Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

70 reviews

tinyjude's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.0

The story mainly focuses on Lily a Chinese American on her last year of high school as she comes to terms with the fact that she is a lesbian. It also provides some insight into the situation of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans in the United States during the 50s, as well as queer people. As a historical fiction, the characters and events of the plot are fictional, but there are also traces of realism that show the huge work Malinda Lo put into the book's research. I particularly liked the author's note and bibliography explaining how she documented all these important dates and how the story came to be. As a consequence, it should not be taken as book about history per se, but as a fictional story, one of the many there could be, and actually were, and if you are interested about learning more, to do proper research as POC writers always indicate.

The writing, especially the descriptions (like the kiss scenes) were gorgeous and made me feel in my bones the yearning Lily was feeling. (I love yearning lesbians. She is so real for those lingering silent glances towards gay women). Furthermore, I liked her acknowledgement of the difference between the male and the female gaze, as well as the telegraph's club atmosphere and their relationship. I became infatuated with Tommy and Kath the same way Lily was, which speaks volumes about (my gayness and) Malinda Lo's talent and hard work. I will definitely check her future work. The only thing that left me feeling a bit empty was the shortness of the epilogue

, I needed more of Kath and Lily seeing each other again, some cozy/intimate scene of them living together or just being happy. I know it is not that essential and we got the idea they will be seeing each other a lot again, but after going through so much pain in the last chapters I needed something healing and seeing them happy :(.

Nonetheless, homophobia, forced outing, xenophobia, racism and toxic friendships are some of the triggering topics that you can encounter in this book, so beware.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: War

kashby's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Blood

rieviolet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

I really really loved this book, it was such a compelling read. I flew through it and read the final 90 or so pages in a single day because I was so invested and wanted to see what would happen to the characters. 

I loved the mixing of the personal coming of age story with the wider historical and social context of the time. It was also so interesting to see how the author explored the different aspects of Lily's identity, how being both Asian-American and lesbian affected her. 

Above all, I was stunned by how the words on the page provoked so many emotions within me. There were so many passages that really struck a chord with me and left me on the floor, knocked out, completely destroyed. 
Lily and Kath's relationship was so beautifully developed, it felt raw and tender and hopeful, in spite of all adversities. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual harassment

_rhea_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexism, Outing, and Alcohol

julesadventurezone's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I adored this book. It was such a great story, and I absolutely loved Kath and Lily. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage and Lesbophobia

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

bectothebooks's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage, Blood, Police brutality, War, and Injury/Injury detail

hannibanani29's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, and Cultural appropriation

kalireads13's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Miscarriage and Outing

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

vthecreature's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

4.5

This was incredible. It was emotionally honest and sometimes cathartic, like when Lily noticed men fetishizing young girls and lesbians and thought “you’re pathetic and know nothing”. LOVED IT. This book went into some of the issues that Lily faced including racism, homophobia, fetishization, sexism, societal/ family expectations, etc. She’s so strong and I’m so proud of her. I haven’t rooted for a character’s happiness this much in a long time. Throughout the book, despite everything she goes through, Lily gets to know and accept herself. She does experience shame but always talks herself out of it! I loved when she said, in no uncertain terms, that she’s not mistaken and she hasn’t done anything wrong, despite everyone around her telling her otherwise. The characters all felt so real, and some of them ahem Shirley reminded me of people I’ve known irl.

I was so satisfied when she lost the pageant. that’s what homophobes get!!!!!!!

The setting was immersive and played a big role in characterization as well, with Lily and Shirley each having their own relationships to Chinatown, mostly to do with economic status. There’s contemporary political issues discussed, but some of it is left uncertain by the end.

What happened to Lily’s father? Did he get his papers back? And what about the suspected Communists?

 
Overall this was fantastic. 
Is there a happy ending?

… Yes? Lily’s relationship with her family is damaged but we see at the end that it wasn’t irreparable. She also reunites with Kath and they both tell each other they love each other. Both girls also embark on their own chosen career paths.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Forced institutionalization