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lmurpho's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
[Warning for the jump-scare rape scene in chapter 3.]
While this book is advertised as a funny & inspiring feminist story, I don’t see it as any of those things. Putting aside the many inconsistencies and inaccuracies with how scientists are portrayed (I have a lot more to say about that), the main character’s personality is stunted from the start with very little character development described.
Half the time EZ is made out to be a matter-of-fact, stoic person seemingly incapable of understanding basic social interactions, and then other times she's portrayed to be fully empathetic and emotionally soft. The author attempts to smooth the rough edges of Zott’s personality but these glimpses of a more emotionally mature adult do not fit the rigid template character of ‘socially-awkward scientist’ the author has lifted from modern media.
In Elizabeth’s character, the author has done a huge disservice to women in science, both back in the 1950's but also today. Women did exist in science in the 50s; Rosalind Franklin, Gertrude B. Elion, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Barbara McCintock, Dorothy Hodgkin, Irene Joliot-Curie, Rosalyn Yalow, and Gerty Theresa Cori were all award-winning scientists active in the 1950’s and I’m sure would have faced many of the barriers that Elizabeth experienced. However, rather than show the audience that success can be achieved despite the odds, she chose to encapsulate them into a main character that is emotionless, rigid and uninteresting.
For a supposedly feminist novel (or at least one that wants to celebrate a woman revolting against the role that society has carved for her) this book severely lacks in meaningful female relationships. The interactions between women in this book repeatedly tend towards judgement, shame or pity. It's not just women that seem to suffer the author’s tendency to focus on negative character-traits either, the men in this book have few redeeming qualities. Most of the male characters are either physical, emotional, or sexual abusers.
I’m petty so here’s a few examples of the inaccuracies/inconsistencies I spotted:
• Lab coats outside the lab are a big no-no in chemistry. Despite this, EZ decides to wear hers out of the lab, getting into her car and going to someone else’s place of work to confront them.
• It rarely rains in Cambridge, England. I know this from living there for 7 years, but also a quick google comes up with: https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/trending/where-is-the-driest-place-in-the-uk-weather-climate.html.
• Nobel prize nomination lists aren’t made public until 100 years after the award. You’d need some very close connections to the Swedish National Academy of Sciences to know if Calvin Evans was nominated for a Nobel.
• Despite being a brilliant scientist who uses logic and reason in every part of her life, she was very surprised to find-out she was pregnant when her co-worker pointed it out as a possible cause of morning sickness.
• Again, despite being a brilliant scientist, she manages to break her centrifuge with an unbalanced load (this is the first thing you learn when you are shown a centrifuge).
• Nobody (literally nobody) has ever said 'pass me the sodium chloride'...
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
freul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Car accident, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Bullying, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Medical content, Vomit, Abortion, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, and Religious bigotry
weasley1912'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: Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Death, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
aine7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Moderate: Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
janwe's review
-10 ⭐... WTF... Apart from being absolutely ridiculous and flat... It really annoyed the hell out of me. "Had to" read it for a book club.. But I just can't... Dnfd it at the 2. sexual assault scene... That is supposed to be feminist satire set in the 50s and 60s? Yeah.. RIGHT... I think sexual assault is really funny - LOL... Wtf...
Spoiler:
the female protagonist gets sexual assoulted for the 2nd time (first time brutally raped!!) and, when this Harvey Weinstein-kind-of-type-TV-Producer pulls down his pants... Her reaction to it is this?:
"she shook her head in wonder. She had no idea why men believed women found male genitalia impressive or scary"
... Wtf!? NO just NO!!! I regret sooo much that this author! got any money from me, because I unfortunately PAID MONEY FOR THIS PIECE OF SHIT!!!
Graphic: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
ank3's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity and Car accident
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexism, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide, Car accident, and Fatphobia
scarlett_f's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Bullying, Rape, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide
erinreadsbooks'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
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Vomit
nessad11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Body shaming, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Body shaming, and Rape
wish i had a warning ahead of time (thanks tiktok) for these triggers the minor tags are brought up pretty often but there’s only one “detailed” rape scene