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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
I loved this story. I loved everything about it. And i loved it even more because of the social and cultural context the author gave at the end. I was totally captivated, heartbroken and overjoyed throughout this book. My heart ACHES having finished it and I'm not sure how I will pick up another. I was there were more wlw stories that had the soul and care put into them like this one.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Because I try to know very little about new books before starting them, I picked this up thinking it was one thing, when it was something else, that I wasn't in the mood for.
I'll definitely gift this to young people, but it was not at all what I was in the mood for.
I'll definitely gift this to young people, but it was not at all what I was in the mood for.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
emotional
informative
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:
Complicated
The ONLY reason it's not five stars is because I don't think that this book will be living rent-free in my head HOWEVER it was beautiful and gorgeous and I loved every minute of it.
Despite the cast of characters being almost entirely female, I feel as though Lo expertly dodged the gay fanfiction problem, structuring her sentences in such a way as to reuse names and follow them with pronouns so that it never felt repetitive. I loved her writing style on the whole; it felt unique enough to not get lost in the sauce of every other novel without being excessively flowery.
The characters all felt real and unique, and I enjoyed watching their interactions. I LOVED the limited third person POV, my favorite POV, and the way Lo really made me feel as though it was the 1950s. I was never surprised by the fashion of the time or the lack of cell phones because it just felt the way the world is. I would happily read so many other books by Lo.
Despite the cast of characters being almost entirely female, I feel as though Lo expertly dodged the gay fanfiction problem, structuring her sentences in such a way as to reuse names and follow them with pronouns so that it never felt repetitive. I loved her writing style on the whole; it felt unique enough to not get lost in the sauce of every other novel without being excessively flowery.
The characters all felt real and unique, and I enjoyed watching their interactions. I LOVED the limited third person POV, my favorite POV, and the way Lo really made me feel as though it was the 1950s. I was never surprised by the fashion of the time or the lack of cell phones because it just felt the way the world is. I would happily read so many other books by Lo.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
This book has left me in an emotional mess. Five stars for the way it completely enthralled me, the way it was so relatable, the rich 1950s Chinatown setting. If I have one complaint, it was that the romance between Lily and Kath could have been developed more. Lily was an amazing character but i feel like Kath could have had more depth. But there was so much other good stuff going on here that’s a small complaint.
emotional
informative
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
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:
No
everyone should read this book.
lily’s coming to terms with her lesbianism is so so so relatable. that guilt that follows you around for deigning to exist in the same room as other girls - yeah. also as a butch i really loved the way kath was written. lo does such an incredible job making lily and every character, place, and emotion she contacts feel so REAL.
also this book made me so nostalgic for san francisco </3. it was very cool to know exactly where lily was at any moment - i loved how lo took us on every journey alongside her!!!!
lily’s coming to terms with her lesbianism is so so so relatable. that guilt that follows you around for deigning to exist in the same room as other girls - yeah. also as a butch i really loved the way kath was written. lo does such an incredible job making lily and every character, place, and emotion she contacts feel so REAL.
also this book made me so nostalgic for san francisco </3. it was very cool to know exactly where lily was at any moment - i loved how lo took us on every journey alongside her!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
