Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - A Scatter of Light

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 🔥

Content Warnings

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

sarah984's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I started out really liking this book and I loved the ending, but there are so many inexplicable writing decisions made in the middle that it wound up disappointing me. The parts about Aria learning to appreciate the perspectives of the adults in her life, going to the dyke march and the music festival, and trying to make art were really compelling but the romance was just... it was bad. The LI is older and already has a girlfriend and it's impossible to see what she could possibly see in this bland 18 year old that would make her act out like that.

Aria is also like... there is a scene where she finds out a relative might be dying and all she can think about is cheating with this woman again.

Also imo the sex scenes were way too graphic - yeah I'm an adult and I read adult books but also I do not want to know what is going where in YA.

Content Warnings

lucypoppleton6's review against another edition

Go to review page

Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

I want to start off by saying that this book is not close to Last Night at the Telegraph Club. It is marketed as a companion, but it only briefly touches on Kath and Lily’s story.

The book tells the story of 18 year-old Aria Tang West in the summer between high school and college. It is definitely a coming of age story as she explores her sexuality (it’s not clear if she’s bi or lesbian). But what holds this book back is the fact that she is involved in an affair. Both Aria and Steph (her grandmother’s gardener) know that Steph is dating someone else, yet they choose to cheat even without Steph breaking up with her girlfriend first. It’s messy, and not in a good way.

The better relationships in the story are between Aria and her family and high school friends. I loved her relationship with her grandmother through art and with her friend Tasha as they come out to each other.

Also, the historical aspect of the book could be explored better. The book barely mentions the legalization of gay marriage or homophobia at all. It seems like it is just thrown in the description as a premise without being addressed in the book.

Content Warnings

kappafrog's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

Big disappointment after how much I liked Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Boring characters, pretty predictable plot, and the infidelity made the main character very unsympathetic. I only kept reading for the promised update on Lily and Kath but it was very anticlimactic and felt shoehorned in.

Content Warnings

quiettalker's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional slow-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? Yes

2.75

I appreciated what this book was doing: telling a coming of age story about a complicated first love wrapped in coming out to oneself and an affair. I am not sorry I read it because I think more "love stories" should explore these dynamics but I both wish that the author leaned more into what it's like emotionally to be young and in love with someone who's cheating and felt very uncomfortable with the content. Aria was so foolish but I think I could have forgiven her (and maybe even Steph) if their emotions had been explored more. I just wanted more from this. ,/spoiler>

Content Warnings

lettuce_read's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

Content Warnings

More...