Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a challenging read. Bonnie explores the life of working women in the 50s and 60s. She brings the injustices that women faced during a time when women were expected to get married, have children, and run the home. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist. She loves everything about Chemistry. She is one of the brightest Chemist in her field. Unfortunately, she's in a man's world which sees her as a pretty face that should cater to the men around her. When she meets the love of her life who is also a coworker she is accused of "riding his coattails". This book will make you angry and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident
Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
The beginning was SO SLOW. Then it got really good. Ending was rushed. Parts of it were really funny, and parts were heart-warming, but I felt like I wasn't the target audience for this book, so reading it sometimes felt weird to me - like the book should have really touched something in me, but didn't.
Ultimately, not a book for me, but well-crafted and worth the read for someone else with different hopes, dreams, goals, and life experience. And also probably taste in books.
Ultimately, not a book for me, but well-crafted and worth the read for someone else with different hopes, dreams, goals, and life experience. And also probably taste in books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Rape, Suicide, Death of parent
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
This book had a lot of trauma in it. The young child character was maybe too precocious for their age. But outside of those things, I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence
DNF-ED at 75%.
Warning! Rant review incoming.
Warning! Rant review incoming.
"Wait. is that rare?" Madeline piped up. "Is not believing in God one of those rare things?"
The subtlety... is that of an actual elephant in the room. This is why I avoid hyped books like a plague btw. I've heard so many positive reviews from people I usually shared a taste in books with. But man, like okay, I get it Elizabeth Zott is Woman In Science. She calls out misogynistic bullshit all the time. She dared to fight injustices. I get it she's smart and quirky and very attractive to everyone except herself. And of course her child is a Genius too. Reading Nabokov and Norman Mailer at four. Understand politics and human rights at six. Oh, they also have a dog that can understand 200 words or something. Nothing is too impossible for the Zotts, apparently. Okayyy I get it, really. So then, the story?
The actual plot minus all the quirkiness and force-fed morality messages from the author? so dragging and borderline boring. The comedy? Okay. You can make fun out of something very serious. I believe that. But you also need to execute it well. Meanwhile in this book, the author to me feels like she doesn't know how to go about it. And I imagine she said "Fuck it, we ball!" then she balled and not giving it another glance. There's some heavy topics discussed and described in the early chapters, so I got the impression that this is the kind of "serious book" layered with dark humor. Well I was promised "sparks joy with every page" but I got none. With all the exaggeration integrated in a lot of aspects in this book: the characters, plots, dialogues, etc this would do so well as a satire. Make it over the top since the start, so over the top people can't miss it's a satire. But alas this book is not a satire.
Instead of exploring nuances about women in science's struggle or women's struggle in general during the 1950s, the author instead took the girlboss archetype marketed by corporates and mainstream media path. Why is it that Elizabeth so two dimensional anyway? there's a potential to shape her into Woman In Science character with depth, if the author allows her to have vulnerabilities. There are some moments where distressing situations can cause her emotional or moral dilemma, which will be very interesting by the way. But no, nuh-uh. Only logical thinking is allowed. She seemed to always got it handled perfectly in the end.
The other characters were also put as some kind of measurement to show how much better Elizabeth is regarding to social issues, as if she's a social person herself. I only loved the part where Elizabeth and Calvin met, knowing each other then get together. Just two snobs being a couple.
The dog... doesn't necessarily give me any kind of joy. It's just not something I usually wanted to read willingly. So I don't have much to say about it.
The other men characters on the other hand, have no redeeming qualities. Either they're straight up a SA perpetrator or they're an active complicit that ends up not getting their views challenged/confronted at all.
You know, if anything I'm more interested in whatever's going on between Calvin and Wakely...
Point is, this is so disappointing and annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Possibly my favourite non speculative fiction of the year!
Some stories are just as perfect and as tragic as real life, when all seems possible in this impossibly hard world then all is taken away to show us a different life.
Our heroine is a scientist in the 50’s, a woman with a fierce determination and no filter, a dashingly beautiful person inside and out, that seems unable to connect with others as they see only her gender and beauty. But, she won’t let herself lose track of her goal, to be a famous scientist, to make her mark. With a troubled past, it’s harder to trust and love, that is until she meets the head of the university’s lab, and in him finds a kindred soul, and along him also gains an unexpected pet that will be her companion, friend, protector and coparent.
But, don’t be mistaken, this is not a romance, this is a story of perseverance, terrible misfortune, found family, and above all else love and compassion, and also food and science.
When she’s left with the unexpected and unwanted love child, and unemployed because of it, a new chance arises, hosting a cooking tv show. Again, she will have to fight her ground, fighting the patriarchy and societal expectations, refusing to be the expected, and trudging forward with her own vision and ideas. Cooking is science, women deserve more and can want more.
It’s not any book that combine so many important themes, and with them creates such characters and plot. From self education, feminism, motherhood, professional ambition, to friendship, family, and even rowing, and of course, science and cooking. There’re also references to the civil rights as she battles with the pre imposed rules she herself is boxed in.
There’s a wonderful cast of characters with unexpected arcs, and so many joyful, hopeful and heart wrenching moments.
Too much to say, but I can’t spoil it, just need to underline I can’t recommend this book enough.
Some stories are just as perfect and as tragic as real life, when all seems possible in this impossibly hard world then all is taken away to show us a different life.
Our heroine is a scientist in the 50’s, a woman with a fierce determination and no filter, a dashingly beautiful person inside and out, that seems unable to connect with others as they see only her gender and beauty. But, she won’t let herself lose track of her goal, to be a famous scientist, to make her mark. With a troubled past, it’s harder to trust and love, that is until she meets the head of the university’s lab, and in him finds a kindred soul, and along him also gains an unexpected pet that will be her companion, friend, protector and coparent.
But, don’t be mistaken, this is not a romance, this is a story of perseverance, terrible misfortune, found family, and above all else love and compassion, and also food and science.
When she’s left with the unexpected and unwanted love child, and unemployed because of it, a new chance arises, hosting a cooking tv show. Again, she will have to fight her ground, fighting the patriarchy and societal expectations, refusing to be the expected, and trudging forward with her own vision and ideas. Cooking is science, women deserve more and can want more.
It’s not any book that combine so many important themes, and with them creates such characters and plot. From self education, feminism, motherhood, professional ambition, to friendship, family, and even rowing, and of course, science and cooking. There’re also references to the civil rights as she battles with the pre imposed rules she herself is boxed in.
There’s a wonderful cast of characters with unexpected arcs, and so many joyful, hopeful and heart wrenching moments.
Too much to say, but I can’t spoil it, just need to underline I can’t recommend this book enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Suicide
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Violence