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emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, War
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, War, Deportation
Minor: Sexual content
emotional
hopeful
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
Not a perfect book, but absolutely fantastic, especially as a butch. Changed me as a person honestly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, War, Classism
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
Lily is a teenager growing up in Chinatown, California during the early 50s. She has always known there is something different about her, but until recently she hasn’t quite been able to figure out what. One day while walking home she discovers as ad for Tommy Andrews, male impersonator and she’s completely hooked. She carries the ad with her everywhere until one day another girl from her class, Kathleen, sees it when she accidentally drops it in the bathroom. From their the girls form a tentative friendship until they finally decide to go to the Telegraph Club, where Tommy is performing, together. There Lily is introduced to a whole new world, one she could never imagine of women being confidently in love with women. She wants that so bad she aches, but also knows the consequences of anyone in her family ever finding out. All the while Lily is also working to make her friends and parents understand her desire to become a computer to help rockets go to space, something she can only really talk to her Aunt Judy about who already works as a computer. Lily and Kath deepen their friendship and try to learn how to balance who they are, their dreams, and their relationships at school and home.
This book was amazing. I was enraptured the entire story and it was so well written. While the audience is teenagers it never feels like the author is censoring her story or dumbing down these queer experiences. Learning to find pride in your queerness is integral for everyone, especially young teens who are often stuck in situations that make them feel ashamed or like they need to change themselves. Lily is an amazing example of how much that pressure can get to you and what it feels like to have a family you know will not accept you. Despite all this in the end Lily refuses to lie about who she is just for comfort, she has found pride and love and she will not give it up. I found this story very heartwarming while also being realistic to 50s life. Lily and Kath do not find acceptance when they are found out, but it’s ok because they have found communities to always be accepted in, and they will always have each other. I also really enjoyed that the author chose to make Lily someone who wants to be a computer. Lily does not only struggle because she is a lesbian, she has a nuanced life and desires and being a lesbian is not the first thing she has been pushed down for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse
emotional
hopeful
informative
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, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Outing
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Alcohol
This is historical fiction set in 1950s San Francisco. The characters’ actions and attitudes are very much of the time.
emotional
hopeful
sad
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
this book was hard for me. this is a romance between a chinese-american girl and a white girl living in san francisco in the mid-1950s. i spent most of the book wanting to scream at the side characters to come to their senses, but alas, it's the times.
lily (17) and her brothers (14,7) all read a bit younger than they are meant to be. lily especially reads closer to 13/14.
the way that the older lesbians love, though, is really what brings this book together for me. the community these women manage to make in such a trying time is so heart-warming.
the ending is a bit lacking. while we do find out what happens to both lily and kath professionally (WHICH I LOVE), we don't find out what comes of their relationship. we also don't learn where kath went after the raid, just that she was sent away.
lily (17) and her brothers (14,7) all read a bit younger than they are meant to be. lily especially reads closer to 13/14.
the way that the older lesbians love, though, is really what brings this book together for me. the community these women manage to make in such a trying time is so heart-warming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Deportation
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism
hopeful
inspiring
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
A very real history told type of book. Obviously recommended for LGBT+ readers. Allies could of course read it but it really brings you into the persecution of LGBT+ and Chinese Americans. There is not anything necessarily wrong with the book itself for it to deserve a 4.5 but there is a explicit scene and the characters are still in high school. I personally just don't like it when they are underage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, War
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Deportation
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse
This is obviously a type of book that people would try to ban. It is very eye-opening when realizing that this could be brought back in today's America with decaying Orange in office now. It is also just a lot harder to be gay while growing up in a POC family. POC especially back then tried to tightly fit into the American dream of having a picture perfect "white" family where no one was different or in this case, gay. Really places you into the characters shoes where a lot of people have to shut out their family sometimes to be who they truly are.
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:
N/A
I really like this book, there were parts were I did skip mostly the MC parent backstory. But I'm re-reading it right now and my opinion hasn't changed. I like how medium pace it is and how it deep dives in other communities in the book and made me learn more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
i really took my time with this (thank you law firm job) but that hasnt minimised its effect on me at all
as a sapphic girl it is so meaningful to read stories like this and though i do think this was a bit slow at times the story itself is so impactful and my heart aches to think about all the women who came before me who could not be with their love
i certainly could not be without my abs
as a sapphic girl it is so meaningful to read stories like this and though i do think this was a bit slow at times the story itself is so impactful and my heart aches to think about all the women who came before me who could not be with their love
i certainly could not be without my abs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia