Normal People

Jackie.Davidson shared a tip "My first read from Sally Rooney. Engaging, disturbing, and tender. What a great storyteller. Could not put this down. Looking forward to more of her work."

katelynn_smith_4550 shared a tip "this is definitely a book i wish i could read again for the first time. sally rooney is now one of my favs bc of this book and i love the relationship/friendship storyline between the main characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5."

golene shared a tip "Book talk made me read it, but this is the first rec that I actually didn’t enjoy. From the breaking up to getting back together to the guy thinking he’s better than the girl and being ashamed, I didn’t really like this read. It took me awhile and a lot of pressing to get through the book. (And it was a fairly short read at that). Maybe that’s for you, but it didn’t work for me. Sorry!"

beverly_martinez_7685 shared a tip "At first I didn’t like the slow aspect of this book but quickly I started to love it, watching them grow together then apart and then just hold onto each other was so humane and heart breaking. “No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not.”"

cinnamongirll shared a tip "Sally Rooney always writes the most engaging stuff. I love her character development and how she writes terrible people, that you somehow have sympathy for. Marianne and Connell are so self involved and they frustrate me with the decisions they make, however, the characters are somehow interesting and I like them in a way I guess? But seriously, if they just communicated, so many of their issues would be solved, omg."

val_roche shared a tip "I did enjoy the story, but one thing that did bother me while reading was the lack of quotation marks which made the dialogue sometimes difficult to follow"

annika_nicolas shared a tip "I personally felt this book depressing. In a way, that these relationships in modern age are sometimes unavoidable; When two lonely people find comfort in each other and mistake it for love."

ruth_schaffer shared a tip "I like Sally Rooney’s writing style. However the dynamic between Marianne and Connell was just weird and hard to understand. And they were both a little unlikeable. Not sure if that was intended by the author or not."

mac.xo716 shared a tip "“My son tells me you're ignoring his phone calls, Lorraine added. Marianne paused, and the silence in the kitchen was loud in her ears, like the white noise of rushing water. Yes, she said. I am, I suppose. Good for you, said Lorraine. He doesn't deserve you” 👏❤️‍🔥 i loved Lorraine, I would have jumped out the car too 😶😤"

justice_slaughter shared a tip "I loved everything about this book, heartbreaking and yet very realistic . paints a very difficult picture of things people don’t like to confront and how our actions and treatment affects others especially in a vulnerable relationship between lovers"

grace_young_111 shared a tip "Sally Rooney is my hero. As a die hard romcom fan, I really appreciated her perspective on a normal relationship with normal people living normal lives. It was so relatable and strangely comforting knowing that love doesn’t always have to be grand gestures or meet cutes and sometimes it’s complicated, and that’s the beauty of it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"

cresswellforever shared a tip "This book was very tender and relatable. I was invested in Marianne and Connel’s dynamic from the first few pages. Marianne has to be one of the most realistic characters I’ve ever read about."

sara_moody_755 shared a tip "even though i do not have similar experiences, i still deeply connected with Marianne and Connell. the ending was really a let down, and made me really mad. this book really makes you invested, so if you don’t have a lot of time to read, make some if you want to read this book!"

sarah_ntu shared a tip "This book did not have much of a plot, and I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. The author doesn’t use quotation marks when a character is speaking, so it’s kind of confusing. I got through half of the book then stopped because I felt like I was just wasting my time :("

kate_double shared a tip "I don’t know that I “disliked” it but it initially, but it was somewhat boring and lacking in depth. I kept waiting to understand the plot. Only in the last third of the book did it start to “capture” me and I better understood what people liked about it."

desteny_nichols shared a tip "Half way through it and while I enjoy the plot and characters, its so annoying that there isn’t quotations when people are speaking."

aisha_moreno shared a tip "This is one of the first books I read that made me fall in love with reading. I do not recommend watching the show before reading the book because it doesn’t attract the same emotions and reactions when you emerald the book. Also I didn’t really like the show as I did with the book. 3.5/5 stars"

sam.mcd shared a tip "7/10. i liked the plot and most of the characters. Lorraine was my absolute favorite. the only thing is i felt like the ending was dragged out. i found myself just wanting the book to be done because i was bored."

