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clemrain's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Lo has a distinct style of writing. I enjoy her attention to detail. Her dialogues are realistic, but a lot of conversation happens in the thoughts and how they are read and how Lo describes those interactions. Which I think is key for the types of family and time period Lo is writing.
I think the most dynamic and understandable character in this book was Shirley Lum. Would I want a friend like her? No. But she was an interesting character. She had a reputation to uphold and held secrets. She understood the repercussions. She, to me, was the daughter of an Asian immigrant. She found her best friend in a similar situation and the first thing she did was try to dig her out of it. Unfortunately, she was very homophobic in her approach. Shirley Lum was a lot more realistic and easy to relate to.
Lily’s jealousy of Shirley was a huge catalyst for much of her actions. However, those actions of sticking to truth over consequence presented her as above it all. This childishness in her to hold on to something so new yet so innate, caused a lot of anger in me. I couldn’t understand how she could be so reckless. Though the actions are incredible and something to strive for. I just couldn’t see Lily making those choices. She just wasn’t developed enough. All I’ve seen of her is her relishing in the community at the telegraph club. Her falling in love with someone she only knows on a surface level. How could these things persuade her to so easily stand up and loose the love of her family? It just isn’t realistic. I don’t understand how Lily went from point A to point B.
Kath just seemed like a love interest and nothing was interesting about her past her conversations with Lily about science. The meat of the historical moments sat with Kath. What happened to her during her raid? How did her family react? Still, even as a romantic interest, I kept thinking what were her feelings for Lily past the romantic? Flat character.
I didn’t understand what the point of the timeline was. As much as I liked reading about Lily’s family, I could’ve also done without having whole chapters dedicated to them. What I was told in those little chapters could’ve been condensed and delivered more efficiently.
All that to say, I can imagine this novel as a movie or even as a short story (which it was at one point). I think it didn’t effectively make use of its length. There was a lot of redundancy in scenes and much of the story could’ve been reduced. I wish the raid had happened earlier so we could’ve gotten more of what happened after instead of having multiple bar scenes that ultimately showed the same point.
The ambition of talking about Chinese immigrants as well as the butch/queer scene of America as well as communism and America all in one novel was high. These three big ideas can coexist but in this novel they were not fully realized. There was too much going on and majority of it had no time to truly be resolved.
The ending was too rushed. The first half of the book took a while to ramp up. But I enjoyed it. It was so deeply researched and written. The intimate and realistic depiction of Lily learning about her queerness accompanied by the harsh reality of being Asian was gorgeous and relatable. But what was set up so carefully in the first part of the book did not pay off with such detail and satisfaction in the last part of the book.
The ambition of talking about Chinese immigrants as well as the butch/queer scene of America as well as communism and America all in one novel was high. These three big ideas can coexist but in this novel they were not fully realized. There was too much going on and majority of it had no time to truly be resolved.
The ending was too rushed. The first half of the book took a while to ramp up. But I enjoyed it. It was so deeply researched and written. The intimate and realistic depiction of Lily learning about her queerness accompanied by the harsh reality of being Asian was gorgeous and relatable. But what was set up so carefully in the first part of the book did not pay off with such detail and satisfaction in the last part of the book.
For what it was, it was beautiful. It was well written. Ambitious. And at the core of it, it really was just a story about a girl whose identity was much bigger than she could begin to understand and live at such a young age. I wish we just could’ve seen her fight against it and learn from it a bit more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Outing, and Classism
Minor: Racial slurs, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and War
zoiejanelle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
i cannot recommend this book enough.
if i had been reading this alone (instead of in the car on a roadtrip with my family) i would be bawling. LNATTC is a honest, insightful, and hopeful peek into what life must have been like as a Chinese-American lesbian in the 1950s.
Lily’s perspective was so vivid and real that it made me nostalgic for an age i neger thought i’d miss. what a unique experience to be seventeen and for the first time really, honestly, truly understanding who you are. who you will become. her yearning, for truth and progress and love, was so heartfelt. through Lo’s unforgettable, spare (yet still lush) writing, Lily’s warmth and desire leapt off the page and struck me square in the chest. her thoughts will resonate with me for many years to come.
though this book is unmistakably about Lily—her coming-of-age, her identity, her wants, her world—it was also about how each person’s life is more than just one story. the glimpses into Lily’s family’s lives and the lush imagery of 1954 San Francisco bring the reader to the startling understanding that we are all part of something bigger, and despite this we still deserve the freedom to be ourselves. though we get to know Grace and Joseph and Judy and are shown their own struggles, we don’t have to agree with their decisions regarding Lily. we can understand them, though, which makes them cut much deeper. the chapters of their POVs were so interesting and enlightening and unexpected. i haven’t read a book quite like this before.
the details of The Telegraph Club and its patrons were just so REAL. reading about women like me in a time that feels so distant and so dark lit my soul on fire with love and pride. how proud i am of Lily—and Kath, and Lana, and Tommy, and Paula, and Rhonda, and Claire, and Jean… how proud i am to be reading this book and feel like i am among friends in this other world. i felt like i could reach through the pages and hold their hands, smell their cigarettes, and laugh at this jokes.
LNATTC is not a tragedy, though tragic things do happen, but a triumph. despite the realism and the heartbreak toward the end (see trigger warnings), the ending inspires hope for a future Lily and Kath don’t yet know. for a future we have the privilege to live today.
if i could give this book 6 stars, i would. i will hold Lily and Kath gently in my heart forever. i can’t wait to read A SCATTER OF LIGHT.
if i had been reading this alone (instead of in the car on a roadtrip with my family) i would be bawling. LNATTC is a honest, insightful, and hopeful peek into what life must have been like as a Chinese-American lesbian in the 1950s.
