romancetrash's reviews
47 reviews

I picked this up as part of a virtual book club I am part of, and right of the bat, i am pleasantly surprised. It was nice to see references to Russian fairytales, use of Russian vocabulary without extensively spoon-feeding the reader on what the words meant (i am looking at you, nabokov). The characters were very well written, even the unlikable ones, and there was lots to investigate, read into and think about.

It was slow-paced at times and, being a slow reader with a bad attention span, I found that descriptive imagery went over my head. Nevertheless, it was a lovely read. Very heartwarming and close to home. Seeing fairytales I have read as a kid written in English, for English-speaking readers, is refreshing and not once did the author sway from their authenticity or make them completely absurd.

I did not realise it was part of a series, I felt that it was perfect as a standalone book. I am not too bothered to read the entire series, however, I most certainly recommend this to everyone, no matter the age (especially if you are familiar with Russian culture, fairytales and history).

It appears to be the cliche Not Like Other Girls trope and annoys you for the first 20 pages, but I promise that it becomes much deeper as the novel progresses. If you are not a fan of the trope and it is off-putting, give it a chance - it becomes more than that

The topics discussed are not light - from abortion, alcohol abuse and relationship problems to transphobia, sex and mental health - all are issues very relevant. Claire Hennessy does not beat around the bush and tells it how it is. Most touching moments for me were the discussion of how it is to be a woman in Ireland, pre-abortion referendum, and the measures to which women had to go through for their own bodies and freedom.

Some reviews say that Lauren is an unlikable character. I do not believe she is supposed to be liked by the reader. Her superiority complex, inability to communicate and unwillingness to understand the problems of other people is there to show that, unfortunately, are people like that. Lauren’s thoughts are very much like of any 16 year old girl who thinks she is something special. Lauren’s ways of dealing with her feelings and issues are not absurd or overstated, but are actions that some people do take in a time of crisis.

For me, what was comforting, is her exploration with her sexuality. This is the first piece of literature that I have read that looks into bisexuality from the point of view of a normal teenager finding herself in this world. It allowed me to empathise with her and inspired to search for more literature regarding this area.



Overall, I recommend this to everyone out there: young adults for relevancy; parents for insight. Give it a chance

Very humbling, disturbing but insightful to different things. If the human rights atrocities of the North Korean government do not appeal to you, I would still recommend simply for you to find out something new about the human experience and how people live with memories and trauma, adapt to society, and how your environment in your formative years impacts your psyche, survival instincts and worldview.

It astounds me how many people are reluctant to take Shin’s story seriously, even after the author explains Shin’s reasons behind it, as well as the impact trauma and guilt can have on your narrative. Although the criticisms of the journalistic, impersonal use of language use throughout the book is justified. I can see how a reader would find it hard to connect to the story when there are statistics and citations thrown your way in-between the narrative.

Trigger warnings for graphic descriptions of torture and abuse. In the 2015 version, the author included Shin’s sketches from the camp - very disturbing so tread with caution.

After months of attempting to read it through, at a midway point I had to make the decision to just put it away. Although Nabokov’s writing style is already challenging for me to stomach (I had to read Lolita 3-4 times to finally understand the essence), it truly amazes me that incest between cousins/siblings is not in the least bit off-putting to his fans (alongside pedophilia, but hey! It’s just written soooo beautifully)

If I do return to this again, it is solely because I have a nice cover, nothing to do and I need inspiration of language. Otherwise, you guys can keep it and continue to make heart eyes at teenage family members having sex :)

This may be an unpopular opinion, but Torment is a much better book than Fallen.

I began to reread the series to refresh my memory and understand why they are so hated - oh how I get it. The way Luce is written is quite insulting for someone who is supposed to be an intelligent, ‘something-special’ protagonist. Kate writes her to be an annoying, obsessive and whiny character, which is unfortunate because Luce does have the potential to be better. Although the first book left a terrible and frustrating impression, even as a reread, I was pleasantly surprised by Torment.

Yes, Luce is still obsessed with Daniel and the eternal love she feels for him. I can only excuse it because.. well... she is cursed to be reincarnated just to be with him. Nevertheless, once she is sent to California and becomes confronted with new characters, obstacles and revelations, not only is our Lucinda more bearable but I am now rooting for her. She begins to question things, learn about herself and the world around her and finally has nice friends (rip Penn) who help her in every way possible. I can empathise with her anger and emotional baggage that is seeing her past family, questioning her relationship with Daniel and Miles, and calling out those that are meant to be on ‘her side’ for not explaining everything to her and treating her like a fragile vase. Overall, she is a much better character and the adventures she gets up to with Shelby and Miles make the book a lot more enjoyable and not as dreading, never-ending as Fallen was (which was 460 pages of on-and-on-please-get-this-over-with).


Now onto the bad stuff:

1. What is UP with that timeline???? The book starts in November????? But as far as I was aware we left off in SEPTEMBER PREVIOUSLY?? I have confusion, lauren kate explain !!!!

2. Daniel - ohohoo where do I begin. In Fallen, if I had not been aware of the storyline already, I could justify his rudeness towards Luce. A girl keeps running after you, and stalking you and your family history - the bad attitude is justified. I would have called the police if a guy did that to me. However, overtime he becomes a more apparent jerk, to the point of me just wanting to rip my hair out. He treats Luce like a child. Instead of explaining why she should stay in school and filling her in on his plan to protect her, he just scolds her like a primary school pupil for leaving the playground where kids should play within the teacher’s eyeline.

