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emotional
inspiring
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, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage, Violence, Toxic friendship, War
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Outing, Toxic friendship
Minor: Deportation
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Fantastic. Realistic and honest to the time period, but hopeful. Lily felt honest and realistic as a teen/character. I don’t read a lot of YA because I have never been able to relate to the teens/young adults who break all the rules or never interact with their parents. Lily’s relationship with her family, though still quite different than mine, was a lot easier to connect with because i always wanted/needed to “do the right thing” by my family, until I had to make my own choices.
All that is to say, I adored this book.
I read this on one of the free library apps, but I’m putting this book on my lists of “would re-read” and “buy a print copy.”
Side note- These days, I almost exclusively prefer to read books/stories by authors with marginalized identities. If there’s any intersection of identities like as this one, even better. It just gives a depth of character and insight into a story that you rarely find elsewhere, as these identities tend to be forgotten or ignored.
All that is to say, I adored this book.
I read this on one of the free library apps, but I’m putting this book on my lists of “would re-read” and “buy a print copy.”
Side note- These days, I almost exclusively prefer to read books/stories by authors with marginalized identities. If there’s any intersection of identities like as this one, even better. It just gives a depth of character and insight into a story that you rarely find elsewhere, as these identities tend to be forgotten or ignored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content
Moderate: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship
Minor: Police brutality, Outing
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
very glad that queer ya has come far enough for us to get really heavy books that aren't tragedies
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Outing
Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Xenophobia, War, Deportation
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Outing
emotional
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Lesbophobia, Outing
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
STUNNING!! I love Lily so much. Words cannot express how deeply I fell in love with this book!! There were so many characters I loved. There were also plenty of characters I loved to hate. I think this is such a compelling world and story. The use of jumping back and forth through timelines was done perfectly!! The ending made me absolutely sob.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing
emotional
sad
tense
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
This book was so adorable and heartwarming. First loves and discovering oneself and one's queerness was represented so well and preciously. I adored the MC and her romantic interested.
I will say, the whole of this book wasn't for me. I thought the beginning was a bit too much of a slow build. Though I think it was cool how the author showed Lily discovering the existence of same sex couples and queerness as a concept.
I also didn't love the ending. Obviously there had to be some fallout to Lily's sneaking around at some point,but it really dominated a huge portion at the end of the book. I didn't love the characters of the older women that Lily went to for guidance on how to live as a lesbian and who couldn't really do much for her or protext her in the end. And I just felt like the payoff for all the build up to Lily admitting to her queerness and her and Kath getting together wasn't long enough. I know the homophobia of the time obviously had to factor in, but it was too much that it took me out of the story. And the pre-epilouge ending felt abrupt and so depressing after all the build up where you're rooting for Lily . Maybe this portrayal was more realistic, but I didn't like it from a story perspective.
That being said, I loved the middle of the book so so much that I still rated it highly. Besides the queer rep, I also loved the intersectionality in Lily's character of her American/Chinese heritage and the 1950s lens making the story so poignant and very unique.
I will say, the whole of this book wasn't for me. I thought the beginning was a bit too much of a slow build. Though I think it was cool how the author showed Lily discovering the existence of same sex couples and queerness as a concept.
I also didn't love the ending. Obviously there had to be some fallout to Lily's sneaking around at some point,
That being said, I loved the middle of the book so so much that I still rated it highly. Besides the queer rep, I also loved the intersectionality in Lily's character of her American/Chinese heritage and the 1950s lens making the story so poignant and very unique.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
Not the easiest book to get into, and I didn't care much for the perspectives besides Lily's; I can see why they were added though.
This book builds up slowly and really started to get interesting halfway through. Lily and Kath were some wonderful characters to get to know; others, not so much.
Lily discovering her queerness felt very true to my own experience, I was happy with the authenticity and portrayal of her and Kath and all the other wonderful people at the Telegraph Club.
I don't really read a lot of historical fiction - but having read three in a row - I'm really getting into the genre.
Turns out that I like learning about things that actually took place, throughout the viewpoint of a fictional person.
The ending was very tense but also slightly hopeful towards the future. I'm so done with bad endings for lesbian/queer couples, so this one by all means wasn't as 'bury your gays' as most, and probably quite a realistic take on a relationship off that point in time.
All and all I think it's a wonderful book, but it's by no means a lighthearted novel.
This book builds up slowly and really started to get interesting halfway through. Lily and Kath were some wonderful characters to get to know; others, not so much.
Lily discovering her queerness felt very true to my own experience, I was happy with the authenticity and portrayal of her and Kath and all the other wonderful people at the Telegraph Club.
I don't really read a lot of historical fiction - but having read three in a row - I'm really getting into the genre.
Turns out that I like learning about things that actually took place, throughout the viewpoint of a fictional person.
The ending was very tense but also slightly hopeful towards the future. I'm so done with bad endings for lesbian/queer couples, so this one by all means wasn't as 'bury your gays' as most, and probably quite a realistic take on a relationship off that point in time.
All and all I think it's a wonderful book, but it's by no means a lighthearted novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Trafficking, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Deportation