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bilingual_introvert's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Excellent book. There were definitely some parts that were difficult to get through (specifically the assault scenes and all the gender discrimination). The book made me cry on multiple occasions. My heart broke for Elizabeth and Calvin and all they went through. It's truly an inspiring story and it was so well written I had to go and check if it was maybe based on a true story (it's not). As much as I think this book should be read by many people as possible I wouldn't be comfortable with minors reading it and I also doubt that most men will understand or relate to the nuances here. The story is set in the 60's and while it's interesting to see the things that have changed it's also saddening to see how so much of it is still true for women in today's world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Car accident, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, and Sexism
Moderate: Death of parent and Domestic abuse
katmystery's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars. I loved the Netflix adaptation, so I thought I'd give the book a try. I was surprised to find that, while I enjoyed the book, I liked the show a lot more. The show addressed most of the problems I had with the book- the surprisingly little page-time given to the love interest that influenced much of the story (readers didn't really have a reason to care about him), the believing-in-yourself-will-fix-all-your-life-problems feminism that ignored class and race, and the little time given to side characters.
Some of the book was fun and inspiring. More of it was sad, and most of it made me angry- Elizabeth faces so much sexism left and right that it's hard to read.
The book felt extremely heavy-handed in its message and could have been more powerful if it were more subtle. Pretty much all the male characters and several of the women were cartoonishly misogynistic, which actually hurt the message more than it helped- sexism is so often not as obvious as it was depicted here, so by ignoring more subtle forms of sexism, the book accidentally furthers the view that sexism is only a thing of the past.
If you want to read the inspiring albeit sad tale of a dauntless woman in science and don't mind a bit of heavy-handedness, go for it. If you enjoyed the show, the book doesn't add anything you don't already know, so I'd recommend you skip it.
Some of the book was fun and inspiring. More of it was sad, and most of it made me angry- Elizabeth faces so much sexism left and right that it's hard to read.
The book felt extremely heavy-handed in its message and could have been more powerful if it were more subtle. Pretty much all the male characters and several of the women were cartoonishly misogynistic, which actually hurt the message more than it helped- sexism is so often not as obvious as it was depicted here, so by ignoring more subtle forms of sexism, the book accidentally furthers the view that sexism is only a thing of the past.
If you want to read the inspiring albeit sad tale of a dauntless woman in science and don't mind a bit of heavy-handedness, go for it. If you enjoyed the show, the book doesn't add anything you don't already know, so I'd recommend you skip it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Suicide
intrepidheroine's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book interesting and gripping, but my goodness was there a lot of sexual assault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse
ninjazzy's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
3.75
Historical fiction, a good casual read but felt a little bit disjointed at times. The characters feel flat (interactions rely too heavily on a certain trait or characteristic), though there is a bit of development which only happens near the end of the book. It feels like there are too many coincidental relations between the characters. The story feels like it's mainly driven mostly by things that happen to the characters rather than a personal exploration.
The message and story are otherwise inspiring and hopeful, even though it gives a glimpse into the not-so-distant ugly past of what it was like to be a woman in the United States in the 50s and 60s. There are some really great zingers in the book as well that got a smile or chuckle out of me while reading.
The message and story are otherwise inspiring and hopeful, even though it gives a glimpse into the not-so-distant ugly past of what it was like to be a woman in the United States in the 50s and 60s. There are some really great zingers in the book as well that got a smile or chuckle out of me while reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
gabbyeleene's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Death, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy and Homophobia
kayla_hehe's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Rape, and Sexual assault
mirthedh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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? No
2.0
I love the message the book is trying to convey, but to me the main character seems to be portayed too much as a stereotype of women in science (calculating her child's nutrients, takes everything literally, gets asked a question about 6:30 and starts to mansplain our timing system) . While the topics the story touches on are/were very realistic issues, I (as a woman in science) couldn't relate to Elizabeth's scientific way of handling life at all. To be fair I liked pretty much all of the side characters more than I liked Elizabeth, especially the dog. I understand what the author was trying to convey, but to me it seems ironic that Elizabeth is trying to break a certain stereotype, while she is portrayed as a stereotype herself. The book has a very wholesome ending tho, I'll give it that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexism
Minor: Grief and Suicide
bethaniesherwood's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Racism, Sexual assault, and Death
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, and Suicide
abirej's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
How can I even describe how wonderful this book is? Most of the time I stay away from 3rd person omniscient but this is an example of a WELL DONE pov. I adore Elizabeth Zott. This story is told perfectly, everything revealed at e x a c t l y the right time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Death, Sexual violence, Sexism, Violence, Car accident, and Grief