Reviews with content warning for Sexism - Last Night at the Telegraph Club

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

158 reviews

cheesiefries's review

4.25

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

Content Warnings

adamparrishlover's review

3.5

emotional informative reflective sad 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: No

Content Warnings

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

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

rinku's review against another edition

4.0

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: Complicated

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.

Content Warnings

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful informative slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

i liked that this book she’s light on a part of the 1950s that isn’t often covered. the historical basis of the book really shines. i enjoyed the context that the supporting characters provided so much that i wish there was more of it. i lao felt that the narrative swung too hard towards leaving things open ended. i also had the impression going in that there would be more of a mystery element to the story and that McCarthyism as it relates to the Chinese-American would be more of a focus. still it was a great book for shedding light on such under-covered topics

Content Warnings

swaggyfrog's review against another edition

3.5

hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

my time not spent reading this was spent thinking about getting back to it. i am glad to live in the time i live in now, i am grateful for the people before me whose lives were like lily hu's, and i am both excited and resentful of those who will come after me. i love you lesbians ❤️🧡🤍🩷❤️

Content Warnings

thecriticalreader's review

4.75

emotional hopeful informative fast-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

Blurb:

Lily Hu is a high schooler living in Chinatown, San Francisco in 1954 whose life changes when she visits a homosexual bar, The Telegraph Club. As she learns to understand her own desires and identity, she develops a relationship with a female classmate. On top of the regular social pressures and strains that come with coming of age, Lily must navigate the complicated and complex pressures that come with being a queer Chinese girl with big dreams in 1954 San Francisco.

Review:

There are very few books that meet my stringent standards for historical fiction, but I’m delighted to say that Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo passes my scrutiny with flying colors. Lo obviously did her research; the extensive biography in the back confirmed what I knew from reading her writing. The details are immersive and luscious; there was not a single moment that I was drawn out of the story due to a historical inaccuracy or anachronism. Books like this one are the closest we will get to time travel, and for that they are special.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club would already earn a high rating just for its historical immersive quality, but Lo’s storytelling is equally skilled and compelling. The prose is accessible and easy to read, the plot is balanced and well-structured, and the characters feel like real people. Lo captures the nuances and imperfections of real-life circumstances, interactions, and relationships while crafting a focused, hopeful, and touching central storyline. I especially liked reading about the relationship dynamics between Lily and her longtime friend, Shirley. I did not want the book to end.

The only part of the book that I did not absolutely ~love~ is the chapters between sections from the point of view of Lily’s family members. I could not see how these vignettes added to the central story, and consequently, I found them less compelling. I think that Lo should have either put them at the end of the book as “bonus material” or left them out altogether.

Despite this minor quibble, Last Night at the Telegraph is a wonderful read on every level and deserves all of the recognition it receives.

The Run-Down:

You will probably like Last Night at the Telegraph Club if . . .

· You grew up reading the American Girl Doll historical books

· You appreciate slice-of-life storytelling

· You are curious about learning about life from a perspective not often seen in historical fiction

You might not like Last Night at the Telegraph Club if . .

· You dislike books that take time to describe lots of details to set the scene

A Similar Book:

Good Luck, Ivy by Lisa Yee. Although Good Luck, Ivy is written for a significantly younger audience than Last Night at the Telegraph Club, similarities between the books include:

· A Chinese American female protagonist who lives in twentieth-century San Francisco

· Themes of understanding your identity and following your passion

· Historically immersive storylines

Content Warnings

emfass's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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: No

Oh god, my heart. I loved this book. Also realized in reading it that I don't think I've read much historical fiction with queer characters at the center. I cannot fully express what it meant to me to spend time with a character coming into her queerness in the 1950s. It was heartbreaking and validating all at once.

I also ended up loving the interludes where Lo added chapters from the point of view of Lily's parents and aunt, to give voice to the many ways immigration, racism, and living a life spanning multiple cultures affects people.

I deeply appreciate the way Malinda Lo incorporated so much research as well as inspiration from her own family to create such a realistic, respectful view into San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s. I also loved reading her Author's Note at the end, which gave historical context to so much of the story.

I listened to this on audio and narrator Emily Woo Zeller was wonderful.

This is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Content Warnings

bingo_banjo's review

4.5

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad fast-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

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