I can't believe it took so long for me to actually decide to read this book. Everyone i know has loved it, and i really enjoyed the TV series, but the read was MUCH better than anticipated. I love that the book was even more feminist than the TV series. And there was more 6:30. What a genius character, with uncanny intelligence and self-doubt. In my Book Club, we discussed book-inspired tattoos and inthis book I found my choice:

“The librarian is the most important educator in school. What she doesn't know, she can find out. This is not an opinion; it's a fact. Do not share this fact with Mrs. Mudford.” Not that I am likely to get a tattoo anytime soon...

I did not expect so many laugh out loud moments, many of which were at the expense of Mrs Mudford (who turns out to be a little more likeable in the series.)

I will be recommending this to everyone I know who isn't also late to this party.

Content Warnings

thorney's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

kaileylebrun's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

mazzoccatoadele's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

someone cooked here

Content Warnings

gemloukay's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

4.5

Spoilers ahead! Elizabeth Zott is a chemist struggling in the sexist world of 1950s/60s. She is beautiful and intelligent and won’t accept that she can’t have what the men in her life have. When she falls for fellow chemist Calvin Evans and subsequently falls pregnant out of wedlock (despite him asking to marry her she refuses), she is further shunned by society. Unfortunately Calvin dies in an accident and she takes a job teaching the nation to cook (since cooking is chemistry after all!), which makes her a nationally acclaimed tv personality. Their dog, Six Thirty, is a personality in himself and blames himself for Calvin’s death, so watches out for Elizabeth and her daughter Mad. I loved his inner monologue and how he was a character that had real thoughts but couldn’t voice any if them!

The book deals with sexism, particularly the struggle for women to be seen as equals in science, alongside grief, the struggles of motherhood and the need for women to support each other both then and now. If you don’t like releasing about feminism, you’ll hate it. Thankfully for me I was brought up by strong women and men who supported them, so I found it to be an inspiring read. Some of the science was a bit simplistic for a supposedly brilliant chemist but then, unlike the women in this story, I was lucky enough to be able to study it at university so maybe I’m a bit more educated in the subject than most! An inspiring story and a brilliant debut novel.

Content Warnings

klosterphobia's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Overhyped and mis-advertised. This is NOT a comedy or a romance book.

The writing is fine, but the story was slow, cliche, and very heavy handed. It became preachy very quickly. The sexism was overdone straying into cartoonish villains.

I personally hated the dog’s perspective, and I hated all the talk of rowing.

Content Warnings

chelly_reads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

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