Page 40 - Digital Cornice Grade 9

BOOK REVIEW

Normal People

By: Shayna Shrestha

Title: Normal People

Author: Sally Rooney

Normal People by Sally Rooney is a powerful, captivating and emotionally raw novel that delves into the
lives of two vastly different people and their complicated relationships. The story follows Marianne and
Connell; two friends who initially share an embarrassing secret that binds them together yet keeps them
apart. They move in and out of each other's lives as they make their way through adolescence and young
adulthood, attempting to work out their differences and understand their shifting feelings for one another.

Marianne comes from a rich yet abusive family. In contrast, Connel lives with a loving single mother,
Lorriane, who works in Marianne’s family mansion. An unusual and lasting bond develops between the
two teens when Connell picks up his mother from Marianne's residence after she finishes her
housekeeping job there. In school, Marianne is an outcast whose family is wealthy yet morally absent, and
Connell is the popular and well-liked jock. Despite Connell’s hidden admiration for Marianne and their
weekly conversations, he cares for his reputation more than anything. Due to Marianne being a social
reject, Connell avoids her at school and pretends to have never spoken to her.

Fast forward a year, and both are attending Trinity College in Dublin. While Connell lingers on the

sidelines due to his insecurity about his family’s financial background, Marianne moves up the social
ladder and easily makes friends. As they drift apart, both of them feel impacted by a sense of loneliness
and depression. Marianne’s abusive history hugely impacts how she grows as a person, she starts walking
on a destructive path which gives both Connell and Marianne time to evaluate how far they are willing to
go to save each other.

“Normal People” displays several themes, a lot of them which are still present in society. The themes
present in the book include insecurity, social status, money, entitlement, class, love, miscommunication,
and assumptions.

This book is full of puzzling people with peculiar moral sensibilities. Each character has a unique story,
but Lorraine manages to stand out in my opinion. We can tell what kind of person she is by her enduring
wisdom and compassion for everyone, including Marianne. When Connell treats Marianne poorly, she
never fails to maintain discipline. Despite being a single mother, she is able to accomplish all of this.
From a third-person point of view, the author lets us into the minds of only two characters, Connell and

Marianne. Normal People is a book that can be enjoyed by readers of all genders and backgrounds. No
matter who you are, it’s impossible to read this book without feeling the emotions of both Marianne and
Connell. Rooney has crafted an incredible story that’s both captivating and emotionally moving; it’s a
must-read for any lover of contemporary fiction. However, this book contains dark themes such as
depression, abuse, and insecurities. Therefore, I recommend this book for a mature age group.

“Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without
her, and she didn't know if she would ever find out where it was or become part of it.”