Sally Rooney can do no wrong. This sampler was a fantastic tease for Intermezzo, which I got for Christmas and I am so so excited to dive into properly!

Being a big fan of Sally Rooney's previous novels (who isn't??) I was very excited to read this sample of her new book. Her unique voice comes through loud and clear and it's got me hooked - I can't wait to read the full novel.

This book follows two brothers, Ivan and Peter as they navigate their way through grief after the passing of their father. It’s a difficult book to get into but once you do, it’s an interesting read.

ooney’s Intermezzo offers yet another testament to her ability to craft profoundly human stories. I find her knack for exploring the intricacies of everyday life to create closeness with realistic characters brilliant. Her attention to the seemingly mundane—shared glances, unspoken tensions, quiet routines—creates an extraordinary sense of intimacy, drawing readers into the characters’ emotional worlds in a way that feels effortless.

The central narrative, focusing on two very different brothers, is a rich and complex exploration of family dynamics. Rooney doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness, love, and inevitable friction that comes with different relationships. Instead, she embraces them, offering a deeply relatable and at times heart-wrenching portrayal of what it means to navigate love in all its forms. The brothers’ differences create a fascinating push-and-pull dynamic, reflecting the unspoken tensions and alliances that exist in all families.

Although I’ve only had the opportunity to read a sampler, it’s clear that Intermezzo will deliver on all the qualities that make Rooney’s writing so impactful: piercing character studies, subtle yet poignant dialogue, and a quiet focus on the moments that make up real lives. I’m eagerly awaiting the paperback release in the UK and can’t wait to see how the story unfolds in its entirety.

Sally Rooney continues to prove herself as a master of contemporary fiction.

Rooney’s signature style of sharp, introspective dialogue and nuanced character development is on full display, as she delves into the intricacies of human connection with her trademark wit and depth. Intermezzo feels like a delicate pause in the midst of life, capturing the fleeting yet powerful moments that can alter the course of a relationship or even a life. With its thoughtful pacing and emotional resonance, this novel is a tender meditation on the moments between what is said and what is felt. Rooney masterfully captures the complexity of modern life and relationships in a way that lingers long after you turn the last page.

I look forward to diving into another world created by Sally Rooney.

Thank you Netgalley for the preview.

𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓮𝔃𝔃𝓸 𝓫𝔂 𝓢𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 ♟️
𝖱𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀:🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

‘𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦—𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺; 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨.‘

𝖨𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗆𝖾𝗓𝗓𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗅𝗒 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗇𝗎𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝗅𝗈𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖿, 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗑𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌, 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝖺 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍 𝖿𝗂𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋-𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗅𝗂𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖾𝖽. 𝖨 𝖽𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝖲𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒’𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌 𝗏𝗂𝖺 𝖺𝗎𝖽𝗂𝗈 𝖺𝗌 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗐𝗂𝗌𝖾 𝖨 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝖨 𝗆𝖺𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗀𝗀𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗂𝗍, 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝖺 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝖾 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾. 𝖡𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗑 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝗒𝗇𝖺𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖿𝗅𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗌 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆, 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗋𝗈𝗈𝗆 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗌.

The formatting was a little off, but this sampler made me SO excited to read the full book! I think I would read anything Sally Rooney wrote - she is just so incredible.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the sampler. 🫶🏻

Sally Rooney is one of my favourite authors and this is why. She writes so so well and you can always rely on one of her books to hook you in, couldn’t put it down!

As per, Sally Rooney is the absolute master of blending big, bold themes with the minutiae of the every day - though it doesn’t top CwF as my favourite Sally Rooney novel, it is a very worthy second.

this was such a good start to the book, i adore sally rooney!!! can’t wait to read the full book! super excited

Long awaited Sally Rooney and she does not disappoint. Complex characters that really make you think and look deep.

Rooney's signature prose, characterized by its simplicity and depth, effectively delves into the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The alternating perspectives between Peter and Ivan provide a nuanced understanding of their internal struggles and evolving dynamics. The novel's title, referencing an unexpected move in chess, aptly symbolizes the unpredictable and transformative nature of grief and personal growth.

While Intermezzo excels in character development and thematic depth, some readers might find the pacing in certain sections to be slower, potentially affecting engagement. Additionally, the introspective nature of the narrative may not resonate with those preferring more action-driven plots.

Overall, Intermezzo stands as a testament to Rooney's literary prowess, offering a profound and intimate portrayal of life's interludes and the enduring bonds of family.

Incredible - as always I adored the complexity of the characters and the depth of Rooney's unique writing style. So looking forward to reading the rest!

Unfortunately, based on the sample, this book isn't for me.

I've enjoyed other stories by the author, her sometimes it just doesn't click.

As this is a sampler I will wait until I have read the entire novel before reviewing. It seems Very Sally Rooney - which is a compliment!

Sally Rooney strikes again! Can't wait to read the whole book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this sampler!

I found Rooney's run on sentences hard to read.at the start of the book.

I found myself enjoying the book more after the first 50 pages or so.

Rooney is a singular voice on love and loss.

Loved it, teared up a few times. Had never read anything of Rooney before and was pleasantly surprised as I did not have high hopes based on Rooney stream of consciousness writing style. Too relatable at times, similar to poetic prose at others- just perfect for a fall night.

Rooney's style and tone seem different in this book. I persevered but did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would