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jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Chemistry is narrated by a young Chinese woman who is going for her PhD at a Boston area college (presumably Harvard since she refers to it as the "best college in the US"). Our narrator is anxious, neurotic, and unsure. She is studying chemistry and works in a lab at the college for an intense professor. She meets her boyfriend at the lab but she is about as unsure of him as she is of her chemistry.
The novel is told in a stream of consciousness style which clearly displays the narrators emotional state. She is clearly highly intelligent and talks about science a lot. She jumps from thought to thought...memory to memory. She shares her issues with her parents and of growing up as one of the only Asian kids in her grammar school class.
This is a good look inside a stressed out mind. I will keep my eye out for other books by this author.
The novel is told in a stream of consciousness style which clearly displays the narrators emotional state. She is clearly highly intelligent and talks about science a lot. She jumps from thought to thought...memory to memory. She shares her issues with her parents and of growing up as one of the only Asian kids in her grammar school class.
This is a good look inside a stressed out mind. I will keep my eye out for other books by this author.
tugboat56's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
charlennekayla's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
drridareads's review
4.0
Ninety percent of all experiments fail. This is a fact. Every scientist has proven it. But you eventually start to wonder if this high rate of failure is also you. It can't be the chemicals' fault, you think. They have no souls.
I'm not sure how to review this book. It follows our unnamed protagonist as she waits for a breakthrough to complete her PhD in her research that just never comes. Her Chinese parents expect nothing less from her. Okay I'm not Chinese but I know so many parents like that; parents that try to mold their child into whatever they want; parents that put so much pressure on them that they eventually break.
You must love chemistry unconditionally. But all I can think is how I am not up for the task.
She receives this advice from her perfect lab mate. And she pushes herself, she works hard but she just can't. Her character was incredibly real, she could be anyone. She was vulnerable and hurt and had no perfect idea who she was anymore.
She is the first character I've seen whose bilingual aspect was pretty real. English is not my first language and I could relate
In the midst of all this her boyfriend; Eric proposes to her and she doesn't want to marry him. To our narrator Eric's life has been one without struggles; growing up he had the perfect kind of parents, he finishes his PhD without much struggle. But how can she be with someone like him?
Wang's writing though easy going, the book had profound themes. What it means to be a girl working in a science field. She that touched on themes of cultural misunderstanding, an Asian experiencing racism. How we sometimes stereotype ourselves.
Honestly I cannot put my thoughts into words right now properly and I hate this review of mine. But I loved this book and would definitely recommend it!
Edit: I don't usually change my ratings but I haven't read many books in a long time and I still think of this. It's underrated and I wish more people read it.
I'm not sure how to review this book. It follows our unnamed protagonist as she waits for a breakthrough to complete her PhD in her research that just never comes. Her Chinese parents expect nothing less from her. Okay I'm not Chinese but I know so many parents like that; parents that try to mold their child into whatever they want; parents that put so much pressure on them that they eventually break.
You must love chemistry unconditionally. But all I can think is how I am not up for the task.
She receives this advice from her perfect lab mate. And she pushes herself, she works hard but she just can't. Her character was incredibly real, she could be anyone. She was vulnerable and hurt and had no perfect idea who she was anymore.
She is the first character I've seen whose bilingual aspect was pretty real. English is not my first language and I could relate
In the midst of all this her boyfriend; Eric proposes to her and she doesn't want to marry him. To our narrator Eric's life has been one without struggles; growing up he had the perfect kind of parents, he finishes his PhD without much struggle. But how can she be with someone like him?
Wang's writing though easy going, the book had profound themes. What it means to be a girl working in a science field. She that touched on themes of cultural misunderstanding, an Asian experiencing racism. How we sometimes stereotype ourselves.
Honestly I cannot put my thoughts into words right now properly and I hate this review of mine. But I loved this book and would definitely recommend it!
Edit: I don't usually change my ratings but I haven't read many books in a long time and I still think of this. It's underrated and I wish more people read it.
sheilareads_'s review
I really enjoyed reading Chemistry. I love the way Wang wrote the book. To me it felt like a lab journal. Very concise, but each line/chapter was so meaningful. I could relate to the unnamed protagonist regarding family and societal expectations. There were also a lot of facts in the book (I enjoyed learning about them!) Great read, highly recommend the book!
rachaelwho's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
This was great. I wish it were longer, but only because I wanted to go on enjoying it, not because it really needed to be. Funny, very depressed, sweet.
kkayla113's review against another edition
5.0
Child of Asian immigrants + STEM moment, this is a comfort book for me
nora_sm's review
funny
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
erintowner's review
4.0
This book was so funny and heartbreaking. I loved every minute and I'm going to recommend it to friends. I liked the science facts sprinkled throughout and how the author shows that science has a lot of heart. I also liked the portrayal of a life--things are not always black and white and that is very clear here.
The only thing I did not like was the ending. I'm realizing that I like my endings perfectly explained and tied up with a bow.
The only thing I did not like was the ending. I'm realizing that I like my endings perfectly explained and tied up with a bow.