Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

79 reviews

alishav's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• 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

We can learn more, we can go further, but to accomplish this, we must throw open the doors. Too many brilliant minds are kept from scientific research thanks to ignorant biases like gender and race. It infuriates me and it should infuriate you. Science has big problems to solve: famine, disease, extinction. And those who purposefully close the door to others using self-serving, outdated cultural notions are not only dishonest, they're knowingly lazy.

There was so much that I loved about this book - especially being a woman in STEM myself. I loved that a common theme in this book was women succeeding because they had support of other women (and vice versa - when women competed with one another in ugly ways, they both suffered). I loved that Elizabeth felt relatable. I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Six-Thirty. My only qualm is that I often forgot (or perhaps couldn’t believe) that this book took place in the 1960s. Much of it felt like it was taking place much later, perhaps even present day. Regardless, loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Violence, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Car accident

abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I hesitated to start this thinking that it was intended as more of a romance, and my only regret is not starting this book sooner.

Yes there is some romance, but not in the typical sense. In the words of Elizabeth Zott, they are “soul mates”. Not in the cheesy meet-cute fashion but the real-life, messy, laugh and cry sense.

This book was empowering, heartbreaking, and everything in between. I cried so much in the last hundred chapters because I had gone through this journey. I was Elizabeth Zott and I was all the other women. You would think a novel set in the 1950/60s wouldn’t have so many parallels to the modern world but that was the beauty of it. As sad as it is, many of us are still  Elizabeth Zott. Maybe not in the most direct sense but in spirit. 

Even if you can’t relate to Elizabeth Zott’s story, you know someone who can.

Overall, a 5 star read through and through.


*slight spoilers*
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You will be crying by 30% into the book, so just be Prepared.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Grief, Ableism, and Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Pregnancy, Child death, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia

Minor: Cannibalism

rhearne's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Misogyny, Homophobia, Rape, and Toxic relationship

jrae1334's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

beautifulpaxielreads's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry is such an accomplished piece of writing, which makes it all the more astonishing that it's by a debut author (albeit one with a lot of life experience behind her).

This novel started slow (and dark - readers should be aware [I wasn't] that

there is a violent, graphic sexual assault

before you hit page 50), but once it got going, it grabbed hold of me and did not let go.

Elizabeth Zott is such an incredible main character - tough, uncompromising, fiercely intelligent, and strong-willed (almost too much so, there were times I wished she would bend just a little, but no, she would not), but she did have a gentler side which I appreciated reading about.

Elizabeth needs every bit of willpower, because number one, she was a scientist, and number two, she was an unmarried woman living in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, a time which did not look kindly on women, particularly women who did not fit their prescribed stereotypes.

Fair warning to readers that the misogyny in this book is extreme, infuriatingly so. It comes from not only men but some women too. The sexism was so overwhelmingly awful at times that I had to stop and wonder if it actually was as terrible as Garmus depicts. I'm not sure, but I know that women definitely got a raw deal in this period of history.

The other infuriating thing to read about was so many of the terrible events in the novel could have been prevented if certain people had been less greedy, small-minded, or desperate. But then I guess there wouldn't have been a story, so go figure.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me. The switches between POV characters would often occur within the same section, and even in the same paragraph at times, which was jarring as I would need to figure out whose POV I was reading.

Also, the POV of Elizabeth's

dog, Six Thirty

was a good idea in theory but didn't work on the page.

Would a dog really have that many thoughts going on in his/her brain?

I also found it hard to believe the advanced intelligence of

Elizabeth's daughter, Madeline. But then I guess some rare children really are that gifted, so I suppose it's not entirely implausible. But still.

Anyway, overall this was a really great read, albeit one with some pretty dark themes - I would advise prospective readers to check the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Car accident, Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Sexism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Cursing

Minor: Pedophilia, Homophobia, and Child death

mckenn26's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Grief

chloebaboey's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Body shaming, Car accident, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicide, Child abuse, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol, Eating disorder, and Medical content

charitycross2197's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. The way it was written was beautiful and even though it's set in the past it still makes me think how women in STEM aren't treated equal yet. I'm used to reading books with a sappy romantic ending, but this ending was just right by being satisfying but also realistic. Worthwhile read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Car accident, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

uranaishi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Car accident, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Vomit, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Animal death, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

briryder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I loved this! No notes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Vomit, Outing, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Death, Classism, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse