i just got back into reading after taking a couple yrs break (had no time for it), this was the book that was most recommended to me so this was my first book & now i just wanna give up reading again lmao
@@amelyssblog7682 nooo!!! :( that genuinely makes me sad. i hope you give it another try with another book, sally rooney really is the worst for beginners/casuals imo. what genre do you think you would like? what are you interested in? romance, fantasy, contemporary, classics, thriller, horror, etc.?
@@tehelea I'm not sure tbh... I enjoyed 1984 (had to read it for school), I also liked Pride and prejudice and some books by Stephen King. It's a weird combination.🤣I'm going to start reading The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo now, I hope I will like it better. I'm just a little frustrated because I don't really know where to find good recommendations since NP is very popular and I didn't like it.
It's just two normal people. It's like things aren't happening for the sake of the story, it's happening because it's happening. We don't need to know everything about them because you never do in real life. We are just observing moments in their relationship. I truly enjoyed this book
Yes!!! This is how I felt about it, which is why I typically love literary fiction--it isn't plot-driven and formulaic. It feels like we are simply witnessing other people's lives and that in and of itself can do so much if you allow it
@@tierra3165 yessss! My exact thoughts. I think a lot of the people who don’t like it are habitual romance readers who are expecting a well defined plot. This is literary fiction, so its plot isn’t well defined or ‘neat’.
Strange comment given how readable the book is - short, fast paced, economical with its language, forgoing needless subplots or excess fat, built around dialogue that rings absolutely true to the people of its age and era. Readability seems like one of the more bulletproof things about it.
What you said in the begging when you're on the first few pages, about how the book jumps from them not even being friends to them hooking up, and then connell tells her that he loves her, is EXACTLY how I felt while reading it. I honestly thought I missed something because in my mind I was still "ok, they're beginning to become more close" but they actually already had sex and when he said "I love you" I was so confused. I just couldn't see it. HOW did he love her? I think that if the writer just wasn't in such a rush I would've gotten it better. Anyways, glad I found someone that thinks the same as I do!
I liked the first part of the book but in general i don’t think this book handles mental health and abuse right, it almost feels as if it were there just to make the characters more “interesting and different”, which was something the author was desperate to show.
This! I still am trying to wrap my head around why these things were used like this and not given the proper conversation to follow it, it’s truly not it.
When I see people rave about this book I just don’t understand… like did we read different books??? There was no point to so many things that happened. Both of the characters are so unlikeable ESPECIALLY Connell. I also didn’t like that there were no quotation marks, it made it so confusing. Honestly, how did her editor allow her to publish a book written that way. This book says nothing it was such a disappointment. Just 2 people who can’t stop having sex with each other and miscommunicating stupidly whilst somehow being the “smartest” people in their school. Absolute trash. And the ending? What was that? “Can we have sex on the regular?” And then he unconvincingly saves her from her brother LMAO. Sis, he would literally be on the look out so that he wouldn’t be seen with you and now you’re just on board to have an endless unhealthy, tumultuous relationship with dude for the rest of your life. And the way they handles Connell’s mental health status was so clumsy and clown like. The most unserious and dumb book to be out here being praised over. I JUST. DON’T. GET. IT. And yes I’m mad AF because I wasted my time and money on this book 🤣
i heard so much hype around it from other booktubers but our taste in books are more similar so i'm def gonna take this off my tbr. i was really hesitant about adding it to begin with. thanks for a great video, jaleesa!
I think i loved this book for all of the reasons you hated it. I know their "love" is not built up slowly and carefully at the start but i think that's purposeful. To me,it makes sense for Marianne - seeking love anywhere she can, grasping onto whatever toxic sliver she can have. I had a harder time with collen but when you dive deeper into his pov, you realize he also was incredibly lonely during those early years. He didnt relate to the people he was around and waa only popular due to proximity and football abilities. It makes sense to me that to Marianne, the day he told her he loved her is the first day of the rest of her life, because shes never felt loved before. I loved sinking into their streams of consciousness and completely losing myself in them. They're both incredibly flawed characters and annoying at times. They're obviously not good for each other, and i can relate to that, or at least a version of me can. About the ending- They didnt improve as people ,getting back together will never fix their personal mental and emotional problems. so the cycle continues. Youre not meant to get a happy romance ending because until they get to figure themselves out personally, their dynamic will stay the same.