I could, honestly, go on and on about why I want Luce to stop entertaining him and go for the guy (hi miles) that looks out for her, wants to help out and displays actions of honesty and true partnership. I don’t care that Daniel and Luce are a match made in heaven, Miles is a much better guy for her and any self-respecting girl with a good-guy radar can tell that it is him she should choose. Towards the end of the book she even forgets her issues with Daniel !!! Even after their kiss has happened, he does not make things too awkward, he stands by her and lets her know that he IS THERE and that EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY. Hell, I wanted to be with Miles for a moment there.


Overall, based on the opinions of the general public, I was expecting Torment to be worse, but actually as far as stories go, this is a much better one and I was hooked. I won’t comment too much on language because I am an average reader and never studied the art of creative writing.

Definitely give this book a chance, don’t judge it based on its older sibling

PS shoutout to Shelby, ily girl. Also Molly exuding lesbian energy when talking to Shelby and protecting her from Outcasts *chef’s kiss*

Normal People is a wonderful coming-of-age story about two young people that are simply not compatible with one another. Their relationship was described perfectly towards the end:

“Whatever there is between him and Marianne, nothing good has ever come of it. It has only ever caused confusion and misery for everyone.”

And I totally agree. From the beginning both Connell and Marianne were unlikeable to me, but in their own individual way. As the story progressed, I was completely against them as a couple. Both are unable to communicate with one another. Both send mixed messages because of their contrasting approaches to their relationship and life in general. Opposites may attract, but the mix-ups and hold-backs cause all of their problems and always leave them in the same place - simping for one another, and feeling totally miserable about it. My mother argued with me extensively over this. She brought up the reoccurring line:

“It is never like this with other people.”

So what? Sparks and chemistry is one thing. It is needed. But their attraction towards one another is more of a burning fire that is so intense that you *may* have to put it out soon. I have never read something that made me feel so heavy. I wanted to rip my hair out. I was mad about the whole Helen ordeal - one minute he felt proud and happy and comfortable to be with her, the next he is either ignoring her (before his depression kicked in) or pining after Marianne. However, I became a gradual Team Connell fan as the book progressed, especially with the Vermeer content (i love me a cultured boy teehee). He is much more self-aware, making him an interesting deep character in my eyes.
Marianne, on the other hand, rubs me the wrong way. I doubt anybody will agree with me and that is okay but I just... don’t... like... people like her. I find her to be so unlikeable. Yes she is multifaceted. Yes she has insecurities and a distinct world view and goes through some serious shit with every relationship in her life. But, God! To me, she is suffering from a serious superiority complex as she is always on about wanting to be envied or desired, and when she cannot achieve either, she fades away. I do understand where it may originate from as the story does explore bullying and school and nasty remarks from classmates that have affected her self-image. But she is not above other people. She is not better than anyone. What killed her for me was the scene, in which she asks Connell to hit her and tell her that she belongs to him. As soon as Connell establishes his boundaries and expresses that it is not what he wants to do, she cries and leaves. I am sorry but this was the nail on the coffin for me.

That is not to say that I did not enjoy reading it. It was easy to read, the pages just turned themselves and I was engaged at all times. I love a good page turner, even if the protagonists annoy the hell out of me. When my mother asked why she could not go to New York, why they could not be together, I was very open about my stance. I am glad they are not completely together. To the very end they do not communicate in a way that a couple in a loving, healthy, open relationship would. Connell deserves to be with someone who sees right through him, understands his reserved nature and anxiousness. Marianne deserves some Me-Time to find herself, feel whole and independent, so that next time she does enter a relationship, it is not to make or break her, but for there to be mutual understanding. She deserves that at least.


As for the author, well. Rooney has a grasping style. It is to the point and could draw in someone as inattentive as myself. My only issue is her jumps between description and human interaction. I noticed it in the Italy chapter. One sentence is Connell doing something. The next, describing a tree. Then Connell continuing his action. Then again, environmental depiction. Also in the final scene. As soon as there is a moment of silence, there is a description of walls, and ridiculous ones, like “it is as yellow as butter” - mid-conversation?? Why could she not talk about the walls or the cherry trees before going about her story telling? The jumps between are not to my liking and feel like if I were to try doing something like that in a beginners writing group, everyone would tell me my writing sucks.

Approaching my 20th birthday, I thought that I would never enjoy modern classics the same way a literary guru can (hello nabokov/kerouac/orwell). I have always believed that either the author condescendingly talks down to me, as if to say i do not understand art, or I dislike it for realz. Not until I picked this novel up, at random but yet with a purpose - to read more LGBT literature. I was intrigued at how could something the contents of this book have made it past the editorials and on to bookshelves.

But that is not what got me through. This novel, for me, was love at first page. Never have I read a book with language so tender, so sophisticated, so beautiful and still understand everything that was happening. My focus was always present, every night before bed I would be alert enough to immerse myself into this story. On top of that, the directness of the words. Every intention. Every emotion. Every nudge. Nothing goes over your head. It is refreshing after spending wasted time reading unreliable narration. If Radclyffe Hall is able to write so eloquently yet in such a way that you understand everything without her having to spoon-feed you, then so can any author.


As for the story itself, it is an interesting and insightful exploration of the human experience. I do not relate to Stephen in any way at any point of this novel, but to walk in her shoes and feel everything that she does (yes, the emptiness too) is much needed.


Although it is still not the biggest page turner out there (i blame small font and thin pages), reading it 30-60 pages at a time made my relationship with this novel everlasting and meaningful.