NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney

This book is not a page-turner per se, but I found it to be completely addictive.  It’s a classic story of two teenagers who don’t move in the same social circles but become close anyway.  The girl, Marianne, comes from a wealthy family but is basically a brainy wallflower.  Connell is also very bright, as well as very popular and athletic, but his mother is Marianne’s family’s housekeeper.  Marianne comes from a dysfunctional family whose unimaginable torments render her emotionally handicapped in her ability to sustain a loving relationship with Connell.  He, on the other hand, was born to a 17-year-old unwed mother, who nonetheless is a perceptive and loving parent.   Connell and Marianne have a falling out after he has already decided to go to the same college she is attending.  At Trinity they have a role reversal; she blossoms, while he is out of his comfort zone.  Their relationship ebbs and flows throughout college, often depending on which one is in another relationship and which one is in need of being rescued.  Sometimes I just wanted to give them both a good shake.  This storyline may sound melodramatic, but I found myself very invested in these two people, who struggle to find their way in the world, sometimes together and sometimes not.  They both make some horrific choices and fail repeatedly to express themselves to one another honestly.  I found myself more drawn to Connell, partly because I found Marianne difficult to nail down, despite the fact that her story fills more pages.  The timeline is straightforward, and the writing, particularly the dialog, just drew me in.