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missinfermiera's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Rape, Suicide, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt
sara_phoenix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Rape, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
meganpbennett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Suicide
aleccy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage
theemilystarr'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
5.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Grief and Death
Minor: Suicide
cavallonee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fatphobia, Death, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Vomit
kds247'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
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Misogyny, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Death, and Sexism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief
Minor: Vomit, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Pregnancy, and Blood
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
- 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
This novel started slow (and dark - readers should be aware [I wasn't] that
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
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.
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
em_gauts'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? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Rape, Death, Suicide, Grief, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
wheelyautistic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Death of parent, Bullying, Sexual violence, Classism, Hate crime, Ableism, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Sexism, Death, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse