Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

149 reviews

khowez's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

Thoroughly enjoyed this feel-good book, with lovable characters and a satisfying ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Rape, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Misogyny, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Homophobia

Minor: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Self harm, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Child death

charitycross2197's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. The way it was written was beautiful and even though it's set in the past it still makes me think how women in STEM aren't treated equal yet. I'm used to reading books with a sappy romantic ending, but this ending was just right by being satisfying but also realistic. Worthwhile read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Car accident, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

saskiahill's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Grief, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Car accident, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Abortion and Alcoholism

amirez1043's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Vomit, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

deathbybooks4482's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racism, Car accident, Death of parent, and Homophobia

camille570912's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

tariana's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

It was fun to read, there was a moment that I was so devastated about something that happens that I didn’t want to continue. However I felt like something was missing and after much thought I realized that even though the book brings a lot of discussions regarding feminism, it lacks depth, I say that having in mind that the story happens on the 1960s and some resolutions to the conflict were easily solved which I don’t think it would be the same if that had really happened in the 60s, for example, Elizabeth starring for a long time on TV preaching about feminism without men revolting against it and taking measures to restrain her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Car accident, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Rape, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Suicide

lmurpho's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

One that definitely does not live up to the hype...
[Warning for the jump-scare rape scene in chapter 3.]

While this book is advertised as a funny & inspiring feminist story, I don’t see it as any of those things. Putting aside the many inconsistencies and inaccuracies with how scientists are portrayed (I have a lot more to say about that), the main character’s personality is stunted from the start with very little character development described. 

Half the time EZ is made out to be a matter-of-fact, stoic person seemingly incapable of understanding basic social interactions, and then other times she's portrayed to be fully empathetic and emotionally soft. The author attempts to smooth the rough edges of Zott’s personality but these glimpses of a more emotionally mature adult do not fit the rigid template character of ‘socially-awkward scientist’ the author has lifted from modern media. 

In Elizabeth’s character, the author has done a huge disservice to women in science, both back in the 1950's but also today. Women did exist in science in the 50s; Rosalind Franklin, Gertrude B. Elion, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Barbara McCintock, Dorothy Hodgkin, Irene Joliot-Curie, Rosalyn Yalow, and Gerty Theresa Cori were all award-winning scientists active in the 1950’s and I’m sure would have faced many of the barriers that Elizabeth experienced. However, rather than show the audience that success can be achieved despite the odds, she chose to encapsulate them into a main character that is emotionless, rigid and uninteresting. 

For a supposedly feminist novel (or at least one that wants to celebrate a woman revolting against the role that society has carved for her) this book severely lacks in meaningful female relationships. The interactions between women in this book repeatedly tend towards judgement, shame or pity. It's not just women that seem to suffer the author’s tendency to focus on negative character-traits either, the men in this book have few redeeming qualities. Most of the male characters are either physical, emotional, or sexual abusers. 

I’m petty so here’s a few examples of the inaccuracies/inconsistencies I spotted:
• Lab coats outside the lab are a big no-no in chemistry. Despite this, EZ decides to wear hers out of the lab, getting into her car and going to someone else’s place of work to confront them. 
• It rarely rains in Cambridge, England. I know this from living there for 7 years, but also a quick google comes up with: https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/trending/where-is-the-driest-place-in-the-uk-weather-climate.html. 
• Nobel prize nomination lists aren’t made public until 100 years after the award. You’d need some very close connections to the Swedish National Academy of Sciences to know if Calvin Evans was nominated for a Nobel.
• Despite being a brilliant scientist who uses logic and reason in every part of her life, she was very surprised to find-out she was pregnant when her co-worker pointed it out as a possible cause of morning sickness. 
• Again, despite being a brilliant scientist, she manages to break her centrifuge with an unbalanced load (this is the first thing you learn when you are shown a centrifuge). 
• Nobody (literally nobody) has ever said 'pass me the sodium chloride'... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Grief, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

tlbignerd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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? No

5.0

Incredibly moving book. I spent the first half incredibly angry at the end of each chapter,then the second half incredibly emotional. It's been a while that I've connected so much with the characters and their story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Death