Book Review: Normal People—By: Sally Rooney

Brief Synopsis

Marianne and Connell are at the centre of this story. They grew up together in a small town where Connell's mom worked as a housekeeper for Marianne's family. Despite living in such proximity, the two would only ever really talk when Connell went to pick up his mom. They would never be caught speaking at school. Connell couldn't afford to let that happen, and Marianne knows better than to embarrass him. However, the story doesn't end when they graduate; instead, it follows the two of them and how their lives intersect as they manoeuvre through university and their early 20s.

Normal People by Sally Rooney, from Amazon.ca

Personal review

My mom gave me this book to read after she had read it with her book club. I honestly didn't read the back before starting it, and I had heard friends and colleagues saying good things about it, so I thought, "Eh, why not give it a try?” Needless to say, I didn't think this book would be about high schoolers who then went on to face the challenges of making friends and "being cool" at university. Nevertheless, although I was surprised, I have to say Rooney's writing is incredibly interesting, as she can keep the reader captivated while sometimes leaving the characters' feelings cryptic and up to the reader to determine.

This book perfectly embodies two major tropes within our society—the boy who peaked in high school and the weird girl who got pretty, made friends, and started partying once she left high school. Despite the obvious title of the book, Rooney challenges us to determine what is 'normal' and how defining someone as 'normal' or 'not normal' changes as we move through different stages of our lives.

Although this story follows the changing dynamics of the friendly, sometimes romantic nature of Connell and Marianne's relationship, I think there are lots of other layers of friendship that Rooney explores as she narrates Connell and Marianne transitioning from teenagers into early adulthood. For some people, it's easy to be liked in high school and have a ton of friends; for others, not so much. However, it is incredibly easy to make friends in a university where everyone is so desperate to break the mould and change the narrative that shaped their high school selves. Yet, how can one determine the depth or genuine quality of these new connections? Especially when one is far away from lifelong friends, family, and the environment they are used to. Rooney explores these questions while providing an enticing and complex emotional journey told through the complex relationship of two young (and confused) individuals. Some may even call them two normal people.

Favourite quote

You should go, she says. I'll always be here. You know that.

Pg. 273.

My rating: 8.5/10