I love your glasses, also I would like you to know that in the Britain we normally do use quotation marks so clearly Sally Rooney missed those lessons 😂😂
This book was so fricking expensive and I spent my money on it.... I was so angry because it was terrible and it made me even angrier that everyone praised it to the Heavens. I'm so glad I found someone who thinks the same as me!
There’s definitely a crowd for this type of writing. I do plan on trying one more of her books just to see if I for sure don’t vibe with her writing or if it was just this book in particular.
@@thenamesJaleesa of you so true another Rooney I would recommend her latest, the writings definitely more mature and more clear affection and empathy I would say
@@mauddouglasa I have seen that book circulating and I’ve heard good things so I’m going to try that one and see what comes of it ☺️ thanks for the recommendation!
I'm currently reading the book, and I really like it so far, but I think it's because i've already watched and LOVED the show. I don't think I would have liked it if I hadn't seen the show.
This is a book written by a privileged woman tackling ‘serious’ and ‘challenging’ topics she doesn’t understand. I had real issues with how abuse was tackled (or avoided) in this book.
I read the book after seeing the series. Don’t think I would have enjoyed this book had I not had Mescal and Edgar-Jones in my head as I read. Their chemistry made this story so special for me. The way their lives changed in college and their roles reversed. Marianne put up with all his crap. The lack of communication was infuriating. And, to top it off it ended very abruptly and I guess for me in my head; they would end up together married and finally happy. Sex scenes were boring and they never had any fun in bed. It was so serious.
I haven’t even watched this YET but I hate the book. It is the worst book I’ve EVER read… hands down. I was so disappointed. I don’t know HOW people can claim this is their favorite book? I feel like it’s a trend to like this book and it’s so confusing to me hahaha. Now I’m gonna watch your video
LITERALLY i was so disappointed by this book considering all the hype. i genuinely thought i was missing something but it's just a bad book lmaooo. nothing made sense and for the whole book i was confused why they they liked each other. also the random chapter beginnings where someone says "sorry about last night" and we don't know what happened??? it bothered me so much
not gonna name names but I’m starting to realize that whenever I read a “stunning” book suggested by a certain popular booktuber… there’s always more than enough reviews by smaller booktubers pointing out how genuinely bad they are. No shade to the Booktuber I’m referring to, but man am I starting to realize maybe they just have bad taste😬
Haven't read the book. Watched the show because a friend recommended it and I hated it. The only thing good about the show is the soundtrack. The main characters don't really have real conversations with each other, break up on the drop of a hat and sleep around with anything that moves. Toxic people really, not normal. 0/10
Had to pop in here after you said you were gonna brush your teeth and just ask if you used someone else’s toothbrush 🤣🤣🤣 Connell is 🗑 without even reading this book (I’ve seen the show) I gather that this book brings up a bunch of issues without ever discussing or resolving them.
Some of ye didn't grow up in Ireland and it shows. Haha. Seriously though, a lot of what you're describing re the approach to serious subjects that is making you uncomfortable is typical to how Irish people approach them with each other. Also as a different perspective on the character development, I loved that their relationship was essentially the main character and not the people in the relationship.
Hi! If you could, could you explain a little bit more about what you mean in terms of how Irish people approach subjects like these? I would honestly love to know. No, I did not grow up in Ireland, however, I’m not above wanting to understand the differences in how Irish people handle topics like these. I still genuinely did not enjoy the writing style which made the experience with this particular book, very unenjoyable. Differing perspectives are great and I encourage people to share them because it’s interesting to see what people think of stories that seem to be having polarizing views in the end. Their relationship certainly seemed like the main character in this novel, I completely agree. I still felt it lacked the depth I enjoy reading in books.
