Normal People by Sally Rooney

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⭐ Book Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney

👉 Grab your copy of Normal People on Amazon (affiliate link)

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

This book isn’t heavy on action, but it is heavy on feelings. Here are the trigger warnings:

  • Abuse / Domestic Violence (emotional and physical)

  • Toxic relationships

  • Bullying

  • Depression & Mental Health Struggles

  • Suicide (off-page but impactful)

  • Gaslighting & Miscommunication (honestly the biggest villain of this book 👀)

📖 Quick Take

Normal People is one of those books that’s brilliantly written but hard to rate. Like… did I love it? Did I want to shake every character by the shoulders? Yes, and yes.

There’s no traditional climax or neat little bow at the end. Instead, Sally Rooney gives us two extremely believable characters—so believable they’re frustrating—whose relationship is propelled almost entirely by miscommunication.

Nothing “big” happens… and yet I couldn’t stop reading. It’s honestly kind of impressive to make a book about “practically nothing” so compelling.

Final thought: I respect Rooney’s writing, even if I only landed at ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 stars).

👫 Meet the Characters

  • Connell Waldron – working-class, smart, sensitive, kind of awkward. Raised by his single mom Lorraine (who is an absolute queen).

  • Marianne Sheridan – wealthy but emotionally neglected, icy on the outside but desperate for connection. Lives with her cold mother and abusive brother Alan.

  • Together, they’re messy, magnetic, and the definition of “it’s complicated.”

📚 Full Plot Summary of Normal People (Spoilers Ahead!)

🚨 Spoiler Warning 🚨 If you want to go in fresh, skip this section and scroll down to my Final Thoughts.

📍 Small Town Beginnings

We start in Carricklea, western Ireland, where Connell and Marianne’s lives first intertwine. Connell’s mom cleans Marianne’s house, and he waits for her after school. The two start talking, trading books, and soon… hooking up.

BUT there’s a catch: Connell doesn’t want anyone to know. He’s popular, Marianne is the odd one out, and high school kids are cruel. Cue secret romance + teenage angst.

🎓 College Life, New Roles

Fast-forward: they both end up at Trinity College in Dublin. Suddenly, the social dynamic flips. Marianne is thriving with her elite circle, while Connell feels out of place and broke.

They circle back into each other’s lives, but—surprise!—miscommunication strikes again. Connell doesn’t ask to stay with Marianne for the summer because he’s embarrassed about money. She thinks he’s breaking up with her. Cue dramatic silence.

💔 Other Relationships (That Totally Don’t Work)

  • Marianne dates Jamie (a rich jerk) and later Lukas (a photographer who treats her horribly).

  • Connell dates Helen, a med student, but struggles to connect.

  • Both of them wrestle with depression, loneliness, and trying to figure out who they are outside of each other.

Meanwhile, Connell is devastated by his friend Rob’s suicide, a turning point that deepens his mental health struggles.

🥀 Back Together (But Still Complicated)

Connell and Marianne reunite more than once (messy? yes, addictive? also yes). At one point, Marianne even asks Connell to hurt her during sex. He refuses, and she spirals into shame. Later, after a brutal fight with her brother Alan (he literally breaks her nose), Connell rescues her and brings her into his home.

They live together in Dublin for a while, and things finally start to feel… dare I say… normal.

🗽 The Ending

Connell is accepted into an MFA program in New York City. Marianne, who has grown into herself and found more peace, encourages him to go—even though it means they’ll be apart.

The book closes quietly, without a big bow. Will they end up together long-term? We don’t know. That’s life. That’s Rooney.

🎭 My Thoughts

  • The Writing: Beautiful. Rooney’s sparse, minimalist style somehow makes the smallest moments feel monumental.

  • The Characters: Believable to the point of frustration. You’ll want to hug them one minute and throw the book at them the next.

  • The Plot: Or rather… the lack of plot. Don’t expect dramatic twists or explosions. This is about the ordinary drama of being human.

  • The Frustration: Almost all conflict comes from… yep… miscommunication. Which is real, but also makes you want to scream.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

📚 If You Liked Normal People, Try These:

  • Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney – if you liked this style, Rooney’s debut has the same vibes.

  • Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney – more mature, slightly more plot.

  • One Day by David Nicholls – friends/lovers over years, with a bittersweet edge.

  • Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman – aching intimacy, messy relationships, gorgeous prose.

✨ Final Word: Normal People is not about dramatic moments. It’s about the quiet, frustrating, real ways people connect and disconnect. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want raw, authentic characters—you’ll get them here.

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