Normal People

Upon finishing this book I am emotionally very conflicted. I started reading this book with such gusto and was so immersed and invested in Connell and Marianne's complicated relationship. However the very end of the book took on a sour note and presented the relationship between the two as problematic. The ambiguous ending did nothing to resolve my issues with their relationship.I feel that both characters have much deeper issues that they need to separately address away from each other's toxic influence. The fact that Connell's power over Marianne is meant to be seen as charming or romantic is very peculiar to me. I think the way Connell treats Marianne and his lack of empathy for her feelings is certainly not very endearing and I feel that most things that didn't sit well with me about the book didn't get resolved. However I loved Sally Rooney's writing style and the fact she could weave such an intriguing story from two young people and their relationship is something to be applauded and praised. Sally Rooney has so much promise as a writer but I didn't feel fully convinced by this novel and so I am settling on a rating of 3.5/ 4 stars.