@@thenamesJaleesa Oh I'm so sorry if my first comment came across as snarky I was trying to crack a joke, of course I wouldn't expect everyone reading the book to have first hand exp of growing up in Ireland - that would be a ridiculous expectation. I just thought, from some of the observations you made in your reading vlog, knowing that this is a realistic depiction of interpersonal dynamics in Irish society, might be interesting info to have - even without changing your opinion on the book. So for example, when you feel like Marianne and Connall's teenage romance just comes out of nowhere and so it doesn't feel substantiated or believable, or worth emotionally investing in (I hope I'm not misrepresenting what you were saying in the video) it actually makes perfect sense, and is perfectly believable to me because that's how I experienced the teenage romances happen around me as a teenager. There never was a deeper reason. kids thought they might lust after someone and most of the time mild interest expressed by one person to another was enough of a reason to give it a go and see if it stuck. Not being a writer or a literary critic myself I don't know how to properly describe how the fact that C & Ms romance stuck feels so real and well substantiated and deeply affecting (and similarly for the inclusion of some of the more distressing subject matter) specifically because I understand the Irish dynamics behind it - the subtle shows of affection and understanding embedded in each person's actions (because Irish people generally do not, ever, plainly and straightforwardly express themselves unless we actively teach ourselves to) are far more substantiating to me than the involved conversations it sounded to me like you were craving from the dialogue. If Normal People is a portrayal of the Irish emotional landscape, and I think that's what it is getting at, like sure one could make an aesthetic choice to "paint in" some non native trees into the landscape (sorry for this awful metaphor) but then it becomes something else which isn't what the author wanted. Anyway, that's very poorly explained and shared only cause you might find it interesting, not to try and change your mind or invalidate your dislike of the book. I should have said before thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
This is one of the worst book I ever read.I work for the biggest book publisher in my country and I read a lot.And this book...ONE BIG ZERO!!!Empty story,characters,writing...
normal people was probably my worst read of the year so far... super disappointing after hearing soo many great things about it
I completely agree! I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely was not that. I’m gonna try and watch the show though, I heard it was great!
i just got back into reading after taking a couple yrs break (had no time for it), this was the book that was most recommended to me so this was my first book & now i just wanna give up reading again lmao
@@tehelea Just finished the book... I'm not a book person and I bought this because of the hype.. I think I just gave up on reading altogether😅
@@amelyssblog7682 nooo!!! :( that genuinely makes me sad. i hope you give it another try with another book, sally rooney really is the worst for beginners/casuals imo. what genre do you think you would like? what are you interested in? romance, fantasy, contemporary, classics, thriller, horror, etc.?
@@tehelea I'm not sure tbh... I enjoyed 1984 (had to read it for school), I also liked Pride and prejudice and some books by Stephen King. It's a weird combination.🤣I'm going to start reading The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo now, I hope I will like it better. I'm just a little frustrated because I don't really know where to find good recommendations since NP is very popular and I didn't like it.
It's just two normal people. It's like things aren't happening for the sake of the story, it's happening because it's happening. We don't need to know everything about them because you never do in real life. We are just observing moments in their relationship. I truly enjoyed this book
Yes!!! This is how I felt about it, which is why I typically love literary fiction--it isn't plot-driven and formulaic. It feels like we are simply witnessing other people's lives and that in and of itself can do so much if you allow it
@@tierra3165 yessss! My exact thoughts. I think a lot of the people who don’t like it are habitual romance readers who are expecting a well defined plot. This is literary fiction, so its plot isn’t well defined or ‘neat’.
I feel like Rooney doesn't understand that you can write a book about actual, real people while making it an "enjoyable" reading experience.