Cinnamon_ shared a tip "It was highkey really depressing. I also enjoyed reading it. I related to the two characters it focuses on quite a bit. Would def recommend this book to people who like sad romance books."

taylor_hawkins_8110 shared a tip "I really don’t see what the hype is about.. it was pretty boring imo. The plot was all too familiar in my own life, making it super predictable."

jessica_smith_6650 shared a tip "Wasn’t sure about the writing style at first, but definitely fell in love with the writing style as well as the story and characters by the end, to me things felt unresolved I need to know more about what the future looks like for Marianne and Connell"

giulia_books shared a tip "I felt that the plot was predictable and overrated. But, I’ve also never liked books about kids in high school so if that’s your jam, then this is a great book!"

allie_g36 shared a tip "Over the top sexually, but an incredible coming of age story between two characters who couldn’t be more different. Rooney’s writing style captures your attention, even in the most basic scenes."

ellaclaire shared a tip "this was the first book i read when i got into my reading phase, and it just seemed like such a let down for me :/ it seemed to have no climax or plot, just full of sex and stuff idk was just boring but i read it all anyway"

nofeelingisfinal shared a tip "an exploration of a romance that is facing obstacles TW // Abuse (physical, emotional) Alcohol use Anxiety Bullying Death Death of a parent (past) Depression Disordered eating Domestic violence Drug use Sexual assault Suicide ideation Suicide Toxic relationships Violence"

myah_womer shared a tip "I’m so unsure on how I feel about this book. The writing felt too immature for the time that the book spans. The older the characters got I wanted to writing to be more mature. However, I love the storyline! Great depiction of what real world love can look like"

amber_crook_1042 shared a tip "Not unreadable, justa bit dry and felt like it had no real direction.. definitely not for you if you prefer a satisfying ending.. didn't hate it, just really disappointed."

allofakind shared a tip "Honestly, this book took me a while to decide if I liked it or not. I read it in a book club and many people had the opinion that actually, no, they did not like it. Or, rather, they didn't like the characters. But we all came to the same consensus: no matter how absolutely awful Marianne and Connell were to each other, they truly were so relatable and unfortunately normal people. Honestly, I liked Connell. I think he was awful at the beginning, but he was also still just a kid, and Marianne ended up going through so much worse than him just not telling anyone about their relationship. He ends up struggling with anxiety and even depression and I think I related quite well to him, in that he felt like my more inner self. I also found myself relating to Marianne, in the ways her relationships devolved over the years, her constantly searching for a guy but believing she didn't deserve a good one. Luckily for me, I was able to escape that before I got too badly scarred, but we can't say the same for Marianne. My book club decided that the reason we all did not like the main characters is because they were too realistic. They were making decisions that they shouldn't have made, out of pure emotion or lack of communication, and it was frustrating. But that's what normal people do, now isn't it?"

chanse_reddick shared a tip "I’d have to say there wasn’t an exact moment where I fell in love with it but right when Connell called Marianne and left her that voicemail before heading off to college. I’d say that held the momentum for the story right there and it set up for much more down the line. Overall a great read!"

shams_wagdy shared a tip "She has such a special style of writing. Im not usually into romance books, and reading the synopsis of this book made me hesitant, but trust me. Give it a try. Her ability to express things like anxiety in a character without out right going “connell was anxious”, like damn! She knows how to write. And i live anti heroes or characters with proper flaws not just easy to like characters."

cindy_englehardt shared a tip "I loved Normal People as well! I’m reading Ninth House right now by Leigh Bardugo. It’s a fantasy novel. I really like it so far."

