Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Уроки химии by Bonnie Garmus

443 reviews

tacoshark's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.75

What a strange book - it was not at all what I expected from what I’d heard or from the marketing. There’s a pull quote on the cover calling it an “utter delight” and I genuinely don’t know who would think that. This was one of the most profoundly (and yet implausibly) sad books I’ve ever read. Unrelentingly, almost, though there is a sort of happy, at least hopeful-ish, if again, implausible ending. What it reminded me of, in an unexpected and bizarre way, was A Little Life, though it’s not quite as hideously cruel as that book. 

I enjoyed reading this, despite the sadness, but I found it rather unsatisfying as well. What I liked was the propulsion of the narrative and the zingy, constantly moving POV (I especially enjoyed the dog’s POV). But because of that very mechanism, while the book is theoretically mostly about Elizabeth, I felt like she was barely developed and pretty unrelatable as a character - all of this happens to her, but you spend more time with the reactions and feelings of those around her than with her. It left me feeling that she was a bit of an automaton and even when her thoughts and feelings were described, they had very little heft. (I don’t think I’d actually want to spend more time in her head, but it’s a strange choice for your main character.) I liked Calvin better, but it also felt a bit strange that this book that’s theoretically a feminist story about this compelling woman was really so much about a man instead. 

I’m not sure if I’ll recommend this but I think I’d check out what this author does next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Death, Sexism, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child abuse

radmusikitty's review against another edition

emotional funny informative mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, and Suicide

skylover's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

• 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? No

4.25

this is one of the most female empowering books i've ever read, fitting to read in the year of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and the Barbie movie. I laughed, cried, gasped, got goosebumps, and learned a lot from this book about the history of women's rights, and literal chemistry. One of my favorites I've read this year - i rooted for the female characters, i loved the different perspectives, and found this book relatable on so many levels. I'd befriend Elizabeth and Harriet in a instant if I could. I didn't mesh with the rushed ending, kinda felt like it left you hanging, and it did get slow at times when there seemed to be no hope or good people until pg 140 and then it turns around.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

erinwolf1997's review against another edition

funny inspiring lighthearted 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Suicide, Body shaming, and Homophobia

alsbap08's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Suicide, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

amsswim's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

Liked this one a lot. Not much more I have to say about it other than I think it will translate well into a TV show.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Rape, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Homophobia, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Bullying, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Medical content

Minor: Police brutality, Animal death, and Miscarriage

agathacrispie's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Car accident

Minor: Child death, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Vomit

smackeykennedy37's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring sad fast-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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism and Child death

Minor: Violence

prappleby's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

5.0

Six-Thirty is my favourite fictional character of the year 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Minor: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and Vomit

ashdawn's review against another edition

This one was a DNF for me. For something that is "Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters....", I was not expecting the graphic rape scene in chapter 3.

Overall, the feeling of the book is pretentious. Elizabeth (and her daughter as well, who very much gives off Young Sheldon vibes, but is never in trouble at school for being outside the box) is shown almost as someone with no flaws, absolutely perfect and incapable of failing. For example, even though chemistry is her study, she overnight picks up rowing because of it being basic physics equations. 
        And let's not even get started on the pretentiousness with any conversation around cooking like this quote: “ 'Now I’m disrupting the egg’s internal bonds in order to elongate the amino acid chain,' she told him as she whisked, 'which will allow the freed atoms to bond with other similarly freed atoms. Then I’ll reconstitute the mix into a loose whole, laying it on a surface of iron-carbon alloy, where I’ll subject it to precision heat, continually agitating the mix until it reaches a stage of near coagulation.' ” Or when the biscuit dough is ruined because it's a few molecules of water off.....yes cooking is chemistry, but there is more margin for error. 

Also, in general, Elizabeth seems so woke that she is an alien/time traveler in her time setting. While it is good to have a character breaking cultural/historical structure, there are much better ways to write it so it feels like they fit into their settings. While I don't know enough of British '50s-60s history to be sure, I know in the US to be shocked at a play in 1952 only having white actors would not have made ANY SENSE due to segregation still being in effect. 

Really, the dog is the only character that was likeable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, Homophobia, Car accident, Suicide, and Religious bigotry