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eluned2406's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse and Vomit
ofi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
anarchy7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
mrsmeowmix's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
teadrinker4theoceans's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicide
theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Elizabeth Zott is an amazing character, and a survivor. She is the embodiment of female power and a force to be reckoned with.
The things Zott experiences in the work place are appalling and no one would call her personal life easy. In real life, a woman in Zott’s shoes wouldn’t be faulted for breaking down or giving up. But Zott doesn’t let anything stop her from reaching her goals. She goes on have a wonderful life in spite of the horrendous things she’s had to survive, because she is a survivor.
Parts of this book had me in tears while others had me fill with so much pride I thought I would burst. At its core, this book is about the strength and resilience of women and I can’t recommend it enough. This will be a book I won’t stop thinking about for a very, very long time.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Vomit, Abortion, and Alcohol
allegra_j's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
Minor: Grief
jrae1334's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This novel started slow (and dark - readers should be aware [I wasn't] that
Elizabeth Zott is such an incredible main character - tough, uncompromising, fiercely intelligent, and strong-willed (almost too much so, there were times I wished she would bend just a little, but no, she would not), but she did have a gentler side which I appreciated reading about.
Elizabeth needs every bit of willpower, because number one, she was a scientist, and number two, she was an unmarried woman living in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, a time which did not look kindly on women, particularly women who did not fit their prescribed stereotypes.
Fair warning to readers that the misogyny in this book is extreme, infuriatingly so. It comes from not only men but some women too. The sexism was so overwhelmingly awful at times that I had to stop and wonder if it actually was as terrible as Garmus depicts. I'm not sure, but I know that women definitely got a raw deal in this period of history.
The other infuriating thing to read about was so many of the terrible events in the novel could have been prevented if certain people had been less greedy, small-minded, or desperate. But then I guess there wouldn't have been a story, so go figure.
There were a few things that didn't quite work for me. The switches between POV characters would often occur within the same section, and even in the same paragraph at times, which was jarring as I would need to figure out whose POV I was reading.
Also, the POV of Elizabeth's
Anyway, overall this was a really great read, albeit one with some pretty dark themes - I would advise prospective readers to check the content warnings.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
prappleby's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit