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the_true_monroe's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
gilnean's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Racism, Colonisation, Alcohol, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Sexism, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation, Miscarriage, and Blood
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Drug use, Classism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Excrement, War, Gore, and Adult/minor relationship
charlx_otte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Physical abuse
The homophobia/lesbophobia is very period-typical and the physical abuse is the mother slapping the child, so do tread lightly with this book, stay safe out there <3nightworldlove's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Minor: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Outing, Sexism, and Xenophobia
admunro20's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Outing, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Deportation and Domestic abuse
smithreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Outing, Racism, Alcohol, Sexual content, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Deportation
Minor: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, War, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting
swaggyfrog's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexism, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Deportation, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Outing, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Classism
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Deportation and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment
emfass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I also ended up loving the interludes where Lo added chapters from the point of view of Lily's parents and aunt, to give voice to the many ways immigration, racism, and living a life spanning multiple cultures affects people.
I deeply appreciate the way Malinda Lo incorporated so much research as well as inspiration from her own family to create such a realistic, respectful view into San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s. I also loved reading her Author's Note at the end, which gave historical context to so much of the story.
I listened to this on audio and narrator Emily Woo Zeller was wonderful.
This is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2023.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Alcohol, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Outing, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, Deportation, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, and Body horror
adymae11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Sexism
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Physical abuse