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ko_rax's review against another edition
- 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
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
Careful to those who have rather traumatic experiences with
Graphic: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Racism, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia
Minor: Miscarriage and War
choco_bunbun's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage
aysha_blake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Racial slurs, Deportation, Drug use, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Grief, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Miscarriage
novella42's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Misogyny
Minor: War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Gaslighting, and Miscarriage
the_true_monroe's review against another edition
- 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
Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a coming of age novel surrounding a Chinese American child of an immigrant, living in 1950s San Francisco, who realizes she is attracted to women and that there are many others like her. With McCarthyism brings both The Red Scare and the Lavender Scare to a time where racist and homophobic sentiments were already through the roof. Lily and her family and friend’s experiences portray very multifaceted and underrepresented stories in a way that readers can easily follow and become connected to the characters.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Outing, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Cultural appropriation, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Deportation, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, War, Body shaming, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Police brutality
gilnean's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Racism, Colonisation, Alcohol, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Sexism, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Miscarriage, and Blood
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Drug use, Classism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Excrement, War, Gore, and Adult/minor relationship
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Outing, Hate crime, Grief, Abandonment, Classism, Death, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Mental illness, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Gaslighting, War, Medical content, Violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, and Infertility
nibs's review against another edition
- 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
I appreciate the research and attention to detail the author put into writing this book. The author's note is really thorough and goes into language choices (using terms that were in use in the 1950s) and other research done to get the historical details right.
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
knockoffrainbow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Racism, Hate crime, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: War, Abortion, Deportation, and Alcohol
dragon_lord's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Abandonment, Death, Outing, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Excrement, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy