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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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual harassment
kajoreads's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Outing, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Alcohol, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual content, Deportation, Child abuse, War, and Misogyny
Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
readingqueerly's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
Lesbians in the fifties. What's not to like? You know... Apart from the obvious but shhhhh.
The first half of this book went quite slowly for me, though that might be a me-problem as I've been struggling with a slump. But the second half of this book just flew by. The chemistry was palpable and during several moments I truly felt the complicated mix of emotions the characters were experiencing. The excitement of meeting someone special, the fear of knowing what that means because the special someone is not who you're supposed to want. The relief to find a community in a world that is not ready for you and the desperation to be together despite all odds and intervention from the law.
A really good YA/NA book with immense growth for the main character about very real problems that are still relevant to modern day.
The first half of this book went quite slowly for me, though that might be a me-problem as I've been struggling with a slump. But the second half of this book just flew by. The chemistry was palpable and during several moments I truly felt the complicated mix of emotions the characters were experiencing. The excitement of meeting someone special, the fear of knowing what that means because the special someone is not who you're supposed to want. The relief to find a community in a world that is not ready for you and the desperation to be together despite all odds and intervention from the law.
A really good YA/NA book with immense growth for the main character about very real problems that are still relevant to modern day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Racism
leffel's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this story, I just wanted to give all the characters a hug and say there is nothing wrong with being gay. I think this was written as a YA but the writing wasn’t annoying or too young. So many good quotes about first love and loving who you want regardless of what your family or friends think.
“It wasn’t like chocolate, Lily thought. It was like finding water after a drought. She couldn’t drink enough, and her thirst made her ashamed, and the shame made her angry.”
“It wasn’t like chocolate, Lily thought. It was like finding water after a drought. She couldn’t drink enough, and her thirst made her ashamed, and the shame made her angry.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
illtakethenightshiftx's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Absolutely loved this!!! I wish the ending wasn’t so quick, but besides that it was an fantastic read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
cogowno's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
alica2's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
I really liked the historical setting, but I felt kind of underwhelmed by the characters. Lily and Kath's relationship was cute, but after the beginning section I didn't really get a good feel of Kath's character besides her wanting to be a pilot. I felt like there was a lot of stuff included that didn't really go anywhere or was only offhandedly mentioned later, like I thought there would be more tension around Lily's fake ID given how concerned she was about getting it, or that the Red Scare might impact her family/friends more directly, or that her attendance at the youth picnic early on might have more drastic consequences later.
I liked the interlude sections where we got POVs into Lily's parents and aunt, but these also didn't really seem to add much to the story since I never saw those parts of their character peek through in Lily's perspective. The ending also felt way too rushed for me, and I know every queer story doesn't have to have a happy ending but it just felt really unsatisfying and abrupt.
With that said though, I still loved the atmosphere and could feel the love and research that went into it. It was nice to be back in San Francisco, and especially to see a part of its history that I haven't really been exposed to. I think this would have been a perfect book for me when I was younger, and probably would have helped me figure things out sooner LOLOL.
I liked the interlude sections where we got POVs into Lily's parents and aunt, but these also didn't really seem to add much to the story since I never saw those parts of their character peek through in Lily's perspective. The ending also felt way too rushed for me, and I know every queer story doesn't have to have a happy ending but it just felt really unsatisfying and abrupt.
With that said though, I still loved the atmosphere and could feel the love and research that went into it. It was nice to be back in San Francisco, and especially to see a part of its history that I haven't really been exposed to. I think this would have been a perfect book for me when I was younger, and probably would have helped me figure things out sooner LOLOL.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol
jayjayjers's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Homophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs and Toxic friendship
meagan123's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Lesbophobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship
sierraclimbs's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.5
A really important story about the Asian American queer experience in the 1950s.
Despite this story covering some challenging topics, I found it very easily digestible & engaging. I believe it is important to remember that, as different as it seems to our modern day reality, the 1950s wasn’t that long ago & the long standing racism & bigotry persists even in small ways today.
The story is very relatable while maintaining a historical accuracy that is clearly well researched & written with passion for telling untold stories of the time.
I think this book should be put on required reading lists for high schoolers everywhere.
Despite this story covering some challenging topics, I found it very easily digestible & engaging. I believe it is important to remember that, as different as it seems to our modern day reality, the 1950s wasn’t that long ago & the long standing racism & bigotry persists even in small ways today.
The story is very relatable while maintaining a historical accuracy that is clearly well researched & written with passion for telling untold stories of the time.
I think this book should be put on required reading lists for high schoolers everywhere.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, War, Bullying, and Sexism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Deportation
This is a historical fiction, all words & terms used are due to trying to stay faithful to the time period it takes place in. Nothing felt egregious or unnecessary.