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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Screaming crying throwing up
loved the romance and feelings described in the story, but it’s really not that complex, and it’s really not that deep (boring???). the characters are not complex, but the writing was nice. i’m starved for love and this was nice.
This book was written with such love, care, and passion.
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Yes
i loved this book it's so sad yet beautiful at the same time
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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
adventurous
emotional
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
Absolutely loved this book. There were some parts that took me out of the historical aspect of the book, but overall it was good.
Loved seeing the research at the back of the book as well.
Loved seeing the research at the back of the book as well.
This book felt like a string of hazy memories out of a vintage coming-of-age film: pageants and picnics with paper plate meals, Lily lingering over sapphic romance books at the drugstore, fighting with her mom while clothes shopping, guilty reflections at church, being her true self on cold spontaneous nights, trips to the planetarium, classroom squabbles: the mundane life events of a teenage girl that made this book nostalgic for me.
Reminded me a bit of [b:The Joy Luck Club|7763|The Joy Luck Club|Amy Tan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304978653l/7763._SY75_.jpg|1955658] with the descriptions of the Chinatown social circle, good girl issues, and mouth-watering food descriptions. I loved the tension in this book, and that many relationships were left unmended (sometimes rightly so). The 50's vibes were there: school dances with punch, bowling, curls and gingham and halter dresses. I really appreciated Lo's research into aviation, astronomy, and academia, and women's contributions and struggles in these fields. As a Californian, I especially loved the references to the UC's.
Some people have said that they were turned off by the timeline and random chapters about Lily's relatives but I actually learned a lot from the experiences of these immigrants, not about the story itself, but the time and place they were living in. Rest assured, the story is still centered on Lily, but these chapters reminded me that I was reading a historical fiction novel and made me curious about my own family history.
I appreciated that Lo didn't use the learning-to-accept-my-culture cliche, and that Lily loved growing up in Chinatown and tried her best to listen to her parents. Lily's identity as a Chinese American, along with the political events of the time, made it even more difficult for her to come to terms with her sexuality: Her entire family's safety was at stake. I wish Lily spent a bit more of the novel thinking about this so that her decisions would not come off as selfish. My only complaints are that fears about communism and deportation are not used as anything but a plot device; problematic comments are shrugged off without reflecting onto the speaker's character, and Shirley is the only well-developed character in the novel, upon whom too much time is spent. I actually really liked Shirley's character, but maybe that is just because of how three dimensional she is.
In contrast, the love interest Kath felt like a ghost, which made it harder to understand the connection she and Lily share. Maybe enshrouding her in mystery is supposed to prevent us from encroaching on the intimacy she and Lily share? Or leave open the potential for Lily to get to know her better once she confirms her feelings?
All in all, this is still a cozy 5 stars read that I'm sure will resonate with you, whether you're a San Franciscan and/or person of color, feeling nostalgic, questioning your sexuality, having trouble in your friendships, not sharing the dreams your parents have for you, trying to find your community, or just interested in how identity and diversity complicate history.
Reminded me a bit of [b:The Joy Luck Club|7763|The Joy Luck Club|Amy Tan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1304978653l/7763._SY75_.jpg|1955658] with the descriptions of the Chinatown social circle, good girl issues, and mouth-watering food descriptions. I loved the tension in this book, and that many relationships were left unmended (sometimes rightly so). The 50's vibes were there: school dances with punch, bowling, curls and gingham and halter dresses. I really appreciated Lo's research into aviation, astronomy, and academia, and women's contributions and struggles in these fields. As a Californian, I especially loved the references to the UC's.
Some people have said that they were turned off by the timeline and random chapters about Lily's relatives but I actually learned a lot from the experiences of these immigrants, not about the story itself, but the time and place they were living in. Rest assured, the story is still centered on Lily, but these chapters reminded me that I was reading a historical fiction novel and made me curious about my own family history.
I appreciated that Lo didn't use the learning-to-accept-my-culture cliche, and that Lily loved growing up in Chinatown and tried her best to listen to her parents. Lily's identity as a Chinese American, along with the political events of the time, made it even more difficult for her to come to terms with her sexuality: Her entire family's safety was at stake. I wish Lily spent a bit more of the novel thinking about this so that her decisions would not come off as selfish. My only complaints are that fears about communism and deportation are not used as anything but a plot device; problematic comments are shrugged off without reflecting onto the speaker's character, and Shirley is the only well-developed character in the novel, upon whom too much time is spent. I actually really liked Shirley's character, but maybe that is just because of how three dimensional she is.
In contrast, the love interest Kath felt like a ghost, which made it harder to understand the connection she and Lily share. Maybe enshrouding her in mystery is supposed to prevent us from encroaching on the intimacy she and Lily share? Or leave open the potential for Lily to get to know her better once she confirms her feelings?
All in all, this is still a cozy 5 stars read that I'm sure will resonate with you, whether you're a San Franciscan and/or person of color, feeling nostalgic, questioning your sexuality, having trouble in your friendships, not sharing the dreams your parents have for you, trying to find your community, or just interested in how identity and diversity complicate history.
hopeful
sad
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:
No