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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love books like this that offer the rich context of historical fiction with a queer spin. It is so nice to read stories that reinforce the truth that queer people have always existed, their histories are just more hidden. I am, however, tired of watching queer people struggle and live through violence. I understand that it is historically accurate and also not a thing of the past, but I'm starting to feel more reluctant about seeking out those stories. I enjoyed the magical realist element, but it felt a little bit underdeveloped, and also the way that they used magic to disappear into an alternate reality felt SO TRAGIC, like it was a stand-in for their deaths or something. Anyways, overall happy to have read this little gem, but feeling like maybe it wasn't what I needed right now.
Lush and loving portrait of several sapphic women in the 1940s. The author did a lot of research on San Francisco, and occasionally the narrative sagged under the weight of all that historical detail. I wasn't completely sold on the relationship between two of the characters (their relationship is instantaneous and really intense, but the emotional resonance wasn't quite there). They move in together after 24 hours, and love each other after a week. I actually wanted to know more about the life of the third character, who we see surprisingly little of.
Short but sweet. This novella could do with further development, especially about the magical elements. That being said, if you're like me and looking for more lesbian fiction or more specifically lesbian historical fiction, this book is for you. Despite it's shortness, it's still delightful and I think it says more good that bad about it in the fact that I'm dying to know more.
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this book, it felt, for the most part like a slow exploration of life, almost slice of life, but not quite. The action doesn't happen over a very long period of time, it's kind of like a snapshot of a week.
It does refer to some darker sides to LGBTQ+ history as it explores things, but it's not (to me) graphic in it's exploration. It's more there as a matter of fact as part of its 1940s setting.
That said, though it felt like a slice of life almost for the first 2/3 of the book the latter part picks up and things seem to move jarringly quickly all of a sudden.
Magic, while present, isn't the main focus of this do it's much more of a slice of life with magical realism added to it.
While I enjoyed the ride and the characters, it didn't stick with me or hit me in my feelings, but it's still a good book.
It does refer to some darker sides to LGBTQ+ history as it explores things, but it's not (to me) graphic in it's exploration. It's more there as a matter of fact as part of its 1940s setting.
That said, though it felt like a slice of life almost for the first 2/3 of the book the latter part picks up and things seem to move jarringly quickly all of a sudden.
Magic, while present, isn't the main focus of this do it's much more of a slice of life with magical realism added to it.
While I enjoyed the ride and the characters, it didn't stick with me or hit me in my feelings, but it's still a good book.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It was... something alright. First, the stuff I loved: a bunch of artists and lesbians in San Francisco in the 40’s? Hell yeah! I liked Helen, wished I had more of her though. The ambient the book sets is very magical very mysterious and I really liked it. But it was too short, and the final resolution, although satisfying, left me like ... that’s it?. Alas, I wanted more, the main pairing although beautiful, could have used more time to develop in my opinion, and the magic... I guess for some people would be enough... but I like my magic with more rules and spotlight haha. I had also been looking for this book for months. Perhaps that raised my expectations, overall, a quick lovely read. I need more wlw content in my life.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well. I guess the author did a lot of research. I'm not really sure what the point of this one was? It's almost a slice of life of 1940s San Francisco. Which I guess is interesting, but I'd almost rather read non-fiction?
In terms of characters, there was a collection of lesbian and bi ladies and their community, the most interesting of whom was mostly used as a framing device, while the two at the centre of the story never especially grabbed me. I didn't really feel any kind of tension or romance, so when they were All In Peril towards the end, my investment wasn't that high really. The handful of added magical elements seemed oddly out of place, in any case, and really only were set up for the ending.
Finally, on theme: On one hand, the grinding racism and sexual violence felt like pert of the setting, and that it would have been dishonest to have the sparkly queer bits without the sucky bits. On the other hand, I also have feelings about the way it ended.I'd just have been so much more interested in a story about how people lived and loved and survived in that time then a story about comparing it to a pogrom and bamphing into the future via magic. Which is not to say I'd rather live then than now, because holy shit, I wouldn't, but it just felt like an odd way to go on that. Why not use magic to make life then better?
In terms of characters, there was a collection of lesbian and bi ladies and their community, the most interesting of whom was mostly used as a framing device, while the two at the centre of the story never especially grabbed me. I didn't really feel any kind of tension or romance, so when they were All In Peril towards the end, my investment wasn't that high really. The handful of added magical elements seemed oddly out of place, in any case, and really only were set up for the ending.
Finally, on theme: On one hand, the grinding racism and sexual violence felt like pert of the setting, and that it would have been dishonest to have the sparkly queer bits without the sucky bits. On the other hand, I also have feelings about the way it ended.
I want to like this book more than I did, I really do. There's nothing wrong with it. It's beautifully written, but it's not my kind of story that in spite of it being lgbtq as hell. I dislike so much of "the life" during the 1940s, I just can't love the story. My favorite character? Helen Wong, the Chinese American lawyer. I loved how accepting she was of all the lgbtq and magical things going on around her. I read this for my 2017 Reading Challenge and the 2018 Hugo nominations.
Wow. I need more Ellen Klages immediately. This is a such a beautifully written novella. She pulls the reader into San Francisco in 1940 masterfully. It's the kind of historical fiction that doesn't feel bogged down in exposition. It flows naturally and I find myself immersed in another time, meeting characters who feel genuine and real.
The magical elements are slight, but give this almost the feel of a modern fairy tale. I'd also like to note that, unlike many modern novellas, this one feels complete. The story resolves beautifully, the character arcs don't feel truncated, and while I'd love to know more about the magic this version of our world contains, I don't feel as if vital threads remain unaddressed. I'd certainly love more stories from Klages that explore this magic, but I'm completely satisfied with this tale.
The magical elements are slight, but give this almost the feel of a modern fairy tale. I'd also like to note that, unlike many modern novellas, this one feels complete. The story resolves beautifully, the character arcs don't feel truncated, and while I'd love to know more about the magic this version of our world contains, I don't feel as if vital threads remain unaddressed. I'd certainly love more stories from Klages that explore this magic, but I'm completely satisfied with this tale.