Ive only read and reviewed Normal People on my YoutTube page. Haven't read her more recent book.
Strange comment given how readable the book is - short, fast paced, economical with its language, forgoing needless subplots or excess fat, built around dialogue that rings absolutely true to the people of its age and era. Readability seems like one of the more bulletproof things about it.
@@dmckennaI feel like a lot of the people reading it expected romance when it’s not, it’s very much literary fiction centered around a relationship
What you said in the begging when you're on the first few pages, about how the book jumps from them not even being friends to them hooking up, and then connell tells her that he loves her, is EXACTLY how I felt while reading it. I honestly thought I missed something because in my mind I was still "ok, they're beginning to become more close" but they actually already had sex and when he said "I love you" I was so confused. I just couldn't see it. HOW did he love her? I think that if the writer just wasn't in such a rush I would've gotten it better. Anyways, glad I found someone that thinks the same as I do!
So grateful you said this. I feel normal now lol. This book is soo problematic, infuriating and mundane but still somehow making folks crazy.
haha im glad it resonated with you. im thinking about giving sally ONE more try but idk lol
The fact that your exhaustion happened so quickly in this book 😂😂. Same, sis.
😂😂😂 girl, I had to cut out so much footage out of me just literally dragging this book. I was tired tired at the end of all of this lol
Hated this book with a burning passion, but loved your vlog :D
I liked the first part of the book but in general i don’t think this book handles mental health and abuse right, it almost feels as if it were there just to make the characters more “interesting and different”, which was something the author was desperate to show.
yep this. And Marrianne was giving major 'I'm different, I'm not like other girls, I don't care about what people think of me'
I just finished it and I’m so glad it’s over…
Sally Rooney used serious topics that actual people experience as shock value and it's truly gross.
This! I still am trying to wrap my head around why these things were used like this and not given the proper conversation to follow it, it’s truly not it.
When I see people rave about this book I just don’t understand… like did we read different books??? There was no point to so many things that happened. Both of the characters are so unlikeable ESPECIALLY Connell. I also didn’t like that there were no quotation marks, it made it so confusing. Honestly, how did her editor allow her to publish a book written that way. This book says nothing it was such a disappointment. Just 2 people who can’t stop having sex with each other and miscommunicating stupidly whilst somehow being the “smartest” people in their school. Absolute trash. And the ending? What was that? “Can we have sex on the regular?” And then he unconvincingly saves her from her brother LMAO. Sis, he would literally be on the look out so that he wouldn’t be seen with you and now you’re just on board to have an endless unhealthy, tumultuous relationship with dude for the rest of your life. And the way they handles Connell’s mental health status was so clumsy and clown like. The most unserious and dumb book to be out here being praised over. I JUST. DON’T. GET. IT.
And yes I’m mad AF because I wasted my time and money on this book 🤣
😂😂😂😂 everything you said I completely agree! To this day I don’t understand why people love this book, I’m confused 🤔😂
I kept hoping that it got better. It didn’t.
i heard so much hype around it from other booktubers but our taste in books are more similar so i'm def gonna take this off my tbr. i was really hesitant about adding it to begin with. thanks for a great video, jaleesa!
I think i loved this book for all of the reasons you hated it. I know their "love" is not built up slowly and carefully at the start but i think that's purposeful. To me,it makes sense for Marianne - seeking love anywhere she can, grasping onto whatever toxic sliver she can have. I had a harder time with collen but when you dive deeper into his pov, you realize he also was incredibly lonely during those early years. He didnt relate to the people he was around and waa only popular due to proximity and football abilities.
It makes sense to me that to Marianne, the day he told her he loved her is the first day of the rest of her life, because shes never felt loved before.
I loved sinking into their streams of consciousness and completely losing myself in them. They're both incredibly flawed characters and annoying at times.
They're obviously not good for each other, and i can relate to that, or at least a version of me can.
