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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
leggere quanto sia stato difficile (e sapere quanto lo sia ancora) per le persone queer semplicemente esistere e vivere una vita degna di essere chiamata tale mi spezza il cuore. una storia bellissima e tanto necessaria. ❤️
emotional
hopeful
informative
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, Outing
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Deportation
Minor: Alcohol
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
One of the best young adult books I’ve read in literal years. The writing is clear and descriptive, I know almost nothing about San Francisco in the ‘50s but I can see it all so clearly. The ending was unexpected but fitting, and I think it was probably the best possible conclusion for a hopeful but realistic ending. Will definitely read again, and will read this author’s other books, too.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished this a few nights ago and I've spent a few days letting my thoughts ruminate and I think I've settled on 3 stars for this mixed bag of a book. It is not something I would have found on my own so I am glad at least to have read it as a book club book. I was actually surprised when I first looked it up to see it shelved as YA and I really do think it makes a good case for why 'new adult' should be a separate category from 'young adult' because I would not have known what to do with this at 10 or 11 years old. There are a few sequences in here that really surprised me at how... and graphic isn't the word I'm looking for but suggestive isn't either? Not lewd, either. Just maybe adult. I'm not saying I agree with the people who want to ban it but it was sort of an odd juxtaposition with the 'younger' writing style. IDK. Yes, more coming of age than a true romance book which is good because I surely do not want to read a romance book between two high school aged children.
That's a good spot to talk about the love interest, Kath. I really, really wanted to see more from Kath. As it stood, she really didn't have much personality at all. She was genial and accommodating at every step, knowing all and equipped to help with any situation. More of a plot device than a character, really. I would have liked to see more from her.
Book pacing was another issue for me. I don't mind slowing down and stretching scenes to get the full detail but I did not understand why some were so long and some of the more interesting ones were glossed over so quickly. I HATED the random flashbacks to Lily's family. ??? I thought that they would allude to something but they ended up having no relevance other than to show other peoples' relationships and it really took me out of the main story, trying to figure out what year it was and what was going on.
Related to the pacing was how quickly everything happened at the end. A book like this, centered around HIDING and SECRECY and being in the closet really sets up (for better or worse) for the shit really hitting the fan. And it did, but really only at the very end and leading to a conclusion that... while maybe more realistic I am really just puzzled why it went that direction. Especially the epilogue. Now that I am thinking about it, I really feel like this book would be better suited as a flashback to whatever comes next in the character's lives, because a post-grad adventure between an engineer and a daredevil pilot sounds a lot more fun. Now I'm just being picky LOL. I hate coming out stories. Self-discovery is razor's edge for me but coming out / the fallout of that is eeeeuuuurrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh. This is why I can't do YA.
And I know I'm really pulling this apart but it still gets 3 stars for me because I very much enjoyed the setting. 1950s San Francisco is a great place for a story. The perspectives on mid-century Chinese-American practices was fascinating. The descriptions of the cultural events, foods, etc. were fun and very colorful. Throwing Communism into the mix I don't feel was done well (too many loose ends that were never resolved or brought up again) but it could have been. There was bigotry but it felt very intentional and naturally integrated. And, if I have to read a YA, I like to at least get some petty high school drama out of it, and there was a good amount of that here.
My favorite scene was Lily discovering a lesbian book at the drugstore and thinking about it for like a week straight. It's not only a good way to break her into the scene but I like to think about the first gay book that I read (The Price of Salt) and what it did (damage?) to me and I think that's a fun moment for anyone to think about. I can't say I was a big fan of how that book ended in-story but it is fitting for the time, and it was an appropriate time to re-introduce that.
The adults in this story, especially those at the Telegraph Club, were far more interesting but I actually don't mind that because it was framed as Lily finally getting a glimpse of something, getting to see into a whole world that she is only just beginning to step into.
So, overall, a mixed bag for me. A fun setting with a lot of bloat and some weak areas. For having thought about this so long I probably could have written a much more coherent review but this is what you get.
That's a good spot to talk about the love interest, Kath. I really, really wanted to see more from Kath. As it stood, she really didn't have much personality at all. She was genial and accommodating at every step, knowing all and equipped to help with any situation. More of a plot device than a character, really. I would have liked to see more from her.
Book pacing was another issue for me. I don't mind slowing down and stretching scenes to get the full detail but I did not understand why some were so long and some of the more interesting ones were glossed over so quickly. I HATED the random flashbacks to Lily's family. ??? I thought that they would allude to something but they ended up having no relevance other than to show other peoples' relationships and it really took me out of the main story, trying to figure out what year it was and what was going on.
Related to the pacing was how quickly everything happened at the end. A book like this, centered around HIDING and SECRECY and being in the closet really sets up (for better or worse) for the shit really hitting the fan. And it did, but really only at the very end and leading to a conclusion that... while maybe more realistic I am really just puzzled why it went that direction. Especially the epilogue. Now that I am thinking about it, I really feel like this book would be better suited as a flashback to whatever comes next in the character's lives, because a post-grad adventure between an engineer and a daredevil pilot sounds a lot more fun. Now I'm just being picky LOL. I hate coming out stories. Self-discovery is razor's edge for me but coming out / the fallout of that is eeeeuuuurrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh. This is why I can't do YA.
And I know I'm really pulling this apart but it still gets 3 stars for me because I very much enjoyed the setting. 1950s San Francisco is a great place for a story. The perspectives on mid-century Chinese-American practices was fascinating. The descriptions of the cultural events, foods, etc. were fun and very colorful. Throwing Communism into the mix I don't feel was done well (too many loose ends that were never resolved or brought up again) but it could have been. There was bigotry but it felt very intentional and naturally integrated. And, if I have to read a YA, I like to at least get some petty high school drama out of it, and there was a good amount of that here.
My favorite scene was Lily discovering a lesbian book at the drugstore and thinking about it for like a week straight. It's not only a good way to break her into the scene but I like to think about the first gay book that I read (The Price of Salt) and what it did (damage?) to me and I think that's a fun moment for anyone to think about. I can't say I was a big fan of how that book ended in-story but it is fitting for the time, and it was an appropriate time to re-introduce that.
The adults in this story, especially those at the Telegraph Club, were far more interesting but I actually don't mind that because it was framed as Lily finally getting a glimpse of something, getting to see into a whole world that she is only just beginning to step into.
So, overall, a mixed bag for me. A fun setting with a lot of bloat and some weak areas. For having thought about this so long I probably could have written a much more coherent review but this is what you get.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Yes
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall devastating & amazing
I understand why she doesn’t…. but i wish Lily would just knock shelby out like a lot while reading
only real reasons i didn’t give 5⭐️ was i felt Kath was reduced a bit to just the love interest and i also would’ve liked to see some of the other characters explored, especially nearer the end andwith the raid of the. telegraph club, i wanted to know what happened with Tommy!!!!
I understand why she doesn’t…. but i wish Lily would just knock shelby out like a lot while reading
only real reasons i didn’t give 5⭐️ was i felt Kath was reduced a bit to just the love interest and i also would’ve liked to see some of the other characters explored, especially nearer the end and
emotional
inspiring
slow-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