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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
No
This was a really lovely and sad and tender and gut wrenching book! I really appreciated the continuous timelines to contextualize where the book is in history and where the characters are. I felt so deeply for Lily - such a unique queer coming of age story set deeply in Chinese exclusion, gay panic, and the red scare.
The book provided glimpses into Lilys family history which I thought could have worked really well, but wasn't consistent nor contextual enough to have fully been done well. But that's my only grievance.
The book provided glimpses into Lilys family history which I thought could have worked really well, but wasn't consistent nor contextual enough to have fully been done well. But that's my only grievance.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
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:
Yes
I’m racking my brain for a comparable read and I’m coming up with nothing that touches on post-WWII Red Scare America through a Chinese American lens + queer identity in the 1950s + a story of an Asian American testing racial boundaries on account of young love. Which is exactly why I picked up Last Night at the Telegraph Club. And you should too.
What I liked: as a fan of multilingual authors and stories from non-English speaking nations, so I appreciated the break from traditional writing/publishing with the footnote translations instead of in-text translations that often feel clunky. Seeing Chinese characters surprised me at first but it felt authentic in a way that emphasized that Lily, our protagonist, straddles cultures and languages. Also, the timeline chapter breaks were a fun and educational addition!
What I loved: at the risk of being redundant, I admire this novel for seizing multiple topics that lack representation and executing a wholehearted investigation into each.
What I liked: as a fan of multilingual authors and stories from non-English speaking nations, so I appreciated the break from traditional writing/publishing with the footnote translations instead of in-text translations that often feel clunky. Seeing Chinese characters surprised me at first but it felt authentic in a way that emphasized that Lily, our protagonist, straddles cultures and languages. Also, the timeline chapter breaks were a fun and educational addition!
What I loved: at the risk of being redundant, I admire this novel for seizing multiple topics that lack representation and executing a wholehearted investigation into each.
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Je pleure
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Really enjoyed this book a lot. I want to re-read it ( not on audiobook !) I loved this book and appreciated rhe notes at the end. Much more my taste in books than a scatter of light