About the ending- They didnt improve as people ,getting back together will never fix their personal mental and emotional problems. so the cycle continues. Youre not meant to get a happy romance ending because until they get to figure themselves out personally, their dynamic will stay the same.
👏🏽👏🏽
I love your glasses, also I would like you to know that in the Britain we normally do use quotation marks so clearly Sally Rooney missed those lessons 😂😂
Thank you 😊 lol interesting that this book lacks something as basic as quotation marks haha
She’s Irish but ya
Watching this just reminded me how much I hate this book 😂😂😂
I agree 100% with all of your takes on this book!!
I almost gave in to the fomo urges of buying that book.. And those glasses are definitely a vibeee
Lol I won’t say don’t buy it but…👀😂 and thank you thank you ☺️
This book was so fricking expensive and I spent my money on it.... I was so angry because it was terrible and it made me even angrier that everyone praised it to the Heavens. I'm so glad I found someone who thinks the same as me!
loved this video jalessa !
Thank you so much 💕
I love Sally Rooneys writing style and gave this 5 stars but I agree with a lot of the things you said
There’s definitely a crowd for this type of writing. I do plan on trying one more of her books just to see if I for sure don’t vibe with her writing or if it was just this book in particular.
@@thenamesJaleesa of you so true another Rooney I would recommend her latest, the writings definitely more mature and more clear affection and empathy I would say
@@mauddouglasa I have seen that book circulating and I’ve heard good things so I’m going to try that one and see what comes of it ☺️ thanks for the recommendation!
No quotation marks pissed me off so much I was ready to abandon it after the first few pages itself
This really helped me to make my decision of reading this book lol btw I love your channel 🤎🤎
I'm currently reading the book, and I really like it so far, but I think it's because i've already watched and LOVED the show. I don't think I would have liked it if I hadn't seen the show.
This is a book written by a privileged woman tackling ‘serious’ and ‘challenging’ topics she doesn’t understand. I had real issues with how abuse was tackled (or avoided) in this book.
I couldn’t agree more. The handling of every challenge/trauma in this book felt poorly thought out and disregarded.
I love the title of your video! 🤣
haha thank you
I read the book after seeing the series. Don’t think I would have enjoyed this book had I not had Mescal and Edgar-Jones in my head as I read. Their chemistry made this story so special for me. The way their lives changed in college and their roles reversed. Marianne put up with all his crap. The lack of communication was infuriating. And, to top it off it ended very abruptly and I guess for me in my head; they would end up together married and finally happy. Sex scenes were boring and they never had any fun in bed. It was so serious.
i'm currently 37 pages into normal people lolol i love your takes
I haven’t even watched this YET but I hate the book. It is the worst book I’ve EVER read… hands down. I was so disappointed. I don’t know HOW people can claim this is their favorite book? I feel like it’s a trend to like this book and it’s so confusing to me hahaha. Now I’m gonna watch your video
THANK YOU the lack of quotation marks was very annoying, i got used to it tho
LITERALLY i was so disappointed by this book considering all the hype. i genuinely thought i was missing something but it's just a bad book lmaooo. nothing made sense and for the whole book i was confused why they they liked each other. also the random chapter beginnings where someone says "sorry about last night" and we don't know what happened??? it bothered me so much
not gonna name names but I’m starting to realize that whenever I read a “stunning” book suggested by a certain popular booktuber… there’s always more than enough reviews by smaller booktubers pointing out how genuinely bad they are. No shade to the Booktuber I’m referring to, but man am I starting to realize maybe they just have bad taste😬
WAIT COME BACK NAME NAMES PLS SO I CAN STAY TF AWAY
This year I read this too and I hate it. This is the worst books and every point you speak out, I’m thinking about the same.
Haven't read the book. Watched the show because a friend recommended it and I hated it. The only thing good about the show is the soundtrack. The main characters don't really have real conversations with each other, break up on the drop of a hat and sleep around with anything that moves. Toxic people really, not normal. 0/10
It’s so interesting that I read this book a few weeks ago and I gave it 5 stars but I TOTALLY agree with a lot of your points😂
Had to pop in here after you said you were gonna brush your teeth and just ask if you used someone else’s toothbrush 🤣🤣🤣
Connell is 🗑 without even reading this book (I’ve seen the show) I gather that this book brings up a bunch of issues without ever discussing or resolving them.
I loved watching this and off topic but you're so beautiful 💖
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! and thank you so much 😊
apart from seeing the lovely mel did i also peep the last magician 👀😂
👀👀👀 I meant to hide that lol but I forgot it was in the shot haha. I’ll be reading it soon I’m sure
I listened to this, I didn't love it. It was ok but I didn't like any if the characters or the decisions that they made.
I agree with this for sure! Definitely not a fit for me.
Some of ye didn't grow up in Ireland and it shows. Haha. Seriously though, a lot of what you're describing re the approach to serious subjects that is making you uncomfortable is typical to how Irish people approach them with each other.
Also as a different perspective on the character development, I loved that their relationship was essentially the main character and not the people in the relationship.
Hi! If you could, could you explain a little bit more about what you mean in terms of how Irish people approach subjects like these? I would honestly love to know. No, I did not grow up in Ireland, however, I’m not above wanting to understand the differences in how Irish people handle topics like these.
I still genuinely did not enjoy the writing style which made the experience with this particular book, very unenjoyable. Differing perspectives are great and I encourage people to share them because it’s interesting to see what people think of stories that seem to be having polarizing views in the end. Their relationship certainly seemed like the main character in this novel, I completely agree. I still felt it lacked the depth I enjoy reading in books.
@@thenamesJaleesa Oh I'm so sorry if my first comment came across as snarky I was trying to crack a joke, of course I wouldn't expect everyone reading the book to have first hand exp of growing up in Ireland - that would be a ridiculous expectation.
I just thought, from some of the observations you made in your reading vlog, knowing that this is a realistic depiction of interpersonal dynamics in Irish society, might be interesting info to have - even without changing your opinion on the book.
So for example, when you feel like Marianne and Connall's teenage romance just comes out of nowhere and so it doesn't feel substantiated or believable, or worth emotionally investing in (I hope I'm not misrepresenting what you were saying in the video) it actually makes perfect sense, and is perfectly believable to me because that's how I experienced the teenage romances happen around me as a teenager. There never was a deeper reason. kids thought they might lust after someone and most of the time mild interest expressed by one person to another was enough of a reason to give it a go and see if it stuck.
Not being a writer or a literary critic myself I don't know how to properly describe how the fact that C & Ms romance stuck feels so real and well substantiated and deeply affecting (and similarly for the inclusion of some of the more distressing subject matter) specifically because I understand the Irish dynamics behind it - the subtle shows of affection and understanding embedded in each person's actions (because Irish people generally do not, ever, plainly and straightforwardly express themselves unless we actively teach ourselves to) are far more substantiating to me than the involved conversations it sounded to me like you were craving from the dialogue. If Normal People is a portrayal of the Irish emotional landscape, and I think that's what it is getting at, like sure one could make an aesthetic choice to "paint in" some non native trees into the landscape (sorry for this awful metaphor) but then it becomes something else which isn't what the author wanted.
Anyway, that's very poorly explained and shared only cause you might find it interesting, not to try and change your mind or invalidate your dislike of the book. I should have said before thank you for sharing your thoughts :)
This is one of the worst book I ever read.I work for the biggest book publisher in my country and I read a lot.And this book...ONE BIG ZERO!!!Empty story,characters,writing...
Same. Same. Same. 😂😩 extremely empty lol
It's not a great book. Gave me a pain in the head reading it Rooney is overrated I feel.
DNF the book, watched the 12 ep show on HULU. I will not read the book. Did not like it.
I’ll probably watch the show to see if it’s any better of an experience for me
Girl sameeeeeee