It’s always nice to come back to Sally Rooney’s world. I can’t think of any other authors right now that have such a distinct and recognizable writing style. It truly feels like you’re in the characters’ brains.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the story on the 24th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber for this sampler!

Thank you Netgalley and Faber for providing me with this sample.

Sally Rooney is back with a sharp writing and a complex narrative -as always. This sample is 50 pages long, but the first five already draw you into the lives and the world of the characters. I can't wait to experience the range of greys -and blues- in this book. I'm so ready for it to have me staring at the ceiling.

absolutely what i needed and i’ve just read 2 chapters…

dare i say that it could be my fav from her?

seriously i’ve already underlined a lot of quotes…

*rtc when i will fully read the book*

Thank you NetGalley & Faber for providing me with a sampler of this book ahead of its release in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve always admired Sally Rooney’s work—Normal People is a masterpiece in my eyes—but I found myself struggling with this new book.

While her signature introspective writing style is present, I had a hard time following the plot and connecting with the characters in the same way I’ve done in the past. I’m hoping the full book offers more clarity, but for now, I’m left feeling a bit disconnected.

Hooked from the very first page. Can't wait to read more. Have a feeling I will love this! Such beautiful writing and a story that is fully immersive. Have loved all her books and this looks to be another form favourite.

Intermezzo captures the nuanced interplay of relationships, conversations and emotions in a writing style that is both introspective but also simple and lyrical. Althought not being very familiar with Rooney’s work, I was delightfully surprised by her gorgeous writing.

The characters felt deeply human, flawed and relatable, and their dialogues were a standout. Ivan Koubek, in specific, felt like a real person with his sheer awkwardness, inner dialogue and dilemmas.

It’s to be highlighted that what i’m reviewing is only a 2 chapter sample of a 464 page book, thus my rating choice. While the snippet I was so kindly allowed to read was enjoyable, it didn’t leave me with a earning to read more. For those who appreciate Rooney’s work, i bet this book will not dissapoint, and for those searching for character-driven narratives, this one is for you. If you’re not intrigued by either one of these options, perhaps this might not be her most memorable work to date.

Thank you Netgallery for the opportunity to read Intermezzo (Sampler) by Sally Rooney

Even though this ARC was for a few chapters i felt I wanted more and super intrigued to continue reading this story. I love Sally Rooney writing so will be buying the book to read more.

I thought that it would be hard to judge a book by its first 50 pages, but in this case you can clearly feel that you're reading an amazing book. It's been a while since I read Sally Rooney, but the first sentences transported me back into her world. I absolutely love her poetic style, and the way she turns mundane things into fascinating. Intermezzo is a story of two brothers dealing with life and love after the death of their father. After just two chapters (one for each brother), we know what to expect from this book and understand our characters. I got really invested in this story and I will be picking up a copy of this book after its release.

Just a sample of Rooney's beautiful new work! I am more than excited to get my copy. Thank you for the sneak peak.

It's aggressively overwritten and I think what I'm learning is I will only ever like Normal People, as the rest of Rooney's works have been no-go's for me.

This is just a sample of Sally Rooney’s upcoming novel so unable to provide full feedback or a review at this stage.

Loved this sample and can’t wait to read the whole book when it’s out!
Once I re- orientated myself to Rooney’s ways of writing without speech marks, I enjoyed Peter’s introduction, and then was very touched by the Ivan and Margaret relationship.

The first two chapters were a joy to read. I felt a little unsettled by the writing style of Peter's character at first, yet I was left wanting to read more. Chapter two was absolutely gorgeous. I felt an instant love for Ivan and Margaret. I can't wait to get my hands on a full copy of this book.

I used to have—or used to want to have—a rather black-and-white perception of what made a person bad. Fiction complicated this.

When I watched “Normal People,” I wondered how differently I might have felt about it if I had read the novel first. I thought I needed the visual of a character who caused harm having obvious feelings about it—when no one was around to see it—to empathize, and believe them.

But Sally Rooney doesn’t write with one set focalizer. Though I don’t know that I trust written thought as easily as expressed human emotion, it hinders readers from judging a person without knowing their truth.

Rooney’s stories are naked, and as enthralling as they are suffocating.


Thank you to Faber & Faber and NetGalley for the sample ARC! I dread and long to carry on.

Thoroughly loved this. Can’t wait to read the whole book.!!! 5 stars for sure. Salley Rooney has done it again like she always does

Reeled me in from the first line & left wanting so much more. Bring on release date. I need this in my life!

This was a sampler so please bear that in mind. I am unable to review the full book at this time as I only received a sampler.

As with all Sally Rooney's books, this was a fascinating portrait into humanity, in all its shades. Her writing as always pulls you in, effortlessly making you care about the characters and their lives. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book.

The first thing I thought when picking up Sally Rooney's latest novel was that I would once again experience the author's full, well-rounded storytelling. As expected, the novel features two protagonists—brothers Peter and Ivan—explored in depth, focusing on details that allow the reader to know them so well they almost become like friends. The interpersonal relationships they weave are told richly and engagingly. At the same time, the brothers' mindsets are portrayed and differentiated, making it possible for each to stand as a separate, unique entity, and feel realistic in their entirety.

Current themes are also well described, and the author’s take on the internet is well presented but never becomes the story's main focus, so the reader is never overly engulfed by it. By the end of the novel, the reader is left with the awareness of having read a complex book, characterized by an engrossing plot and intertwined with deep themes such as the relationship with mortality (stemming from the brothers having to come to terms with their father’s death from cancer), illness, faith, and many other contemporary issues that are deeply explored here. All of this, combined with Rooney's sharp and precise writing, makes this one of her most accomplished and certainly the most immersive novels she has written.

A complete review will be published on my blog (medium.com/@inabookhole) next week.

This is a sampler so not a complete story. I found it hard to get into the story as the writing is not my style as it seemed like a stream of consciousness.

Disclaimer: I'm a huge Sally Rooney fan, but was somewhat hesitant going into Intermezzo. On the surface, it doesn't really appear that captivating to me, but holy moly I was entrenched the second I started reading.

While this was only a sampler, reading Peter and then Ivan's point of views were so precise, unique, quintessentially Rooney. While Peter's read as a stream of consciousness and want for escape, Ivan's read like honest attempt at socialisation and communication mixed with desire.

As I said, I didn't really need that much convincing, but just this short snippet of Intermezzo has me waiting impatiently for the next five days to be over with so I can read the whole thing!