Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

42 reviews

aysha_blake's review

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Deportation

Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, War

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy

the_true_monroe's review

5.0

emotional informative inspiring 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: Yes

---

I love reading books that focus on the impact of intersectionality (how multiple parts of someone’s identity relate to each other) on people’s life experiences, and while there are an increasing number of those, this one stood out to me as also being historical fiction. Most I have read are featured in present day or are memoirs.

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Medical content, Sexual harassment, War, Deportation

jkull_10's review against another edition

5.0

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Deportation

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation

admunro20's review

5.0

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

---

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! 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Physical abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse, Deportation

mrscav's review

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

A beautifully challenging story for anyone who has journeyed to love themselves and love another; to find who they are when the world says there must be something wrong. A validating story that truly details how scary and overwhelming it it can be to live an unapologetically authentic life. Although the time period falls in the 1950s, it sadly reads like a relatable story for far too many people today. That said, each moment of love, community, and unrelenting truth continued to create the hope we all need in this world. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation

parasolcrafter's review

5.0

emotional hopeful 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: Complicated

---

this book was SO GOOD but made me quite sad, even if it was almost hopeful at the same time??? definitely a cocktail of emotions! the characters were all so well-written and developed (even though i hate shirley; understanding her motives doesnt make what she does okay) and they felt so real. this is one ill think about for a long time. wishing the best for lily and kath :')

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Pregnancy, War

linnea1801's review

4.75

challenging emotional 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: Complicated

---

This book was painful. It was gay though… The flashbacks were a bit boring but overall it was really good!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Deportation

Minor: Forced institutionalization, War

spookily's review

4.0

emotional 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: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Classism, Deportation

Minor: Death, Drug use, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail

indeedithappens's review

4.0

emotional hopeful 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: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, Outing

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Deportation

Minor: Violence, Colonisation, War