Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

8 reviews

kaylokay_'s review

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Outing, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Racism, Body shaming, Deportation, and Sexism

Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, and War

the_true_monroe's review

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

5.0

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Xenophobia

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

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

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

calicat42's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

kshertz's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

I don’t give a lot of 5 star ratings. But I am obsessed with this book. It’s brilliant. The time in San Francisco when gay clubs were being closed. Communism rumors were everywhere with McCarthyism. The Chinese were under suspicion and they’re living in Chinatown. All of that setting the stage for a young girl coming of age and realizing she’s a lesbian. The feelings were so authentic and felt so real to me. The racism of the time. The wonder of finding people like you. The tug to feel authentic vs. being shunned by your family and your community. I just loved every page. Definitely one of my favorites this year!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Colonisation, Homophobia, Violence, Bullying, Hate crime, Outing, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Deportation, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and War

drlove2018's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Police brutality, Body shaming, Alcohol, Outing, and Sexual content

anniereads221's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Homophobia, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia

creativeerosion's review

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Racial slurs, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, and Cultural appropriation