Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

33 reviews

shlymiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

honeybeewitched87's review

funny informative sad 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide

akane_shio's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

booksinherhead's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-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

4.5

Absolutely incredible. Garmus has a way of writing characters that just pulls you into her book. For anyone debating picking this one up, you absolutely will adore Elizabeth and her journey as a chemistry researcher and a television chef. There is just so much heart in this book, I honestly can't put it into words. Just trust me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Death

Moderate: Body shaming and Vomit

Minor: Sexual content

cepbreed's review

emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

I had doubts, but Lessons in Chemistry turned out to be completely worth the hype. An intriguing premise, a powerful female lead, and a heartfelt exploration of family. All of these factors and more had me hooked from the start. Elizabeth Zott is a character that just feels so full of life. I shut this book and immediately felt like I had just heard a friend's life story told to me in person. Her struggles and triumphs are so endearing that despite being set in a fictional past, every lesson is relevant to my life today. No amount of genre bias could keep me from loving this book. 

Spoiler

The shock that came with Calvin's death is unparalleled. This book is historical fiction, but the shock factor had me feeling even more anxiety than the like of Game of Thrones.

I learned to love Calvin alongside Elizabeth. That has never happened to me with a character like him. On the surface, he isn't likable, far from it even, but the way he acts and his relationship with Elizabeth charmed me. All a man has to do is take women seriously, that's all. You would think this very basic concept would be intrinsic, but I find out every day that it is not.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual content, Car accident, and Medical content

tiffanysmith's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

I wanted to like this, but I have to admit, this one fell flat for me for a few reasons. The read was quite tedious at times and I think the author was trying extend a sense of female empowerment, but it didn’t feel authentic. There was little depth to the story—no true plot or character growth to captivate the reader. The characters were stiff and the feminist morality was not relatable.

I think it would have benefited the story to truly allow the characters to exist in their space. I kept forgetting that the storyline takes place in the 1950s, only to be reminded by Elizabeth saying something completely absurd. I want to be immersed in the time era and I want characters with complexity, faults, and things that make them grow. 

There was very little world-building and I felt a big disconnect with the characters—a beautiful chemist who makes chemistry a successful cooking show, a pre-schooler who acts like a 35 year genius, and the dog POV was a little strange. The nerd stereotype was over utilized and it was challenging to emphasize with the characters. 

The love story between them didn’t seem very genuine. They met and they fell in love. It didn’t seem to go much deeper than that. 

Also, the religious element threw me off. It was very emphasized, but it didn’t do anything to propel the plot line or character growth. It just felt uncomfortable.

There was some good parts of the book, but I did not laugh at the wittiness and I was unable to relate to the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Bullying, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Cursing

elaisanitalian's review

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cried and laughed a lot 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Body shaming, Car accident, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Child death

friendofdorothea's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, Police brutality, Misogyny, Car accident, and Grief

nightingale25's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicide, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Although a few things tie together in a nice bow, the strength of the cast of characters, especially our protagonist, and the themes of truth, change, and perseverance make this novel a crowd-pleaser. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Car accident, Grief, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Abandonment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Cursing

Minor: Classism, Vomit, Infidelity, and Abortion

Be aware that there is discussions of marriage outside of wedlock, doubt in religion, bomb threats, and abuse of power in science, education, religious institutions, and television.