I first picked up Sally Rooney’s Normal People because everyone wouldn’t stop talking about it. Published in 2018, this Irish love story became one of those books you either obsess over or can’t finish.
Here’s what hooked me: Marianne and Connell feel like people you actually know. Their relationship is messy, confusing, and painfully real. Some readers think it’s the most honest portrayal of young love ever written. Others find it deeply frustrating.
Years later, I’m still thinking about this book. In this review, I’ll share what works, what doesn’t, and why it sparks such intense reactions.
If you love literary fiction, complicated romance, or need your next book club read, this one’s worth considering.
Quick Synopsis of Normal People
Normal People follows Connell and Marianne, two teenagers from a small Irish town who couldn’t be more different. Connell is popular and well-liked. Marianne is wealthy but isolated, the girl everyone avoids.
They start a secret relationship in high school. Connell’s mom works as a cleaner in Marianne’s house, which highlights the class gap between them. He keeps their relationship hidden from his friends, and this secrecy shapes everything that follows.
The story tracks them from their final year of secondary school through their time at Trinity College in Dublin. They break up and reconnect multiple times, unable to fully let go of each other.
At its core, this book examines how two people can deeply understand each other yet still struggle to communicate. Their emotional dependency becomes both their connection and their biggest problem.
Normal People Book Rating
I’m giving Normal People a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It’s not perfect, but it does several things remarkably well.
Character Development: 4.5/5
Marianne and Connell feel like real people with actual flaws. You watch them grow, make mistakes, and sometimes regress. Rooney nails the small details that make characters believable.
Themes & Emotional Depth: 4/5
The book handles heavy topics like class differences, mental health, and self-worth with genuine insight. Some moments hit hard and stay with you long after you finish reading.
Writing Style: 4.5/5
Rooney’s prose is clean and direct. She captures how people actually talk and think. The lack of quotation marks takes some getting used to, but it works.
Plot & Structure: 3/5
Here’s where it loses points. The story follows a repetitive pattern of breakups and reunions. If you need a strong plot with clear direction, this might frustrate you.
Originality: 3.5/5
The “will they or won’t they” romance isn’t new, but Rooney’s execution feels fresh and honest.
In-Depth Review of Normal People
Let’s break down what makes this book work and where it struggles.
Character Analysis
Marianne is the most complex character here. She comes from wealth but suffers emotional abuse at home. Her mother is cold, her brother violent. She learns to accept mistreatment as normal.
Connell battles insecurity about his working-class background. His mom cleans Marianne’s house, a fact he can’t forget. At Trinity College, he feels like an outsider among wealthy students.
His main problem is communication. He feels deeply but can’t speak honestly. This creates avoidable conflicts.
Their relationship constantly shifts power. In high school, Connell has social status. At university, Marianne gains confidence while Connell struggles. They hurt each other through cruelty and emotional incompetence.
Some see their bond as true love. Others see codependency. Rooney leaves it open to interpretation.
Core Themes in the Novel
Class difference shapes everything. Connell notices how easily rich students spend money. Marianne never worries about costs. These gaps reflect different worldviews, not just finances.
Power imbalances run through their relationship. They withhold affection and disappear when things get hard, using intimacy as a weapon.
Mental health appears subtly. Connell shows depression signs after a friend’s suicide. Marianne’s self-destructive choices hint at trauma. Rooney handles these issues without making them plot devices.
Growing up is messy and nonlinear. The characters improve, regress, and repeat mistakes before learning anything new.
Rooney’s Writing Style
Rooney writes in a minimal, straightforward style. Simple sentences, no fancy language. The prose stays invisible so you focus on characters.
She skips quotation marks. Dialogue blends into narrative, creating intimacy but sometimes causing confusion during group conversations.
She captures small moments beautifully. A hand on someone’s back or a meaningful look carries huge emotional weight.
She relies on subtext. If you prefer clear explanations, this approach might frustrate you.
Plot Structure: Strengths and Weak Points
This book prioritizes characters over plot. The on-again, off-again pattern reflects real relationship messiness.
But the repetition frustrates many readers. Marianne and Connell repeat the same conflicts without much progress. The pacing is slow, with major events happening off-screen.
The cyclical storytelling mirrors real life. Whether that makes compelling reading depends on what you want from a book.
Reader Ratings
Normal People holds a 3.8 out of 5 stars on Goodreads based on over 800,000 ratings. On Amazon, it averages 4.2 out of 5 stars with thousands of customer reviews.
These ratings reflect the book’s divisive nature, with readers either loving its emotional honesty or finding it frustrating and repetitive.
What Readers Loved About Normal People
Readers praise this book for feeling painfully real. The depiction of high school and college life rings true, from awkward social situations to the confusion of early adulthood.
Marianne and Connell feel like actual people, not fictional characters. Their psychological depth keeps readers invested even when their choices are frustrating.
The portrayal of attachment and longing resonates strongly. Many readers see their own relationship struggles reflected here, especially the inability to say what you really mean.
Millennial and Gen Z readers particularly connect with the themes. The book captures modern relationship dynamics, mental health struggles, and the pressure of trying to figure out who you are.
The 2020 Hulu and BBC Adaptation
The adaptation brought the story to an even wider audience. The series starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal stayed faithful to the book’s emotional core, introducing many viewers to the story before they picked up the novel.
Fans of the show often turn to the book for deeper insight into the characters’ thoughts and motivations.
Common Criticisms and Controversies
- Romanticized abuse: Some readers feel the book glamorizes unhealthy relationship dynamics, particularly Marianne’s acceptance of mistreatment and how it’s portrayed as part of their love story.
- Connell’s behavior: Many find his treatment of Marianne frustrating, especially his repeated inability to stand up for her or communicate honestly when it matters most.
- Mental health handling: The book touches on depression and trauma but doesn’t go deep enough for readers expecting thorough exploration of these serious issues.
- Non-traditional romance: If you want a satisfying romantic arc with resolution, this book disappoints with its ambiguous ending and constant cycle of hurt.
- Slow pacing: Plot-driven readers struggle with the lack of forward momentum and repetitive relationship patterns that dominate the story.
Who Should Read Normal People?
This book is perfect for you if you love character-centered literary fiction that focuses on emotional depth over action.
If you appreciate intimate storytelling, contemporary romance that goes beyond surface-level feelings, and complex characters who make frustrating choices, you’ll likely connect with this story.
However, skip this one if you need fast-paced plots, traditional happy endings, or clear moral lessons.
Normal People lingers in gray areas and leaves questions unanswered. It’s a book that asks you to sit with discomfort and ambiguity rather than providing neat resolutions.
About the Author – Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney is an Irish author born in 1991 who became one of the most discussed writers of her generation. She studied at Trinity College Dublin, the same university featured in this book.
Her writing style is minimalist. She uses simple language, skips quotation marks, and focuses on emotional depth over action. This approach defines all her work.
Normal People is her second novel, published in 2018. It’s her most popular book, winning the Costa Novel Award and becoming a hit TV series.
She’s also written Conversations with Friends, Beautiful World, Where Are You, and Intermezzo. Her books consistently examine relationships, class struggles, and young adults trying to understand themselves.
Conclusion
After sitting with this book for years, I still think it’s worth your time, despite its flaws. The writing is sharp, the characters feel real, and the emotional honesty hits hard. Yes, the repetitive structure is frustrating. Yes, the ending leaves you wanting more clarity.
But that’s also why it sticks with you. Normal People captures how messy real relationships are, how we hurt people we care about, and how hard it is to break destructive patterns. It’s culturally significant because it reflects modern relationship struggles without sugarcoating them.
If you value character depth and emotional truth over plot, read it. Just prepare for discomfort and ambiguity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Normal People based on a true story?
No, Normal People is a work of fiction by Sally Rooney. However, the emotional experiences and relationship dynamics feel authentic because Rooney draws from realistic observations of young adult life and relationships.
Why is Normal People so popular?
The book resonates because it portrays modern relationships with brutal honesty. Readers connect with the flawed characters, realistic dialogue, and the way it captures the confusion of growing up and figuring out who you are.
Does Normal People have a happy ending?
The ending is intentionally ambiguous. Marianne and Connell’s future remains uncertain, which frustrates some readers but feels true to the book’s realistic approach to relationships and life’s lack of clear resolutions.
Is the Normal People TV series faithful to the book?
Yes, the TV adaptation stays very close to the source material. It captures the same emotional tone and includes most major plot points, though it adds some visual elements that enhance certain scenes.
What age group is Normal People appropriate for?
The book is best suited for mature readers 18 and up. It contains explicit sexual content, references to abuse, mental health struggles, and mature themes that may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