kaitlyn_kearns_2522 shared a tip "This book was so boring and it took everything in me to not DNF. the characters were not relatable at all and I could not stand the constant miscommunication/lack of communication. One of my least favorite books I read this year."

brittany_k_9506 shared a tip "It's a book about nothing, the plot drags, the characters are unlikable, and nothing happens, just a repeated cycle over and over again"

shahanaz_bhuiyan shared a tip "A beautiful book about two complex persons. Very relatable. Very touching story. One of favorite book of all time! #drama #emotional #complex #heartwarming"

sarah_springer_7138 shared a tip "Verity by Colleen Hoover, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, and One Day in December by Josie Silver all got 5 stars from me!!"

hailey_mathieson shared a tip "the people in this book are deep and have issues, just like a regular person. it made me realize how you grow up shapes you into the person you will become, so it’s important that you grow up in a healthy household. connell and marianne surprise me a lot in this book with the decisions they make for their relationship. the ending was confusing and shocking to me. not a jaw dropping book, didn’t make me cry, just confused and changed the way i see relationships and childhoods."

alliegrooms shared a tip "A modern classic, Normal People tells a story about two people from two different world’s who come together in the most generic, yet extraordinary way. Rooney writes of love, heart break, and all the complications of life in between."

emily_mitchell_5239 shared a tip "I really enjoyed the series and the book brought deeper understanding of the characters. That said, the series does a really good job so it’s not one where I say the book is a must. #tv_shows_that_were_books"

justine_somogyi shared a tip "Ooh, that’s a tough one. I think One True Thing and Every Last One by Anna Quindlen are up there for me. Also really loved A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara."

hayrah shared a tip "the plot confused me a lot,,, i loved marianne & connell’s friendship a lot tho. the writing was absolutely amazing n made the book way better than it actually is. (2.5-3/5)"

elizabeth_avalos shared a tip "Agree with others who said the show was better than the book. I think that’s because the book presents the characters as a bit more dull and flat than they are intended. The events in this book are so dependent on the unspoken intricacies in relationships such as body language and tone that it doesn’t always translate when reading."

darian_marquez shared a tip "The whole book is great, but the part that stuck out to me was the scene where Marian asked Connell to hurt her and he refused. It was such a symbolic scene, because it showed how much he truly respected and care about her. As well as the hurt and guilt Marian felt. If anything that whole chapter where that happen was great. Connell warning Marian's brother to never hurt her again, and just showing Marian that she didn't deserve to be punished. Wbu?"

s_r_366 shared a tip "It’s been hard to find a book that is both profound, and a compelling romance like this one is. But recently, I’ve really enjoyed The Hating Game and The Kiss Quotient, which are definitely in a different genre, but enjoyable reads nonetheless."

whitney_anderson_6202 shared a tip "I watched the show before reading the book. I loved the vulnerability of the show and was not disappointed after reading the book as well."

cuttingyourownbangs shared a tip "I liked the book, but it hurt my feelings. I’m glad I read it, but I don’t know if I would recommend it to a friend. But it was really quite good. Also, shout out to for another artist from Mayo doing the Northwest proud."

alicia_2671 shared a tip "After watching this miniseries I read the book! So obsessed with these characters and Marianne has probably become my all time favorite fictional character."

ada_r shared a tip "I hated and loved this book at the same time; there was honestly no plot but I just grew so attached to the characters, I didn’t want to stop reading about them"

izabell.Krystal shared a tip "This book shows you the minds of two people who are in love with each other but are so torn apart/affected by the words + opinions of the people in their worlds & by the brokeness of themselves that they dont realize how completely enamored with each other they are! Beautiful Book."

aubri_aly shared a tip "The song of achilles by Madeline Miller is really great but it's based on Greek mythology. Also, Daisy Jones and the six is one of my favorites by Taylor Jenkins read. Another great book is a list of cages by Robin roe but it deals with abuse grief etc."

aubri_aly shared a tip "The song of achilles by Madeline Miller is really great but it's based on Greek mythology. Also, Daisy Jones and the six is one of my favorites by Taylor Jenkins read. Another great book is a list of cages by Robin roe but it deals with abuse grief etc. Hope these help^"

brooke_bunte shared a tip "The writing style and natural characters were gripping — I finished this novel in 2.5 days. The tone of this book stands alone and uniquely against other coming of age novels."

jillian_summers shared a tip "It was a really good book to show relationships and how they change over time. Not really what I was expecting but would recommend. Really like her style of writing. 3/5 stars #romance #normalpeople #sallyrooney"

geny_teddy shared a tip "One of my all time favorites! I loved the realistic romance and depiction of anxiety, I also loved that I didnt really like that the author is not afraid to make her characters unlikable sometimes and yet still manages to make readers love them more."

abigale_lavigne shared a tip "A couple. I’ve finished Then She Was Gone and that was really good along with The Companion by Katie Alender and that was amazing"

o_b_180 shared a tip "Hi, I have several: The song of Achilles; Sometimes a great notion; Maybe you should talk to Someone; Oryx and Crake; Tiny Beautiful Things; the Elegance of the Hedgehog. What about you?"

brandie_register shared a tip "Recently I read a book called 'This Close to Okay' which I really enjoyed. It was a heavier read with a friendship formed out of struggles. My absolute favorite book that I have read recently isn't in the same genre. It is a kind-of mystery/romance. It's titled 'More Of Us to the West'. Disclaimer: It ends in a cliffhanger and the second novel will not be complete until late summer."

caitlin_walker_6099 shared a tip "could be sad at times, but really understands that everyone has there stuff they’re going through and that no one is really “normal”"

sienna_putmon shared a tip "Volume 1 and 2 of the poem book "Soft Thorns" is my new all time favorite. Also the mystery book " Notes on a Silencing " is amazing"

pame_ shared a tip "Honestly haven’t been reading much normal people adjacent books lately. Currently reading Rebecca by du maurier and sense and sensibility by Jane Austen"

christina_aje shared a tip "Great book i think my favorite part was when Marianne and Connell met each after highschool at a party it was funny to see how shocked Connell was when he saw her🤣"

briana_vargas_8825 shared a tip "Loved itttt, when I first finished it I was a little mad at the ending but then I realized I knew what was gonna happen anyways and it was just amazing. I loved how different Connell and Marianne are from every one else and how the understand eachother."

andrea_brudniak shared a tip "This book is an exemplary story about real and young love. The characters had such a strong connection that felt so real, along with its awkwardness. I do have to say the ending could have been better, it’s almost as if the author got bored and stopped writing. But I recommend it! It leaves you pondering on what true love is."

priscillaa.sandoval shared a tip "read the first half all in one night and loved it but the second half wasnt as good and the author would skip multiple months and i personally didn’t like it"

maddie_foradori_5390 shared a tip "I didn’t understand the point of this till I had almost finished it, but once I figured it out everything fit together like a giant puzzle. My first 5/5 in a while lol"

zoey_gonzales shared a tip "It’s a story about real people, real problems, real love, and real relationships! My main take is it’s real and there a certain comfort in that.1"

volsaire shared a tip "Absolutely loved it. Heart wrenching, fantastic piece of literary fiction. If you love classic novels and commentary, you will probably love this. The writing style mimics a stream of consciousness, so Rooney truly gets you into the head of the main characters. I found myself upset that the book was over, because I simply didn't want it to end. I could have read about these two for a very long time."

ella_leitman_dixon shared a tip "A book that changed my approach to romance for 500, Alex! This book made me need therapy and i’m still working through it. I love this novel and I love Paul Mescal and Daisy so the adaptation was a hit for me. Literally can’t wait for the next Rooney to drop."

ashley_colon_ramirez shared a tip "Overall a great story line. You are able to connect with the book in so many ways with real life events and emotions. I didn’t like her lack of quotations and using more of “she said”. I felt some parts of the book were dragging on, but then would grab my attention again. Easy read, very connective. Haven’t watched it on Hulu yet but interested to see how much the book is alike to the show."

charliekwon shared a tip "I think what made this book as powerful as it was, was the fact that it was so painful. I found myself in a limbo with this book, I couldn't really decide if I liked it or not until the end when I did decide that I did in fact like it, hence my 4 star rating. This book is a romance, not your typical romance, but one filled with frustration, angst, and horrible communication. But it's realistic. My first impression of this book was not the best, I found myself having trouble with getting used to the writing style. The lack of quotation marks was a red flag for me at first but as I kept reading, it surprisingly grew on me. Just like the characters themselves. Both Marianne and Connell have character flaws, and are unlikeable in their own ways, yet I constantly found myself rooting for them. The dynamic between the two characters was so intriguing, but it also made me want to throw the book across the room in frustration (a good kind? I don't know). Everything in this book just screams reasons why I should have hated it. I hated the Great Gatsby for some of the same reasons I liked this book. Rooney just bested Fitzgerald in creating character dynamics and relatable three dimensional characters that you couldn't not adore. I think one of the reasons why I liked this book so much was because of that struggle with figuring out whether I liked it or not, in some odd masochistic way. This book is weird and angsty and depressing yet I will always defend it to no end."

jayden_fitzgerald shared a tip "i liked this book a lot. the writing style made it feel a little slow and was a bit of an adjustment for me but the descriptions of anxiety and depression experienced by the characters felt very real and relatable in the best and worst ways. the characters were frustrating and made me want to scream when they just couldn’t get out of their own ways and communicate with one another but i think that just adds to the realness of the characters. 6/10"

bianca_harris_980 shared a tip "Overall this book was pretty good. The ending is not as I expected it to be, nor did it really please me. I wanted more out of the ending than was given."

julia_graff shared a tip "Worth the read definitely, but I almost want to describe it as messy or lazy. Sally Rooney could’ve done so much more with the characters and their developments throughout the timeline. And can we talk about the fact that she doesn’t use quotation marks for dialogue? That added a level of difficulty to reading it for sure. Favorite line: “People can really change one another.” All in all though, I think it tells a beautiful story of finding your person, no matter how long it may take."

eavan_kennedy shared a tip "Phenomenal. These character felt so very real and familiar; flawed, sympathetic, complex, and fighting for growth, just like so many on the precipice of adulthood. I loved these dynamic protagonists. I loved this book."

tiffany_barrios_6939 shared a tip "I feel like I'm in the minority with my dislike for this book, but man, it was a struggle. I powered through just to see if the end was better than the beginning but it wasn't. It was slow, the characters were boring, and the lack of freaking quotations drove me insane."

sophia_kotsariadis shared a tip "A grounded but still dramatic romance with genuine chemistry, and some really remarkable insights to human nature, emotions, art and even politics. A modern day classic, cannot wait to see this book in the future listed as "classic literature"."

marissa_grace_5438 shared a tip "At first it was very hard to get into, but then I got to the point where I had a hard time putting it down. The ending could have definitely been expanded though."

lucy_richardson_9109 shared a tip "I personally loved this book. It felt so real, the secrecy of love because of fear that others won’t understand. The emotions were so raw. The misunderstandings. The fear of vulnerability. Favorite book of the decade."

mia_rotell shared a tip "I didn’t hate this book but it’s also not one of my favorites. I felt like the whole book was just super awkward and their wasn’t a story line in a sense, I also really didn’t like Connell (but that’s just a me thing). However I feel like she did a good job creating the characters with making them as complex and “human-like” as you can. I like how the story bounced around and how realistic their relationship was. It was def more of a realistic, sad, romance. 3.5-4 stars out of 5."

becca_garicia shared a tip "So realistic when it comes to love, friendships, and relationships with toxic family members. I just found it super refreshing than a typical romance."