I let TikTok influence me into reading Normal People and I don’t want to say that I’m disappointed but I do now understand my taste in books. I love fantasy; dragons, magic, fae! I love romance: steamy open-door scenes, big grand gestures, a happily ever after. What I’m not a fan of is my characters suffering relentlessly and being so stubborn that I want to chuck my Kindle across the room. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on Normal People.
Title: Normal People Author: Sally Rooney Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Drama Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Some Version of Manic Pixie Dream Girl??, Friends with Benefits, Secret Romance, Two Worlds Collide, Wrong Timing, Coming of Age My Rating: 
Synopsis:
“At school, Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, the star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers – one they are determined to conceal.” – Goodreads
My Thoughts:
Writing Style: The writing was very personal and deep. It was often uncomfortable because I felt like I was listening in on a private conversation. Characters: Marianne and Connell were two very simple characters and I often felt frustrated with how stale their interactions were. I don’t know if this is because I listened to the audiobook along with reading the e-book, but I felt very bored by their interactions and was more so interested in their interactions with other characters Romance: The romance was minimal in my opinion. In no way did I feel like kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl but again, this isn’t that type of story. Normal People is a romance that focuses on the most difficult parts of love and relationships and how sometimes, it is difficult to love someone, especially if you don’t love yourself. Plot & Pacing: I was hooked but my main motivation stemmed from wanting to watch the show (because of Paul Mescal lol) I did feel an obligation to finish it because I wanted to know if they finally came to their senses, but overall it took me longer to finish this one because it felt slow at times. Vibes: Vibes were emotional, depressing, dramatic, and heartbreaking. These characters deal with so much trauma and mental illness, that it is hard not to feel sorry for them.
Who Would Love This Book?
If you like stories with deep plot lines and stories where the characters were GOING THROUGH IT, then Normal People would be a great choice for you.
Read This If You Like:The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – a great coming-of-age story that hurts my soul but will always be a favorite of mine One Day (the show, movie, book – all of it) – One Day is similar in that it takes place over years in their relationship and you are just praying they finally get together. Looking for Alaska by John Green – another coming-of-age story featuring an FMC and MMC that find love to be very difficult and complicated
Content Warnings: This story contains sexual assault, suicide ideation, and an off-page suicide of a side character. One of the characters is self-destructive and both main characters suffer from mental illness.
Like always, please don’t let my experience reading this book stop you from experiencing it yourself. I think I learned my lesson and will stick with my happily ever after’s and rom-coms.
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