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

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

106 reviews

warlocksarecool21's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.25

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a bittersweet story about a lesbian Chinese-American girl coming of age in 1950s San Francisco. Elements of the book fell flat for me, but I did like it. I thought it was very well-researched, the author does an excellent job of giving the sociopolitical context of the time period to show what it was like to be Chinese in the US during the Red Scare and the Cold War. I also really enjoyed the depictions of Chinese immigrant culture and Chinatown, for example the cultural traditions and food were interesting to read about. I also enjoyed the book’s discussion on queer culture at the time and how LGBT people created underground spaces for each other despite being marginalized by society. I thought the author did a good job at showing Lily realizing she was a lesbian and discovering these queer spaces, while also acknowledging that her intersectional identity of being queer and Chinese meant that she was marginalized in both of her communities. I’m glad the author took so much care in researching this time period and I think the book is worth a read for that aspect.

Some of the other elements of the book fell flat for me though. While I did like Lily as a character, she felt one-dimensional at times and so did the side characters and the relationships she had with them. Her blossoming relationship with Kath was cute but it felt superficial to me, I didn’t know much about Kath other than she was a lesbian and she wanted to be a pilot. I was more interested in Lily’s dynamic with Shirley, just because of how complex it was. They had this shared history of growing up together but they wanted different things and that made for a very interesting yet toxic relationship to read about. I also felt that the chapters about Lily’s family members making their way in the US were some of the more compelling plotlines in the book and I wanted more of her family dynamic.

Additionally, I found myself becoming bored about halfway through. Once Lily started going out with Kath to the club the plot felt kind of directionless, I didn’t see what it was working towards so it just seemed like so much was happening but a lot of the little plot points didn’t go anywhere. The research and care that went into this story was definitely evident but I wish the characters and plot had been developed a little more.

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charliebites's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

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kajoreads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

The beginning was a bit too slow for me, otherwise I really loved it.

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vael's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

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

2.75

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ajay913's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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gabsoulutely's review against another edition

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challenging hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

If I could give this book a 6 out of 5, I would. This was such a special read, like the world in the 50's was plucked from the timeline and given to me firsthand. I really liked seeing how Lily became her own person and fell in love with Kath. I loved Kath throughout this book

and I really hope this story had a happy ending.

I'd like to think that these characters stayed together and remained in love despite all the cultural challenges of their time.

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skye_era_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I learned a lot about Chinese-American culture (specifically in the 1940s and 50s). I also learned a lot about lesbians and the queer community during that time. I love that

Lily and Kath end up back together after being separated for a year.

Please read the author’s note at the end of the book, as it helps explain the author’s research for this book.

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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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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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amoonymess's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring tense 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

4.25

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