Normal People by Sally Rooney

How I Heard About It:

*I was in need of an audio book and wanted it to be a novel published for adults.  When I came across this title, I remembered having seen it written up in quite a few publications.  I also noticed many of my GoodReads friends had read it and had interesting comments about the story.  

What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:
1.  *Connell and Marianne.  Marianne and Connell.  

2.  *They meet during their high-school years.  Connell is popular, well-liked, and an athlete.  Marianne is rich, an outcast, and doesn't care what others think.

3.  *Connell's mother is a maid for Marianne's wealthy family.  The two of them begin a secret relationship and vow not to tell anyone.

4.  *The secret relationship works for awhile, but after Connell hurts and embarrasses Marianne, they go their separate ways.

5.  *They reunite during college, and begin an on-again/off-again unique and different type of friendship/relationship.


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *When I first posted my thought on social media, I stated I wasn't sure if I liked or disliked the story.  Other readers of the book responded with the same thoughts.

2.  *While I enjoyed listening to the story, there were many moments when I was disturbed and annoyed by each of these characters and their actions.

3.  *Marianne broke my heart on more than one occasion and I just wanted her to make better choices and be good to herself.

4.  *I did get a bit tired of the together/not together, back and forth, that these two characters went through.  I'm sure there are actual people that do this, but it got tiring.

5.  *I wanted to see the good in each character, but they were so damaged and dysfunctional that it became more and more difficult to do.  Maybe that was the author's intention?


Who Should Read It:
*This is a hard one to think of who to recommend to.  While I enjoyed the overall story, there are certainly elements to the characters that I know readers will NOT enjoy and/or like.  Proceed with your own caution and awareness.  Happy Reading!

Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars