Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

145 reviews

bookforestsprite's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Pedophilia and Vomit

CN: contains a side storyline with a Bury Your Gays trope

achalasiaasha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was a fantastic read. Elizabeth’s not your classic heroine, but a heroine just the same. She champions women’s rights AND ABILITIES! The amount of misogyny and injustice she faces is horrific. She defies all the odds of ignorance, sexism, assault, and the overbearing underestimation of all those around her. She loves her child and is wildly independent whilst being simultaneously compassionate and logical. She champions women’s rights and civil rights all while making hearty dinners based on science, not taste. Beautifully written and wildly enjoyable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring 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

4.25

This book absolutely lived up to the hype! Lessons in Chemistry is a heartfelt, witty and inspiring story about the value of found family and the importance of being true to yourself. The characters in this book are so well written and the plot is engaging from start to finish (even if there are a few plot points that are a bit outlandish!) Because it takes place in the 1950s and 1960s and because the main character is a white woman, it is important to note that the feminism is not the most intersectional. The author kind of address the racial injustice of the period, but not in a way that feels like it was done with the most care. Overall, I think that a lot of women will still relate to the main character and her experiences with sexism, as well as with other characters in the book who are challenging the status quo of society. Definitely a great read and one that I will recommend! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Suicide, Vomit, and Car accident

Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Blood, and Religious bigotry

soffemf's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Really enjoyed it. Easy read, but there are some trigger warnings. Cultural, religious and gender-based themes are still relevant in 2024. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Religious bigotry

Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent

kkpines's review against another edition

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia and Suicide

iriswishes's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Fatphobia, Suicide, Blood, and Vomit

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment

hammock_napper's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

spootilious's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

 

 

Read: July 17th, 2024
 Title: Lessons in Chemistry 
 Author: Bonnie Garmus 

Genre:  Historical Fiction 

Rating: 2/5
 Review: 

I have been contemplating how to review this for a few hours now. It’s difficult because I really enjoyed reading the book. It made me smile, cringe, and cry; though I think the ‘Laugh out Loud’ reviews are a bit farfetched. In fact, this novel wasn’t just heavy, it hit like a freight train (pun intended). 

I suppose my biggest conflict is that I really really like the message of the novel and the focus on social injustices. 

The issue then becomes all the things I didn’t like about the novel. 

The work was written well enough but Garmus switch so drastically from one injustice to another that I felt as if I were getting whiplash. She moved back and fourth so much that I don’t think any one subject got as much attention as it deserved. The one focused on the most being Women Empowerment but it felt more like anti-men than pro-women… That being said, I am the type of woman that will ALWAYS choose the bear. Still, I think it would be nice to see a feminist store that builds its own ladder rather than using the destroyed men as stepping stones to empowerment… Cuz in the end it means we still need them… even if in a negative way. 

I found the dialog to often be condescending as well. Almost as if Garmus was throwing in ever intelligent sound word she could find. It felt forced. People of high intelligence can sound as brilliant as their IQ without sounding like a robot. 

The unapologetic and vulgar nature of the atrocities throughout the book is both disturbing and refreshing. I’ve mentioned it in a rare review but I have to admire an author who can simply write a horrific act without defending or explaining it, it makes it hit harder. 

That being said… There was a lot… and jumping from it to a ‘funny’ quip or one liner made the whole thing feel off putting… 

 

Overall I really enjoyed the read, just not the way it was written. I would recommend this to individuals who enjoy heavy reads/sad reads, drama, historical fiction that borders on fantasy, or a strong feminist tone. 

 

TBH I loved the show though. Very well done. 

QUOTES:
 “The librarian is the most important educator in school. What she doesn’t know, she can find out. This is not an opinion; it’s a fact.” 

“Imagine if all men took women seriously. Education would change. The workforce would revolutionize. Marriage counsellors would go out of business.” 

“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.” 

“Sometimes I think," she said slowly, "that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn't make it past noon.” 

 

 

TW: Rape, Adultery, Religious bigotry, Racism, Feminism, Sexism, Animal harm, parental death, death of a child, death of a parent, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexual harassment, bombs, death threats, car accidents, suicide, domestic abuse, vomit, abandonment, mentions of abortion, alcoholism, drug use, blood, body shaming, bullying, child abuse, toxic relationships, stalking, slurs, gaslighting, grief, fatphobia, emotional abuse, classism, alcohol, animal cruelty, pregnancy, miscarriage, infidelity, emotional abuse, medical content. 

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

noxa's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

1.0

This author can’t seem to wrap her head around the concept that religion and science are not mutually exclusive. Hell, just in my direct family alone, 83% of us studied science in university and we are all very comfortable in our faith… for a man of God to take 1 chemistry course and suddenly be so shaken in his faith? A. Skill issue. B. That reeks of a severe lack of understanding of religion to me. C. One of the most idiotic lines I’ve read in a book in a while. 

It’s also a pretty wild choice to have a book set in the USA in the 50s and 60s and to have the only mention of black people be an offhand comment about supporting Rosa Parks. Not a single person of color in this book? Seriously? In CALIFORNIA? 

There’s also somehow enough religious extremists in their town for Elizabeth to get death threats & an attempted bombing for saying that she’s an atheist on air but not a single racist exists to complain about her explicitly supporting the Civil Rights movement. Sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Car accident

Minor: Pedophilia

babsannereads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-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

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, and Suicide

Minor: Pedophilia