Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

36 reviews

kajoreads's review

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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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

purplevibes123's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is so incredible. There’s no words to describe how it makes you feel. It’s been a while since I have read a book where I have felt so connected to the characters, where I have imagined what happens next just to get myself to fall asleep. When anything happens in the book, I feel it like I’m the one in the situation. I can’t recommend this enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, War, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Homophobia

Moderate: Sexism and Deportation

Minor: Child abuse, Violence, and Miscarriage

kitza2000's review

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

Minor: Child abuse

knockoffrainbow's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

adventurous hopeful medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

megelizabeth's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

I completely adored this book. Lily and Kath are characters who I know will stay with me forever, and there's so much to love about their story: the beautiful, tender depictions of queer awakenings; the vividness with which 1950s San Francisco is captured; the complex family relationships and friendships that are explored; the seamless interweaving of discussions of race, gender, sexuality, and Cold War politics. This wasn't quite a 5* for me only because I found the ending to be ever so slightly unsatisfying and because there's a very brief mention of student-teacher 'relationships' which didn't sit right with me, but on the whole I just loved this book, its quiet, haunting, timeless depiction of queer love and community in an unsafe world, and everything else it comprises.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Child abuse, and Homophobia

Moderate: Racism and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

ringofkeyz's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Child abuse

admunro20's review

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

This book is absolutely amazing! The dynamic between Lily and Kath is amazing and I love them so much!!! I want their life to be happy and filled with joy. I loved this book so much! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Bullying

Minor: Deportation and Domestic abuse

rinku's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.0

It was nice that with Last Night at the Telegraph Club, we got a book that combines historical and queer elements. There was just something missing for me to give it five stars, but it’s nevertheless a great read.  

I don’t have too much to say about the story itself since it’s more centred around its main character. We follow Lily, a Chinese American girl in the 1950s, discovering that she’s a lesbian and having to deal with all the prejudices that people have towards her identity. In the course of this discovery process, she meets Kath and visits with her the Telegraph Club. These coming-of-age elements of this novel were written so well and realistic. Furthermore, the time period that the story is set in is interesting as well and I had the feeling that I’ve learnt something about it. I knew the term red scare and that the government acted racist against Asian people in these times, but I didn’t know how extreme it was which is so terrible. The only critique I have towards the way the story was told is that I didn’t like the other POV’s chapter which were not really necessary in my opinion. 

From the beginning, you just have the feeling that something bad will happen at one point – and what happens is so sad and spoilered in the German synopsis, thanks for nothing lmao. After this event,

everything happening is just terrible and my heart ached so much for Lily; it’s so sad how homophobic everyone is and that not even her aunt accepts her

. The ending itself is

quite open and still sad in my opinion because Lily and Kath still have to hide their relationship. Considering the time period, I expected no happy ending from the beginning but still, it’s so sad

. 

I often have my problems with romances but this one was really good. It’s relative slow burn which I always like but some moments between Kath and Lily were a bit too coincidental and hence felt constructed. Together, they were so cute from the beginning, especially their bounding through their love for STEM. Lily was a great main character in general and it’s so intense how she slowly discovers her sexuality and gender identity, just like how she’s caught between her different identities. She has such a tough life and at many moments in the story, I just wanted to hug her. Besides her, I loved the other female characters from the Club as well and the strong solidarity between them. 

All in all, Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a great book for both learning about the red scare period and for experiencing an emotional coming-of-age story together with Lily. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Deportation, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Police brutality

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Transphobia

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Kath my love 🥹 I found all of the stories in this book to be interesting, I was just a little perplexed by the organization of some of the inclusions. I also wanted more from each of them. I think a little expansion would’ve helped me understand the characters and their choices a little more. I did really appreciate the careful description of food in this book. It was mouthwateringly realistic. And the depiction of queer community was incredibly heartwarming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Deportation and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment