I know I’m late to the party and y’all smarties read NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney waaaay back in 2018 but I’m here now and ready to join the horde of people cheering this book!

NORMAL PEOPLE is an intimate view into the very complex relationship of Marianne and Connell. Sometimes lovers, sometimes friends, sometimes estranged; their relationship is complicated, raw, and real. This is not a typical love story: the characters are flawed and scarred, their love is messy and frustrating. As an outsider looking in on Marianne and Connell’s relationship, NORMAL PEOPLE is at times very uncomfortable. The book felt VERY personal, like almost you shouldn’t be reading it because it’s so private!

The brilliance of NORMAL PEOPLE is not just due to the fact that Rooney created such compelling characters and subject matter, which she totally did! It’s also a masterfully constructed story. The narrative shifts perspective throughout allowing the reader a view into both Marrianne and Connell’s heads. This creates a better understanding of the characters and their relationship to each other. Rooney also brilliantly uses time jumps to unfold the narrative in an interesting way; creating less of a linear story and more of a collection of memories.

NORMAL PEOPLE is a contemporary masterpiece. By exploring first love and the transition from adolescence to adulthood, the story shows how personal scars effect relationships and how those relationships evolve over time. I truly loved this book and fully support the praise that is given to Sally Rooney and NORMAL PEOPLE!

• Title: Normal People
• Author: Sally Rooney
• Published: August 28, 2018 (Hogarth Press)
• Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
• Booky Nooky Rating: * * * * *