A review by alexalovesbooks
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

dark emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

I've been marginally curious about Lessons in Chemistry ever since the novel appeared on my radar sometime last year, and especially after quite a few folks I follow on other platforms included it on their top reads for 2022. When the opportunity presented itself to borrow the audiobook from my library (more on the audio narration is included at the end of my brief thoughts), I decided on a whim that I was going to read this novel now.

The truth is, while Lessons in Chemistry didn't quite wind up becoming a new personal favorite, I can certainly see the appeal for other readers. We follow the story of Elizabeth Zott, a clever woman who has no hesitation when it comes to being herself... even when the world tries time and time again to knock her down and keep her there. While I didn't get on with her right away, as I continued reading her story, I found myself drawn to this unusual character, admiring how she stood her ground and inspired many other folks in the book to do more and be more where they could. It's because I wound up invested in her that I remained invested in this story; adding a dash of unusual if dark humor, other fleshed out characters to the ensemble cast and keeping me on my toes in terms of where the plot would go just made my experience with this book good overall. 

Though it took me a chapter or two before I could get used to Miranda Raison, I did overall enjoy the audiobook. Elizabeth Zott felt even more like a real person, thanks to the narrator, in my humble opinion. There's also a brief interview with Pandora Sykes and author Bonnie Garmus at the end, which was delightful to listen along to. 
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