I would definitely recommend it,

I read fiction for entertainment, while this story was interesting, I wasn't at all entertained. The main characters of this were sad people, not at all normal. At least not MY normal. Marianne has an on and off fling with Connell since high school. They clearly love each other but are never together. The dynamic was weird, I think I just couldn't relate to any of the characters hence why the book was meh for me. Marianne was clearly living in an abused home which made me sad for her. If you read this, I would love to hear what you thought. It's one of those books one can love and another can hate it. I'm somewhere in the middle.

I finished this book as it went fairly quickly. I felt that it did not end up anywhere. I am not sure if it was my connection to the characters or the somewhat disjointed writing style. At the end of the day...I really didn’t not enjoy it. I just wanted something to happen...or maybe some deeper thoughts?!? I did finish it...but honestly, if I had not viewed the amazing reviews, I feel I would have put it down. I kept expecting it to get better and at the end of the day....it did not for me 😟.

I was very intrigued to read Normal People by Sally Rooney as I have heard such varying responses from the book community. I have not read any of Rooney's writing previously, so her storytelling style was totally new for me. Normal People is a character study and definitely isn't plot driven so if you are looking for a fast-paced read this might not be the right fit. We meet Marianne and Connell and follow them through adolescence and into early adulthood.

This reads a bit like a YA novel but it is quite deep and while I can't say that I enjoyed reading it, I did get a lot out of it. I appreciate that Rooney was able to able to take on such important topics like class, social status and mental health issues which all played into the relationship between these two main characters in so many different ways. It is an awkward and depressing novel but it also caused me to do a lot of reflection as the reader.

While I can't say that I loved this book, I am glad I read it and I applaud Rooney for writing a book that covered so many uncomfortable yet powerful topics while not using them to "hype up" her storytelling. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.