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.

Usually, after I finish a book, I obviously know whether I liked it or not. With this one, I just could NOT get my thoughts together. If someone else read this and said to me, "wow, I loved that!" I would completely understand why. Likewise, if someone said they hated it, I could relate to that too. LOL. However, this book was not what I expected and I read it in two very busy days, so I absolutely enjoyed the experience. I also can't believe the author is only 28 years old. These words are so well done. I didn't completely love either of the main characters, but the plot and the way it followed the characters over time with some ups and downs in both of their lives was just so good. I hesitate to recommend this wholeheartedly without any reservations, but I know it will be sought out widely this summer and I can understand why.

I see the appeal of this novel. It's punctuation reminds of of Irvine Welsh's writing and like Rooney, they both bring solid storytelling from across the Atlantic. A nice gear shift for folks reading exclusively American fiction.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley.

This book has been all over the place the last several weeks -- newspapers, magazines, Twitter. The story revolves around Marianne and Connell. They are teenagers in Ireland at the outset of the book. They attend the same high school but seem to have little else in common. Marianne is a loner from an upperclass family. Connell's single mother cleans Marianne's family home. The book explores the complex relationship that develops between the two through high school and later in college, with themes of obsession and class , a worthy read.

How do two damaged people, who long for nothing more than to be “normal”, navigate the intricacies of a relationship? This book tore my heart out and stomped on it, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Marianne and Connell become acquainted when his mother is the housekeeper for her family. Marianne’s family is wealthy, but she is the smart, nerdy, unattractive girl who is an outcast at school while Connell, also smart, is the popular jock. They enter into a relationship that he wants to keep secret. Marianne doesn’t feel as if she deserves anything more than this and so accepts these terms. The relationship has its ups and downs and neither can communicate well with the other.

Circumstances occur that drive them apart but their paths cross in college and they find their positions are reversed. Marianne is now the sophisticated, popular girl while Connell’s lower socioeconomic status makes him feel unworthy. He is now the unpopular one who is the outsider.

In the ensuing years, they drift in and out of each other’s lives. As the reader, we are privy to their innermost thoughts and desires, their longings and their pain. We know their sensitivities, and what makes them tick. We learn details of their backgrounds and the resulting pain and hurt.

Sometimes the damage and the pain is just too deep to reveal oneself to another. It’s better to bury it and deny it, to pretend to not care as a defense mechanism. The truth is you care very much, but you don’t feel deserving of love and kindness. Such a person often turns to unhealthy ways of managing their pain. When I discovered one of Marianne’s coping mechanisms it was devastating.

“Deep down she knows she is a bad personality, corrupted, wrong, and all her efforts to be right, to have the right opinions, to say the right things, these efforts only disguise what is buried inside her, the evil part of herself.”

On seeing two friends happy together… “It gives Marianne a window into real happiness, though a window she cannot open herself or ever climb through.”

I loved the way the author portrayed these characters as so very flawed, but gave us the information we needed to understand them. There’s so much pain in their young lives that it made my heart hurt.

Connell’s is just as broken:
“he had just wanted to be normal, to conceal the parts of himself that he found shameful and confusing.”
“…internally he felt nothing. He was like a freezer item that had thawed too quickly on the outside and was melting everywhere, while the inside was still frozen solid.”

Can these two people ever find happiness? Not just with each other, but with life in general. My heart broke, then grew hopeful, and then broke again.

I read the majority of this novel in one sitting. I could not tear myself away. The writing is gorgeous and I’m in awe that someone so young has such insight into the human heart and can write in a way that delivers such an emotional punch.

Books that delve deep into a character’s psyche are my favorite types of reads. They deliver all the emotions that makes for an unforgettable read. People who walk around with invisible scars that make them feel unworthy and ‘less than’ touch me deeply.

Sometimes, you just need to read a book with a friend in order to truly appreciate its beauty of writing and sadness in its telling. Jan and I had so much to say and speak about in this story that it made us both realize what a wonderful book this was. Any book that makes for a road traveled through darkness and despair can certainly be one that encourages deep and meaningful thoughts and words. Normal People was just such a book.

In this age of instant communication, texts, email, social media, we do think that we make instant connections, that people understand us, they get us and we get them. However, what is often left unsaid, contained within our mind, might just be the link to our happiness. For the two main protagonists in this book, their communication with one another never really happens for one is ever so afraid to open up herself and the other is afraid of the social strata he thinks he just can never attain.

Marianne, is a troubled young woman, a pariah in high school, an abused child who retreats into her shell and allows no one to invade her inner self. She knows Connell, a fellow student, the son of a woman who is a maid to her family so when they strike up a relationship initially sexual in nature, but then it develops into something more. Their relationship is kept ever so secret, and they avoid each other so awkwardly in social situations that it is painful to read of their struggles.

Connell is attracted to Marianne. He is the handsome, out going, brilliant student who looks like, on the surface, to have it all. But, he too, harbors major insecurities and when both Marianne and Connell head off to Trinity College, those deep devils embedded in both their psyches begin to emerge in force. They both feel unworthy, Marianne feels she should be abused for that is what she deserves,“There’s always been something inside her that men have wanted to dominate, and their desire for domination can look so much like attraction, even love.” while Connell feels that he just does not belong, lacking the thing he thinks makes the world go round.“That's money, the substance that makes the world real. There's something so corrupt and sexy about it”
They are both intellectually brilliant, but in matters of the heart and living, they are ever so lacking.

This is such a sad tale, for these two people thrown together through their young lives, love and care for one another. Problem is one is ever so afraid to let it be known because she feels she deserves abuse, while the other can't seem to feel he is worthy of anything, especially love. As they grow into young adults their roles reverse as Marianne becomes what Connell once was and Connell becomes what Marianne was. It's a story of words unspoken, of thoughts not expressed, of two lives that should have melded together and yet are worlds apart. Neither one of them feels worthy of love, worthy of holding a place on this earth, and the tragedy of this story is that they might never find out that they are destined to be with one another.

Sally Rooney has written a tale of heartbreak and hopelessness. She takes us deep inside her characters, allowing the reader to truly see their melancholy and misery. In this world of people portraying their lives so openly on social media platforms is this story really the way many people are, insecure, forlorn, and in misery? Or is it that these two characters are so psychologically broken that their chances for happiness will never happen and they will go through their lives broken, dejected, and disheartened? It's their fear and their thought that they deserve misery that drives them. This is a tale of woe, depression, and despondency.
Thanks you to Sally Rooney, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for a copy of this book

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To be honest I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book so much, but I really did. Normal People explores the (dysfunctional) “relationship” over several years between Marianne and Connell, and it was really enjoyable to follow the ups and downs as they essentially grew up and matured, and the effect doing so had on their dynamic. Sometimes quite sad, a little frustrating... but this was a very honest story of two people who seem to sort of be misfits, but keep gravitating back towards each other. I give this book a solid five stars.

What seems like a simple premise – an on again off again relationship - turns into a well-executed story about two people finding themselves in the world. Connell and Marianne are tethered to each other and I was more than happy to go on the journey with such fully developed characters. Not a light story, but a real one that felt very authentic.

An examination of two young people in love -- as it develops from high school through college. Marianne is something of an outcast in high school -- rich, friendless and abused by her family. C is her popular classmate whose mother cleans Marianne's house. While their love story is a good one, the character of Marianne troubled me. She seemed so sad -- ignored and abused by her family. And used by C for sex during high school -- although he later professes his love for her and ends up being a long time friend. Although he rarely says what he means, which makes him hard to figure out. There are also references to Marianne asking boyfriends to hurt her during sex. I just wanted her to get help and care for herself -- not for herself in relation to other people.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC. This book has been raved about in the Bookstagram world and I was excited to receive this. The short review is my personal opinion and I disclose that I only read 1/4 of the book.

I feel like the published synopsis did not adequately prepare me for this choice. I liked the premise of the story. Son of housekeeper and daughter of mother’s employer fall in love. I found that it primarily circled around the sex lives of Connell and Marianne and the characters rather shallow, but had the writing a bit more descriptive in terms of character development without all the sex, it would have more potential. I do appreciate receiving this ARC, but life is too short and my bookshelf too big to continue.
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There was so much excitement **see award list below) about NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney that I was looking forward to reading this new novel. Sadly, I am joining the relatively small group of readers who found that this book did not "click" for them. In general, the content felt a bit too mature for high school students, despite the main characters being college students in Dublin. Decide for yourself since reviewers like Booklist, however, did recommend NORMAL PEOPLE as a read for teens, saying, "Connell and Marianne are brilliant young adult characters in every sense; themes of sexual discovery as well as abuse may help mature literary-fiction readers process these things themselves." This novel could definitely be classed as a coming of age story and it received multiple starred reviews (Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly).

**WINNER OF The An Post Irish Book Award * WINNER of the Costa Novel Award * Longlisted for: The Man Booker Prize * The Dylan Thomas Prize * The Women's Prize For Fiction * The Rathbones Folio Prize * The Kerry Group Irish Novel Of The Year Award

Marianne Sheridan is a misfit in school, with a wealthy, but abusive family.
Connell Waldron is a popular, athletic schoolmate, whose loving single mother is a house cleaner for them.
They forge an odd, secretive friendship, that deepens into a clandestine relationship. Connell is afraid to lose his popularity and Marianne is too proud to acknowledge his silence.
Once they go off to college, their roles seem to reverse. Marianne makes friends easily, while Connell feels awkward and uncomfortable.
They are still strongly connected, but date other people.
Marianne enters into a series of threatening, self-destructive affairs.
Connell becomes depressed as he struggles to find himself.
Their lack of communication leads to misunderstandings between them, and their on and off relationship.
How can they save each other, if they can't save themselves?
The writing was brilliant in this frustrating and heartbreaking story. I cared so deeply for the characters, and felt such sadness for them.
I was a bit let down by the ending, but felt it was in keeping with the story.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I've now read both of her books. She's an interesting, unusual storyteller and I look forward to reading more of her work. I liked this one more than her debut, and though I was at times ambivalent over elements of the story I do find the work worthy and affecting. And for what it's worth, I think the focus on her age does not illuminate much. She's not a millennial novelist; she's a novelist.