Lily’s perspective was so vivid and real that it made me nostalgic for an age i neger thought i’d miss. what a unique experience to be seventeen and for the first time really, honestly, truly understanding who you are. who you will become. her yearning, for truth and progress and love, was so heartfelt. through Lo’s unforgettable, spare (yet still lush) writing, Lily’s warmth and desire leapt off the page and struck me square in the chest. her thoughts will resonate with me for many years to come.
though this book is unmistakably about Lily—her coming-of-age, her identity, her wants, her world—it was also about how each person’s life is more than just one story. the glimpses into Lily’s family’s lives and the lush imagery of 1954 San Francisco bring the reader to the startling understanding that we are all part of something bigger, and despite this we still deserve the freedom to be ourselves. though we get to know Grace and Joseph and Judy and are shown their own struggles, we don’t have to agree with their decisions regarding Lily. we can understand them, though, which makes them cut much deeper. the chapters of their POVs were so interesting and enlightening and unexpected. i haven’t read a book quite like this before.
the details of The Telegraph Club and its patrons were just so REAL. reading about women like me in a time that feels so distant and so dark lit my soul on fire with love and pride. how proud i am of Lily—and Kath, and Lana, and Tommy, and Paula, and Rhonda, and Claire, and Jean… how proud i am to be reading this book and feel like i am among friends in this other world. i felt like i could reach through the pages and hold their hands, smell their cigarettes, and laugh at this jokes.
LNATTC is not a tragedy, though tragic things do happen, but a triumph. despite the realism and the heartbreak toward the end (see trigger warnings), the ending inspires hope for a future Lily and Kath don’t yet know. for a future we have the privilege to live today.
if i could give this book 6 stars, i would. i will hold Lily and Kath gently in my heart forever. i can’t wait to read A SCATTER OF LIGHT.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racial slurs
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Deportation
Minor: Cursing, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Classism
courtneyelove's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Outing, and Classism
hannahrogers's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Grief, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
lisa_m's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This was an interesting book. It deals with important topics and I especially enjoyed the authors notes at the end of the book.
There she writes about lesbian culture and especially the role Asian-American and other marginalised groups played.
Sadly the story just didn't grip me. I really wanted to love this book but I didn't. I liked the story and I think it's a really important one to tell. It was just not a very enjoyable read for me.
I guess I just don't want to read about queer people being seen as abnormal and gross. I get that at the time that was normal but it still just made me uncomfortable and mad.
Also the author uses some words that made me uncomfortable because of their negative connotations. She also addresses this at the end of the book and that she used those words because it's what would have been used at the time.
I also didn't really connect to any of the characters. They all felt a bit shallow and like just a way to portrait the story. If I liked the characters more I might have been able to overlook the rest..
Edit:
For me it was probably a 2 star read. I did not enjoy it and the weird terms like calling the Asian protagonist 'china doll' multiple times just made me uncomfortable. I do think that this book is important though. It is not catered towards me and I cannot identify with the mc very much but maybe I'm just not meant to and that's okay. There are so many books written about girls I can identify with extremely well so I don't think that this is a bad book just because it's not for me. Actually I would maybe even recommend this to a very niche group of people. Queer people (of colour) with historical interests or interest in the LGBTQ movement.
For those reasons I have decided to give this book 3 stars instead of the 2 it was for me. it would just feel unfair and not do this book justice.
There she writes about lesbian culture and especially the role Asian-American and other marginalised groups played.
Sadly the story just didn't grip me. I really wanted to love this book but I didn't. I liked the story and I think it's a really important one to tell. It was just not a very enjoyable read for me.
I guess I just don't want to read about queer people being seen as abnormal and gross. I get that at the time that was normal but it still just made me uncomfortable and mad.
Also the author uses some words that made me uncomfortable because of their negative connotations. She also addresses this at the end of the book and that she used those words because it's what would have been used at the time.
I also didn't really connect to any of the characters. They all felt a bit shallow and like just a way to portrait the story. If I liked the characters more I might have been able to overlook the rest..
Edit:
For me it was probably a 2 star read. I did not enjoy it and the weird terms like calling the Asian protagonist 'china doll' multiple times just made me uncomfortable. I do think that this book is important though. It is not catered towards me and I cannot identify with the mc very much but maybe I'm just not meant to and that's okay. There are so many books written about girls I can identify with extremely well so I don't think that this is a bad book just because it's not for me. Actually I would maybe even recommend this to a very niche group of people. Queer people (of colour) with historical interests or interest in the LGBTQ movement.
For those reasons I have decided to give this book 3 stars instead of the 2 it was for me. it would just feel unfair and not do this book justice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Classism, and Deportation
toffishay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.25
What a sweet and emotional read! I absolutely loved following Lily's journey and I learned so much about a time in American life that I am not very familiar with. I never thought that I was one for historical fiction, but this book may have changed my mind. I also loved the insight into Lily's family too. Really, her whole world feels so real and honest. It can make it difficult to read about Lily's tough times because they feel so real. I want to return to this story again and again though. It's hard, but it's real.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Drug use, Racial slurs, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Gaslighting, and War
corriejn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism
1quillb's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Outing and Toxic friendship
Minor: Hate crime, Alcohol, and Classism
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