first of all, the uk cover is much more appropriate to the tone of this story, unlike the us version, which is misleading.
secondly, as i have stated multiple times before, just because a book has a high rating doesn't mean i enjoyed it a lot. objectively, this book is great. it handles its themes with care and manages to convey its message quite successfully. but, i must admit, it is the characters that truly are the heart of this book. this book is real in the sense that it manages to accurately capture and convey the multifaceted nature of human beings, paving the way for a cast that is deeply nuanced. uncomfortable to read at times (in which i admit some of the fault lies with myself for not knowing any trigger warnings), this story is unfair in the same way that life is. it has made me want to scream, yell, commit horrendous acts of violence, and set fire to some of the people in this story.
my only gripe lies with the protagonist elizabeth zott, who, despite her serious no-nonsense attitude, takes it a bit too far in terms of obliviousness sometimes and is also obtuse in certain common sense situations, even though this is pointed out in the book itself. it seems her obliviousness operates on a double standard, in which she only remains so because the plot demands it (edit 2025: i can also acknowledge that her characterization as such might've been deliberate as it's entirely possible she was neurodivergent, and being autistic in the sixties, there's very little chance she would've been diagnosed).
i don't know what else to say for this book because i don't feel too strongly about it. part of the reason is because i'm not too keen about science, which does shape a big portion of this book, and find myself unable to have read it with the rapt attention that a stem kid would. say what you must, but personal relatability does form a big part of the reading experience. nonetheless, it's a decent book, and definitely discussion worthy at that. this would do well in a women and gender studies class.
