NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney

This is the last book club pick and it goes to show just how behind I am with my book reviews. There were so many waves around this book and I’ve been meaning to read it for a while but never purchased it. Instagram recommendations filled up my feed and I started feeling a bit annoyed. As it was chosen by one of the book nerds in the crew I had to just start reading. I am happy I managed to find it available at my local library and it gave me enough time to finish it.

NORMAL PEOPLE is a cute read, a lovely story that I got through fairly quickly and made me smile at times but I did consider it way overrated. A book about two teens, spread throughout few good years. The girl is in love with the boy and the boy screws her over. They break up and it all starts again and again. He suffers from some sort of anxiety and I can understand ll the questions in his head, the fears and dilemma but in the same time I considered him annoying as he couldn’t admit his love towards Marianne for such a long time. He just sleeps with her and dumps her and although he thinks so highly of her, he does the complete opposite of protecting and loving her.

Marianne and Connel are just normal people, living normal lives with ups and downs and sickness and health and riches and poors. I just read a book about two people and I dreamed that towards the end, things will sort out, some miracle will happen or just anything as a matter of fact.

I thought they would finally be a nice couple, like they found that domestic bliss and connected completely as their relationship seemed only good from one side or the other all throughout the book. But I was so wrong again.

He’s accepted a scholarship, but he doesn’t tell Marianne until he gets accepted – until, that is it’s a done deal. As usual, Marianne overreacts, which Connell must have known she would do. So the dynamic between the two of them has not changed. It probably never will. And we have the makings of a sequel.

I found the ending quite unsatisfying and unbalanced. Connell is going to move on to literary glory. Marianne has a boring job and is working on a deadly dull degree in political science. She’ll stay in Dublin while Connell goes to New York. They both say it’s all for just one year, after which they will go back together and live happily ever after. But knowing their dynamic I can only think of him screwing around for the sake of being with someone and her finding some crazy boyfriend and falling into her masochism which is never far away.

I finished the book and thought why have I actually read it. I am sorry to say that I was quite disappointed of the story. Maybe I had my hopes up hearing everyone talk about it and thought of it as more than it actually is.

Whatever the reason, I can only say it was an easy read but a bit pointless.