Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½
Genre
Fiction – Contemporary
Goodreads Summary
At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal.
A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.
Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.
Review
This book was completely different than what I usually read. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! You may think that means I’ll branch of out of my usual more often now but you’d be wrong. 😛
Sally Rooney has a unique way of writing. While at first I wasn’t sure about there not being quotations around conversations, I ended up finding it to work very well with the story. I went into this book knowing basically nothing about it other than that a #bookstagram friend of mine (@kaylagetsread) absolutely loved it. I think it’s best to go into this one with low expectations, personally. It is not filled with action or anything too jaw-dropping crazy. What it is is a beautifully written story that delves into relationship dynamics and the topics of mental illness, social class, and self-awareness.
I highly suggest this book! I’m planning to read Sally’s other book Conversations with Friends and look forward to her future book releases.
Have you read anything by this author? If so, what were your thoughts? Let’s chat!