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lindseybarnett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Beyond that, the plot is intriguing and propulsive in a way I wasn't expecting. I mostly planned to read this one slowly, but I could never put the book down.
My one major qualm lies in that the moments of sexual assault are incredibly graphic and out of nowhere (although short), but then the moments of positive love and sexual experiences felt glossed over until some of the final pages. It felt a little like Garmus thought that we had to experience the assault to feel for the characters when we would have respected what the characters had faced without the details.
I also would have loved to have been in Zott's head more. However, that's purely out of my own curiosity. I fully respect that Garmus chose to keep her a bit of a mystery to the reader while diving into the headspaces of many other characters as a character choice, which is undoubtedly effective.
I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good mix between plot and character and is a fan of (in Six-Thirty's words from the bonus content) characters in a "constant state of outrage." Although, be aware of the content warnings!
Some lines I loved:
"...wasn't that the very definition of life? Constant adaptations brought about by a series of never-ending mistakes?"
"'One of the things I like about cooking...is it's inherent usefulness. When we make food, we don't just create something good to eat - we create something that provides energy to our cells, something that sustains life.'"
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Blood, and Vomit
katrinasherise's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Blood, Car accident, and Gaslighting
grboph's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Abortion, and War
magical_mads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 31, 2022
T H R E E • W O R D S
Unexpected • Vibrant • Empowering
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans, the lonely, brilliant, Nobel Prize–nominated grudge holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
Like science, though, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Eizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother but also the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ("combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride") proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because, as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women how to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was instantly drawn to the cover of Lesson in Chemistry, yet without reading the synopsis the cover lead me to believe it would be something a lot lighter than it actually is. What this book is is an ode to women in STEM, an ode to single mothers, an ode to women in general, an invitation to challenge the status quo.
Elizabeth Zott is one of those characters that leapt off the page and really came to life. She is witty, independent, intelligent, and not afraid of ruffling a few feathers. I would love to be able to tune into her daily cooking show. From the start, I was drawn into her world and Bonnie Garmus' witty dialogue kept me going. Additionally, the cast of supporting characters was fantastic. Calvin Evans (the love interest), Mad (her daughter), and Six Thirty (her dog) are all fully flushed out and add so much to the story.
The plot is certainly dense, tackling a lot of important topics and at times it seemed a tad on the slow side, yet my interest never wavered. It just could have been 25-40 pages shorter. With that said, I loved how Elizabeth took control of her life, trailblazing her own path to success and love. It is a truly empowering story.
While I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, I definitely think the hype affected my overall reading experience. I was anticipating something great, and what it delivered was simply good. It gave me The Maid vibes, which I really liked. I also enjoyed the themes and gaining insight into what life was like for women in STEM in the past. Given this was a debut, I will be eagerly watching news of what Bonnie Garmus is writing next.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of The Maid
• women in STEM
• book clubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize,. Marriage counselors would go out of business."
"'That's why I want to use Supper at Six to teach chemistry. Because when women understand chemistry, they begin to understand how things work.'
Roth looked confused.
'I'm referring to atoms and molecules, Roth.' she explained. 'The real rules that govern the physical world. When women understand these basic concepts, they can begin to see the false limits that have been created for them.'
'You mean by men.'
'I mean by artificial cultural and religious policies that put men in the highly unnatural role of single-sex leadership. Even a basic understand of chemistry reveals the danger of such a lopsided approach.'
'Well,' he said, realizing he'd never seen it that way before. 'I agree that society leave much to be desired, but when it come to religion, I tend to think it humbles us - teaches us our place in the world.'
'Really?' she said, surprised. 'I think it lets us off the hook. I think it teaches us that nothing is really our fault; that something or someone else is pulling the strings; that ultimately, we're not to blame for the way things are; that to improve things, we should pray. But the truth is, we are very much responsible for the badness in the world. And we have the power to fix it.'"
"Actually, a humanist. But I have to admit, some days the human race makes me sick."
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, and Abortion
sibling deathhelloits_jen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
amykenney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
micaelamariem's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
sunflowersarepretty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Elizabeth Zott is the epitome of a femenist, a woman, a scientist, a mother, and an icon. bThis book depicts how women are treated less in every sense of the word when it comes to so many situations. The book is fantastically written. The emotions this book has drawn from me... I truly reccomend this book, although, and again, do look at trigger warnings.
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment