REVIEW: Normal People by Sally Rooney

Not for the first time Marianne thinks cruelty does not only hurt the victim, but the perpetrator also, and maybe more deeply and more permanently.

I hate to say it and I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t enjoy it. I’ve heard such mixed reviews and fancied giving it a try, but it just wasn’t for me.

The book follows the journey of two young adults as they progress from High School to College in Ireland.

Connell and Marianne are totally different people, but are drawn to one another despite their social standing amongst peers. As a result, they hide their connection. This changes when they move to College and Marianne finds her feet and gains new friends.

The book touches on themes through the experience of Connell and Marianne which are definitely important to discuss. Power, class, first love, family struggles, temptations and mental health and abuse – to name a few.

I found the prose was simplistic and easy to read. However, I often found myself drifting away from the story. The characters were well developed and I could empathise their experiences, but, the actual discussion of important issues just scratched the surface. To me, there was something missing.

This is a book I might have enjoyed more if I was younger, maybe? It just really didn’t do it for me!

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Grace x