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erins_bookshelf_'s review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
I enjoyed this for the most part except I’m not a fan of cheating storylines and since that’s basically the second half of this book it kind of knocked it down a few stars; I think the part that got me most excited was when we saw how Lily and Kath from Last Night at the Telegraph Club ended up (and they weren’t even the main focus of the book so 🤷♀️ ).
Otherwise I think this was a nice book and I liked the family discussions as well as the conversations Joan and Aria had about art
Otherwise I think this was a nice book and I liked the family discussions as well as the conversations Joan and Aria had about art
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Toxic relationship
leweylibrary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
I absolutely adored this book and may have even liked it more than I liked Last Night at the Telegraph Club which is saying something because I loved that book. I appreciate that this book wasn't a straight up sequel of that one but it still incorporates it and you get to see a glimpse of Lily and Kath's lives so many years later.
I feel like a lot about Aria's character resonated with me, not sure what that said about me exactly lol, but I do enjoyed reading her POV as she went through this tumultuous summer before college. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but that's part of growing up and starting to figure out who you really are. They're are quite a few possible triggers in this book, so be sure to check those. There's also one scene that's quite spicy for a YA book 🔥
I feel like a lot about Aria's character resonated with me, not sure what that said about me exactly lol, but I do enjoyed reading her POV as she went through this tumultuous summer before college. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but that's part of growing up and starting to figure out who you really are. They're are quite a few possible triggers in this book, so be sure to check those. There's also one scene that's quite spicy for a YA book 🔥
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Grief, Classism, Bullying, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Medical content, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol
deifoley's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Medical trauma, Homophobia, and Medical content
melliedm's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-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? Yes
5.0
It's settled: I absolutely adore Malinda Lo.
A Scatter of Light follows Aria, a young woman in her year between high school and college, spending it with her grandmother instead of her friends because lewd photos taken without her consent were leaked by a boy. Yeah. I know. But stick with me. At her grandmother's in California, Aria meets the gardener taking care of the old property, a butch named Steph, who not only gives Aria a support network in California, but who (along with her queer friend group) act as a gateway for Aria to discover herself outside of the definitions placed on her by the society she came from.
Scatter of Light is a beautiful, poignant coming of age and coming out more than a romance (though Aria does explore a romance). It's got mistakes, grief, confusion—hope. Aria's coming out experience resonated with me so clearly, making this a ride to the stratosphere and back. I cannot recommend it enough. I was a puddle of tears by the end (some sad, some happy) I cannot wait to see what Lo does next.
A Scatter of Light follows Aria, a young woman in her year between high school and college, spending it with her grandmother instead of her friends because lewd photos taken without her consent were leaked by a boy. Yeah. I know. But stick with me. At her grandmother's in California, Aria meets the gardener taking care of the old property, a butch named Steph, who not only gives Aria a support network in California, but who (along with her queer friend group) act as a gateway for Aria to discover herself outside of the definitions placed on her by the society she came from.
Scatter of Light is a beautiful, poignant coming of age and coming out more than a romance (though Aria does explore a romance). It's got mistakes, grief, confusion—hope. Aria's coming out experience resonated with me so clearly, making this a ride to the stratosphere and back. I cannot recommend it enough. I was a puddle of tears by the end (some sad, some happy) I cannot wait to see what Lo does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Sexism, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
lizziaha's review against another edition
4.0
I love the way that Malinda Lo writes queer women, especially butches. And the way Lo integrates queer community into this work is wonderful, especially the messy queer rep. That being said, personally I didn’t vibe with the infidelity plot line. But Lo’s attention to detail in describing food and art seems unique and beautiful in its own right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Death
Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Emotional abuse
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
I thought I knew what kind of book this was. Then the last few chapters punched me in the feels. A much less predictable book than I expected, which I love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Infidelity
Moderate: Racism, Classism, Body shaming, Sexual content, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Homophobia, and Death
mpbookreviews's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Death, and Lesbophobia
sarahsbookstacks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
I am weeping wtf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Infidelity
Moderate: Abandonment, Homophobia, and Sexual content
bisexualwentworth'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? Yes
4.25
Aria is eighteen years old and just out of high school. A scandal in the former weeks of school leads to her spending her summer with her grandmother in California instead of with her high school friends at Martha’s Vineyard. And over the course of the summer, she learns a lot, about art, music, queerness, her family, and herself.
This is my favorite of the four books I’ve read by Malinda Lo. I think that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was more intricate and more impressive and more important in many ways, but A Scatter of Night was more enjoyable and more relatable for me personally.
Aria is a character dealing with coming out and coming to terms with her identity in ways that will likely feel familiar to a lot of readers.
She finds herself surrounded by lesbians for, as far as she knows, the first time in her life. She is introduced to the concept of polyamory. She has to work on her relationships with her parents. It was sweet and tender and sensitive.
Personally, I related to and enjoyed Steph a lot. I also loved Analemma the dog of course.
And I’m so glad that things ended up the way they did. Refreshingly real for a YA book.
This novel is also written like historical fiction but set in 2013 (Prop 8 is a BIG background thing here), and that was such an interesting and useful approach.
This book will definitely be more impactful if you’ve read Last Night at the Telegraph Club first, but I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a good sapphic coming-of-age YA novel.
Some stuff near the end was mildly triggering for me cause it hit so close to home, but it was ultimately a cathartic read in that regard.
This is my favorite of the four books I’ve read by Malinda Lo. I think that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was more intricate and more impressive and more important in many ways, but A Scatter of Night was more enjoyable and more relatable for me personally.
Aria is a character dealing with coming out and coming to terms with her identity in ways that will likely feel familiar to a lot of readers.
She finds herself surrounded by lesbians for, as far as she knows, the first time in her life. She is introduced to the concept of polyamory. She has to work on her relationships with her parents. It was sweet and tender and sensitive.
Personally, I related to and enjoyed Steph a lot. I also loved Analemma the dog of course.
And I’m so glad that things ended up the way they did. Refreshingly real for a YA book.
This novel is also written like historical fiction but set in 2013 (Prop 8 is a BIG background thing here), and that was such an interesting and useful approach.
This book will definitely be more impactful if you’ve read Last Night at the Telegraph Club first, but I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a good sapphic coming-of-age YA novel.
Some stuff near the end was mildly triggering for me cause it hit so close to home, but it was ultimately a cathartic read in that regard.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Homophobia
Additional content warnings for stroke and slut-shaming.booksbeyondthebinary's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Homophobia