Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

48 reviews

marnienicole's review

I’m under 5% there was an on page rape. I should have checked the trigger warnings but I wasn’t expecting a book claiming to be out loud funny to have such a graphic seen before we even really get to know the characters. I tried to keep reading but nope, the whole it’s the 1950s and everyone is misogynistic and now I have to make my way through it was not appealing. And it sucks because I really liked the narrators performance and the writing style at first.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Violence

friendofdorothea's review against another edition

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

---

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

---

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

stayshomeandreads's review against another edition

1.5

400 pages of preaching 2016 Buzzfeed style “feminism” in the most misanthropic way possible. This book has only two-dimensional characters, and they just serve to beat you over the head with the most black and white, overly simplistic portrayal of sexism I’ve ever read. Why bother setting a book in the 1950s-60s if your main character is going to act like she’s straight out of the 2020s? Another part of the book I hated was the author’s complete inability to empathize with or even understand people of faith on a basic level. Even ministers in this book don’t have faith because they “understand science.” Never mind the fact that there have been religious scientists throughout human history, including in the 1950s and 60s. I would honestly be fine with that if this book was as lighthearted and fun as it set out to be, but it’s not even that! The book practically opens with a rape scene and is just page after page of the main character being heaped with misogynistic abuse with no reprieve until the deus ex machina ending. Overall, nothing about this book landed for me, especially not the humor. The only part I liked was the dog. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, and Rape

saraedgett's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Violence

Minor: Suicide

leo_reads's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Death of parent

priyastoric's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Suicide

Minor: Vomit

gingerbiscuit's review against another edition

Beautifully written book, which covers a lot of complex issues. Unfortunately, the marketing around the book is awful in the sense that it's presented as a light read with whitty comedy (of which there is some but it is certainly not a main theme). I would say it's a must read but not for the reasons it had been reviewed/marketed for.

My advice is to CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS! I read for the sense of escapism so when I saw the hype around this book, I went for it. Unfortunately, the themes it covered it quickly became too much for me. I will pick it back up eventually as I really want to finish it, but with all the recent life events it was personally too much too soon. 

Will update review once I pick it back up. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Rape, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion, Child abuse, and Violence

Check triggers and know it is not a light read. It covers the heavy themes well, though that is often done in a direct manner with 0 sugar coating which can be as great as it can be brutal.

missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition

3.5

Enjoyable to read, but thought the death and violence was excessive and unnecessary. Less showing, more telling. Took itself a bit too seriously. I liked Six-Thirty.

☀️5/20

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death of parent, Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, Pedophilia, Car accident, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

azrah786's review against another edition

3.25

 CW: sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, sexism, misogyny, gaslighting, pregnancy, violence, injury, blood, death, death of parent, car accident, suicide, grief, abandonment, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, bullying, body shaming, religious bigotry, homophobia, vomit, toxic relationship
--

The hype well and truly reeled me in with this book plus I’m always down for more women in STEM rep in books, but I’ve got to say this now belongs in my list of most frustrating books I’ve ever read and for a myriad of reasons.

It’s a pretty easy book to read. The writing is straightforward, the story flows well though I will admit the constant changing of points of view did take some time to get used to. What made me mad were the characters and how horrible literally every single person was.

Now I expected to get mad with this book. It takes a jab at the patriarchy by showcasing the many injustices women have faced for years and are still facing today when it comes to being a part of society. The “ideal role” we’ve always been expected to fit into.

But for a book spearheading feminism I was mad at the protagonist too. She felt like a caricature to the point that a lot of the time I couldn’t take her seriously? In fact I found her precocious 3 year old and unbelievably advanced dog to be less unusual?

The cooking part and merging it with science was fun but it did start to get a little tedious by the end. Overall an okay book but I also now find myself mad that, for the overall message the book stands for, I couldn’t like it more.
Final Rating – 3.25/5 Stars 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Misogyny, Blood, Death of parent, Suicide, Grief, Sexual assault, Rape, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Car accident, Vomit, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Homophobia