I thought this book had a great character development, specially related to depression and how it looks and feels different for everyone. I applaud the author for bringing more light to this hot topic. I just wish there had been a deeper more interesting plot line for the two main characters. Overall: liked the characters, well written, good read.

This relationship is focused around MArianne and Connell, two people from two different socioeconomic class and status in from high school to the later years. A beautifully crafted book and character description, that makes them so imperfectly perfect. the stories and life experiences that Sally Rooney describes of both the characters are very much applicable to a very normal experience/person's life in the real world, which then, Normal people, the title is a fitting title.

A love story, yet also a relationship that talks about support systems and whatnot in the midst of negative experiences such as sexual assaults and whatnot.

I personally really appreciate this book, and can really relate to it to some extent. Will be reading more of Sally Rooney's writing.
Lived up to its hype!!!!

Oh what a heartbreaking book. The characters are so flawed but so real. This won't be everyone's cup of tea but it's just brilliant.

{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
An Intense Character Study – Normal People is the story of Connell and Marianne and their ever-changing relationship. It dives deep in to the psyches of each and into the complicated dynamics of their feelings for each other. As the story opens the two seem fairly normal for high school kids. Both are extremely intelligent, going back and forth for the top spots in every class. He’s the popular jock with lots of friends. She’s the nerdy girl no one wants to be friends with. He’s shy. She’s willing to speak her mind whether people like it or not. They both live with single moms. His had him at 18 and works as a maid in Marianne’s home. Hers, a wealthy lawyer, largely ignores Marianne. He never knew who his father was. Marianne feels relief hers died. Near the end of high school a spark grows between the two and slowly an intimate relationship begins, but Connell, fearing what his friends might think, insists they keep it secret. Marianne, happy for any connection, readily agrees.

As the book moves forward, jumping weeks or months between chapters, we learn more and more about these two people as they navigate the complicated world at Trinity College and beyond. There, Marianne is in her element, whereas Connell becomes lost.

“She smiled back at him and then lifted her coffee cup. At that moment he thought: just as their relationship in school had been on his terms, their relationship now was on hers. But she’s more generous, he thought. She’s a better person.”

Marianne’s many ghosts begin haunting her, and she often turns to self-medication (in many different forms) to keep them at bay. Connell, increasingly confused about his life, feels isolated even when surrounded by people. The older they grow, the more complex, the more heartbreaking their problems become.

Emotionally Charged – I found the emotional side of these two characters to be beautifully written. Sally Rooney presented you with two very flawed, often frustrating characters, but also gave you background to understand them. Connell, on the surface looks to be the more stable of the two, but as we move through the book we see his uncertainties about most everything tear him apart.

“Internally he felt nothing. He was like a freezer item that had thawed too quickly on the outside and was melting everywhere, while the inside was still frozen solid. Somehow he was expressing more emotion than at any time in his life before, while simultaneously feeling less, feeling nothing.”

He strives to be a “good person,” but where Marianne is concerned, is he? Money didn’t prevent Marianne from having a childhood that never stops haunting her life. Men have let her down time and time again, and Connell is part of that group.

“There’s always been something in her that men have wanted to dominate, and their desire for domination can look so much like attraction, even love.”

She loves him, but can she count on him? And, why can’t these two people who love each other so much find clearer paths of communication? These questions are central to the emotional journey that is Normal People. and the ride is a bumpy, even painful one. This book is a gut punch.

What Didn’t
Triggers – To be honest, the entire story of Normal People needed to be told exactly the way it was. Personally, I wouldn’t want anything to be different. However, I know some people can be sensitive to scenes of abuse, both with and without sex involved, so be warned.

{The Final Assessment}
I just loved Normal People. Rooney delivered a gorgeous story of deep, deep friendship that was also terribly flawed. Each needed much from the other, and yet feared the vulnerability of asking. The push and pull of their relationship broke my heart and kept me turning the pages. Normal People was definitely a love story, but so much more and that’s the only sort of love story for me. Grade: A

Note: I received a copy of this book from Hogarth (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book; I really did, but for real, who doesn't use quotation marks?! The dialogue was way too stream-of-consciousness for me and I had to constantly stop and figure out whether it was an internal thought or an actual conversation. Also, the narrators talk in such an apathetic manner. It made the books disinteresting and not enjoyable. In the end i had to DNF it