Reviews with content warning for Vomit - Lessons in Chemistry

i read this per my aunt’s recommendation with zero knowledge of the book going into it. it is about the generation of women who came just after my grandmother, adult women in the late 50s and 60s who were on the precipice of the next great American feminist movement but still greatly impacted by WW2 social norms.

i did not expect this book to impact me so much! i love women’s fiction, but i tend to prefer more literary works than this. there was a very clear timeline and plot, which i appreciated, and though the book covered serious topics, the tone was mostly lighthearted.

the POVs in this book were absolutely incredible. i LOVED getting 6:30’s perspective, and the type of head hopping that would normally
bother me was used very strategically and successfully!

there was a HEAVY dose of found family here that i did not expect at all. i welled up in tears many times over during scenes where Mad and Elizabeth got to experience the love and support of their own little community.

also, i SHOUTED when the

Vogue

reveal happened. Harriet slayed!!! Best character award!!!

i can definitely see how this book lends itself to a TV series, which i plan on watching! overall, this was a really fun and interesting read outside my comfort zone.

Content Warnings

kailiyahknight's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.25

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oatmilktea's review against another edition

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For the life of me I cannot understand why others describe this book as "light-hearted". According to a review on the cover it "sparks joy with every page". Except that as soon as on page 18, there is an explicit description of sexual assault. I kept reading because I liked the writing, in general, and I thought that this had to be going somewhere.

One third in, this book still hasn't sparked joy for me. Maybe I shouldn't have heeded those short blurb-reviews and instead looked up the TWs first (I'm new on StoryGraph, so it didn't occur to me).

Now that I've decided to DNF it, I looked up some critical reviews (from people who gave it 2-3 stars), and feel affirmed in my decision.

Content Warnings