A review by vthecreature
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.5

This was incredible. It was emotionally honest and sometimes cathartic, like when Lily noticed men fetishizing young girls and lesbians and thought “you’re pathetic and know nothing”. LOVED IT. This book went into some of the issues that Lily faced including racism, homophobia, fetishization, sexism, societal/ family expectations, etc. She’s so strong and I’m so proud of her. I haven’t rooted for a character’s happiness this much in a long time. Throughout the book, despite everything she goes through, Lily gets to know and accept herself. She does experience shame but always talks herself out of it! I loved when she said, in no uncertain terms, that she’s not mistaken and she hasn’t done anything wrong, despite everyone around her telling her otherwise. The characters all felt so real, and some of them ahem Shirley reminded me of people I’ve known irl.
I was so satisfied when she lost the pageant. that’s what homophobes get!!!!!!!

The setting was immersive and played a big role in characterization as well, with Lily and Shirley each having their own relationships to Chinatown, mostly to do with economic status. There’s contemporary political issues discussed, but some of it is left uncertain by the end.
What happened to Lily’s father? Did he get his papers back? And what about the suspected Communists?
 
Overall this was fantastic. 
Is there a happy ending?
… Yes? Lily’s relationship with her family is damaged but we see at the end that it wasn’t irreparable. She also reunites with Kath and they both tell each other they love each other. Both girls also embark on their own chosen career paths.
 
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