Reviews with content warning for War - Last Night at the Telegraph Club

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Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

182 reviews

kaylokay_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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zackarinareads's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring medium-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

4.5

Here are some thoughts I wrote down for the Heartstopper Discord Book Club (April2024):

What did you think about the book? How did it make you feel? I’ve been meaning to read this book for so long and finally got around to it in late February. I am always interested in lesbian history and I liked that this was a big part of the book. The characters all felt like a real part of their surrounding world and time. The timelines that were included in the book helped with my understanding. I also liked that other people from Lily’s family had little chapters to detail their personal journeys.
Was there any moment that stood out as your favorite or felt most impactful? I’m always a fan of the first kiss but in this book I also liked the slow build-up to the characters’ relationship. The first time Lily saw the newspaper ad for Tommy’s show was also iconic with all the mixed and unexplainable emotions and feeling of recognition she experienced.
Share your favorite quote! Why do you like it? ” “What’s what supposed to be like?” Lily slumped back against the sofa, feeling boneless and muddled. “Falling in love, I guess.” “You’ll know,” Claire said. “It’s unmistakable.” (How she could recognize Kath at the other end of a crowded Galileo hallway by the way she walked.) “It’s like . . . well, it’s like falling,” Lana said. “Falling, or floating, or sinking.” (Every time they kissed.) “You won’t know which way is up.” “It’s like having a fever.” (The way the world seemed to narrow down to the tips of Kath’s fingers.) “It’s like being drunk—drunk for days.”” I love the interjections to show what the conversation is making her think about.
Is there anything specific you’d like to discuss during the meeting? I’d love to discuss the butch representation in the book. Overall, I don’t know if remember everything quite well enough to have a good discussion, though.

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novembermoth's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

3.75. i loved the way this book portrayed relationships, not just between the main character and the people around her, but also the relationship she has with herself. i was so hooked on the main characters struggles with her best friend, her parents, self-acceptence, etc. i wish the book went on for longer.

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reike's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Loved (most of) tye characters. Slight pacing issues, especially towards the end. Weaves the broader historical and political context nicely into the personal lives of the characters. Very vivid writing in terms of the characters emotions. Wish the ending would've expanded on some things, but I enjoy the hopeful note it ends on.

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livreittoashley's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.0

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hex_agon's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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qcupquake's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Last Night at the Telegraph Club
4.5/5

- beautiful book. just absolutely gorgeous
- i feel like i may have liked it a little bit more and rated it 5 stars if i wasn't in a huge reading slump
- was it a little slow for my taste? yeah. was it still good? absolutely. would i recommend this as a fantastic queer novel? 100%

- i'm gonna need a story like 50 years in the future where they are living together in a world that is more welcoming to queer people

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ko_rax's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring medium-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

4.0

Last Night at the Telegraph Club tells the story of Lily Hu, a seventeen-year old American-born with Chinese family and heritage, who discovers the truth surrounding her sexuality in a rather beautiful and emotional way amidst period-typical homophobia, racism and a tinge of misogyny. Through multiple lenses, the reader embarks on a journey throughout San Fransisco not only in the 50s and learns of the history of the gay and lesbian culture and of Chinese realities in America.

I must say, out of personal preference, that I liked the second half much more than the first.

The first half of the novel allows for the reader to explore family backgrounds and to accustom not only to the underlying racism, but also to the harsh homophobic tone of the 50s. Since my personal reality strays away from Lily's just far enough to forget the amount of privilege I enjoy (queer-friendly surroundings devoid of youthful peer pressure), I had a hard time staying focused whenever Lily described her day-to-day among peers at and outside of high school. However, the insights on Chinese culture in an immigrant family were pleasant. I really liked how well (racial) belonging was depicted.

Rather fond of fast-paced stories, it is no wonder then, that I enjoyed the quicker developments in the second half following Lily's

self-recognition as a sapphic

and especially loved the scene where

she seeked advice from Lana

. It warmed my heart at the sight of queer kinship.

Careful to those who have rather traumatic experiences with

coming out, lesbophobia and racial slurs

as these themes/triggers are quite graphic in this novel. Please look after yourselves.

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stachmou's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was a hit. I didn't expect enjoying this book so much. I love books that mix history and fiction. Everything about it felt so natural and the character so relatable. Her struggle but also her confidence in doing the right thing even though it will be hard for people around her to understand. She stood her ground and chose happiness.
It really offers a good morale at the end.

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dorotheafromthesea's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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