WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY?

Normal People Review

Last month, I finally finished reading Normal People by Sally Rooney.

Labeled a psychological book, it teeters on the edge of the young adult genre. It was made incredibly popular by #BookTok on TikTok and the TV series adaptation available on Hulu.

The book focuses on Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron.

It follows their on-and-off, willthey-won’t-they, relationship. At the beginning of the book, they start off as seniors in high school.

By the end, they are finishing up their final year of college. In high school, both are exceptional students, receiving higher grades than anyone else in their class.

However, Marianne and Connell are not friends.

Marianne comes from a wealthy and absent family, while Connell comes from a lower-class family made up of him and his adoring mother.

Also, Marianne is an outcast in high school, having no friends and being constantly made fun of by Connell’s friends.

That being said, Connell is extremely popular, surrounded by many friends. On top of that, he is the star rugby player, constantly being chased by the prettiest girls in school.

As a result of Connell’s mother you’d think he was at least 12.

Riley is best known as a (selfproclaimed) “rising gangsta.”

An example of this is in episode 7 of season 2, when Riley was willing to risk his life for a chain (a fake chain, might I add) from Thugnificent, a rapper.

The chain would signify that he was a part of the “Thugnificent crew”.

His beliefs can be said to come from his life in the rough parts of Chicago, which rivals his new life in the Baltimore suburbs.

His views contradict those of his older brother Huey Freeman, who is a radical leftist.

Huey is best described as a logistical leftist and a terrorist, despite being only 10 years old.

He looks at the facts and speaks the truth. In simple terms Huey working for Marianne’s mother, Connell and Marianne begin to see each other after school.

They begin to talk, and they started to get to know each other. They come to understand each other in a way no one else did.

Connell, while him and Marianne are lying in bed, even tells her, “I’m not a religious person, but I do think sometimes God made you for me.”

However, as beautiful and intense as their relationship was, Connell insisted on keeping it a secret. He didn’t want anyone from their school to find out he and Marianne were seeing each other.

He’s embarrassed of her and his feelings for her. This singular issue is the root of all of their issues hence forth.

From the end of their senior year to the end of their college years, Marianne and Connell’s relationship is full of anxieties, insecurities and miscommunications.

They love each other, but they knows the truth, looks for the facts and then tells you why you’re wrong.

Robert Freeman, on the other hand, is just doing his best to survive while raising his grandchildren.

He is not to be mistaken as an amazing parental figure, though.

He is far from that. He uses all of Huey and Riley’s inheritance on women and having fun.

Which is why they eventually become slaves. Although he is doing what he considers his best…….

This show shows the truth and shows it for what it really is, but through the eyes of children, making sure to leave room for comedy in the process.

It may all seem like nonsense, but everything shown in The Boondocks is a metaphor for something greater.

I’m not gonna delve into all the continue to push each other away just to come back to each other over and over again.

In my opinion, I think Normal People displays modern relationships frighteningly well.

In a sad sort of way, many of today’s relationships involve pushing each other and coming back together solely because of insecurities and miscommunication. In so many scenes of the book, there was so much left unsaid between Marianne and Connell.

The bulk of their problems could have been solved if they had just talked to each other, and it’s frustrating, and annoying and completely understandable.

Normal People was an incredibly heart-wrenching and beautiful book.

Not only are the emotional and intimate scenes beautifully written, but Rooney has a way of making the reader relate to Marianne and Connell.

She writes about their traumas secret “The Boondocks” has and why it’s all so great, but if you’re curious about it, I’d recommend watching the show.

Another thing that makes it so good is the animation style and the fact that there are so many people of color, who aren’t shown a lot even in 2023.

The animation style is inspired by the classic anime style we all know and love (think Hunter x Hunter or Afro Samurai).

The show isn’t as long as other shows doing the same thing, such as Family Guy or American Dad, with only 4 seasons and a total of 55 episodes.

It is a quick watch, a fun time, and sure to keep you laughing and questioning what is really going on. I recommend it to anyone looking for a new anime to watch or just something to pass the time.

BY ZYKEYAH EASTER

well and the reader understands, from both characters’ perspectives, why they made the decisions they made.

BY VIVIAN ANGELES