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lokes'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? No
2.0
Well, I’m not really sure how to rate this one… I quite liked the characters and the stories, even if it bordered on the whimsical and imaginary at times (like the hyper intelligent dog, the many coincidences between characters and especially the major plot points, etc), and the main character was feminist in the sense of the 21th century, which did throw me off a few times. Also, there is no intersectionality to the feminism of the main character, and her motto seems to be „tell women you’re proud of them and make their unpaid, invisible work (namely the house hold chores and child rearing) visible and tell them, that you’re proud of them doing it, and they’ll revolt and become suffragettes!“
The only really bad part would be the rape scenes, because the author gave the characters absolutely no reaction to that (apart from her crying once and being slightly disturbed while giving her police statement), and later even went as far as to make her pull out a kitchen knife when another male character tries to rape her (which leads to him immediately having a heart attack), all the while never letting Elizabeth have the room to acknowledge the trauma she suffered before, or working on said trauma, as if the rape made her a better, stronger women and wasn’t trauma at all, but simply something she needed to go through in order to become a feminist/independent woman.
Apart from that, I think I liked it, even though the underlying plot is still about a man - her lover - and his long lost family. But hey, he was “one of the good ones”, to say it in the characters words…
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
pdiaz's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Suicide, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
intrepidheroine's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse
abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Yes there is some romance, but not in the typical sense. In the words of Elizabeth Zott, they are “soul mates”. Not in the cheesy meet-cute fashion but the real-life, messy, laugh and cry sense.
This book was empowering, heartbreaking, and everything in between. I cried so much in the last hundred chapters because I had gone through this journey. I was Elizabeth Zott and I was all the other women. You would think a novel set in the 1950/60s wouldn’t have so many parallels to the modern world but that was the beauty of it. As sad as it is, many of us are still Elizabeth Zott. Maybe not in the most direct sense but in spirit.
Even if you can’t relate to Elizabeth Zott’s story, you know someone who can.
Overall, a 5 star read through and through.
*slight spoilers*
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You will be crying by 30% into the book, so just be Prepared.
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cannibalism
wheelyautistic's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism
sineadherself's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Much like the food Elizabeth makes, you will find nothing fancy here, but it gets the job done.
For those who like a bit more nuance in their writing they may find this story laid down with too blunt of an edge.
Character: The main character, Elizabeth Zott, remains consistent throughout and she will remain a fixture in your mind for a time after you've finished the last page.
However, some core supporting characters seemingly undergo personality transformations half way through and then, a little later, revert back to their original selves. No explanation is given for this and so it is quite jarring.
Plot: A woman in the 1950s & 1960s trying to exist in a world that doesn't understand her all while she continues to strive to be taken seriously.
Reading Experience: Ultimately, a pleasant read that leaves a lasting impression.
Overall: A decent book not without some problems but one that will ultimately entertain and possibly intrigue the reader.
Stars: 3.5 ⭐
Graphic: Ableism, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Suicide
It's never mentioned in the book but if you know what you are looking at, Elizabeth, Calvin, & Madeline all read very much as autistic. The way Elizabeth talks about chemistry and illustrates how it is the prism through which she understands life is honestly beautiful. However, the way those around Elizabeth (and Madeline) treat them may be difficult to read for some autistic people. It reminded me of nothing more than the assessment for autism diagnosis. That is to say, a litany of all the ways being autistic has annoyed, angered, and otherwise bothered OTHER people. If you aren't in a place to read that kind of content, I'd skip this.esmathteacher'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism
name_user's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Pedophilia