Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Уроки химии by Bonnie Garmus

123 reviews

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

escapereader's review against another edition

This book was not for me. While there seemed to be potential in the FMC, the dull writing and lackluster "chemistry" in the romantic relationship made for a very boring read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

saumyagupta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring medium-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? No

2.5

Really enjoyed reading the book and especially loved the different characters' point of view. The pacing felt a bit off. My main issue is how the heavy topics were handled, especially rape. The protagonist gets raped by a professor and it gets mentioned in really extreme detail with little to no mention of it after the page 20. It felt a bit weird to me. 
But I did enjoy this book and it was a page turner for sure and it also made me cry. I do wish some topics were more explored and some topics weren't dragged on

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

jor24's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Sexism

Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

derynjoy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Child death and Cursing

teacherjones's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Rape

pathogenesis's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Physical abuse

miss_marvel_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Habs geliebt - wie die Autorin so mühelos von einem Charakter zum anderen (sogar zu diesem überraschend grandiosen Hund) springt und dabei so viel Klarheit in die Miskommunikation der Charaktere und die Hintergedanken dieser bringt ohne, dass es verwirrend wird.
Die Geschichte war überraschend hoffnungsvoll und inspirierend, obwohl das Thema Feminismus in einer von Männern geprägten Domäne zunächst sehr entmutigend wirkt.
Außerdem wurde gleichzeitig gezeigt, das Hausfrau sein ein bedeutender, anstrengender Job ist, der jeder Frau genauso offen steht, wie es jeder andere Job auch sein sollte, ohne irgendwelche Berufungen/Entscheidungen schlecht darzustellen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Car accident, and Death of parent

chrysanthxmum's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting