I have an entire video documenting my entire experience with this book and my final review, but it doesn't hurt to reflect about it in writing either, so here I am.

"Normal People" was quite lacklustering to me. On one hand, it was very enticing and entertaining, I couldn't put the book down, so props to Sally Rooney for the well paced writing on a book that is not plot-focused at all.

 

  I can understand both character's actions and even their miscommunication throughout this story. They are fleshed out in a way that we can understand why communication doesn't seem to be part of their vocabulary and their lifestyle. That's part of the narrative and sometimes inevitably part of life itself.
What I really really couldn't get behind is the ending. That ending! Was I the only one bothered by it? By Marianne basically spelling out that she was fully dependent on Connell and that was the way she would be looking at life from then on? What kind of masterpiece of the 21st century ends like this, in a hopeless tone for women? Although Marianne's psyche is fleshed out, there is zero development to her character and that is just so disappointing. Especially knowing that it's different for Connell. One can tell that Connell grew significantly throughout the narrative, but Marianne seems to end up exactly where she started, or in a way, worse because she still has no confidence in her partner and basically succumbs to not even being an individual. I'm sorry, that ending really had me in a rage. Other than that, the book was okay, but the disappointment might prevent me from picking up any other Rooney novel.