Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

106 reviews

sprucewillow's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective slow-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

5.0

I really loved this book. Great look into 1930-1950's Chinatown/San Francisco gay scene, as well as the life of Chinese families before and during WWII. I have never read a queer book like this. I have learned so much (thanks to the author for including more historical details at the end!) and am incredibly grateful LGBT has advanced so much that the homophobia Lily had to cope with is less nowadays, at least in the US.

Ending was a bit lackluster but I can forgive that. 

This is how I like historical fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and War

Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic friendship

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It's an important book due to how it tells the stories of people who previously only existed in the margins of history and gives them a voice but I personally did not enjoy it. It's probably due to how I usually don't read historical/romance, didn't ship the main couple and personally would not make some of the major decisions the main character did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, and Racism

Minor: Police brutality, War, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Confinement

Underage drinking & underage smoking. (Not explicitly condemned in text.)

nightworldlove's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

4.75

Absolutely loved this (audio) book and its narrator, who did a great job! It was really easy to immerse and the story quickly grabbed my full interest. I think it's amazing to have a book about how things were for the queer community back in 1950s, yet doesn't have the devastating ending that I was low-key fearing. Loved Lily and Kath and Lily's exploration of her sexuality <3

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Gaslighting

Minor: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Outing, Sexism, and Xenophobia

avisreadsandreads's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Misogyny

Minor: Drug use, Deportation, Miscarriage, and War

cjslillibrary's review

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Homophobia

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

cheesiefries's review

emotional fast-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Homophobia, Racism, War, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Xenophobia, Deportation, Hate crime, and Lesbophobia

leweylibrary's review

challenging emotional informative 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? Yes

5.0

Reading this was just 🤌 I so appreciate the thought that went into crafting this very important historical fiction YA novel. It was the perfect mix of informative and emotional that is my cup of tea, and I think it will be for a lot of other people too! I think a lot of young adults can see themselves in Lily or empathize with her and the feelings of first love. My only complaint is that I wanted more about post the big dramatic thing that happened, but I'll get over that by reading the cinnamon novel soon I think!

Quotes:

• They had been in the same classes together for years, but it was as if they had been figurines on an automated diorama, moving on mechanical tracks that approached each other but never intersected until now. Today they had broken free from those prescribed grooves, and Lily was acutely aware of the unprecedented nature of their new friendliness. (56)
• America had given her so much in the 4 years since she arrived, but it also regularly reminded her of how it saw people like her. (305)
  -Lily felt as if she were stuck on a broken track and a diorama, as if she were not herself, but merely the figurine of a Chinese girl that kept jerking back to the beginning rather than continuing through her miniature world. It was clear that if she agreed with her mother--and Shirley--if she would only tell them what they wanted to hear, then she can move forward on her prescribed path. But that would mean a racing all of her trips to the Telegraph Club; It would mean denying her desire to go at all. It meant suppressing her feelings for Kath, and at that moment, her feelings seem to swell inside her. So painfully that she was terrified she might burst. (327)
• "But we're never what our parents expected. They have to learn that lesson." (339)
• A few hours at home and the Telegraph Club seemed more like a fantasy than a real thing. This troubled her. It felt as if someone had taken an eraser to her memory--to her very self--and rubbed at it, then blown away the remains. (369)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcohol and Misogyny

Minor: Drug use, Classism, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

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

parasolcrafter's review

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? It's complicated

5.0

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 :')

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: War, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

linnea1801's review

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? It's complicated

4.75

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Miscarriage, Deportation, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War and Forced institutionalization