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A review by onebook_more
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
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
4.0
“I felt a thrill as if a mask I’d put on had suddenly become my own face”
[This review is based on an ARC I received from work].
A Scatter of Light is advertised as a companion to one of my favourite novels I’ve read this year, Last Night at the Telegraph Club. The story centres around 18-year-old Aria, who is sent to spend the summer with her Grandmother after a troubling incident at the end of her senior year. Aria develops a friendship with her Grandmother’s gardener, Steph, and finds herself immersed in a new community of queer artists. As the two grow closer, lines blur, leaving Aria with complex questions about her identity. This novel weaves together coming-of-age romance, queerness and complex family dynamics to make a narrative that is often relatable and satisfying.
I had huge expectations for A Scatter of Light because of my love for LNatTC and in many ways, it did hold up. This story was a little less engaging but this is largely based on the fact that the more modern timeline was unlikely to be able to compete with the charm and novelty of a queer love story set in 1960s San Francisco. The writing is frequently poetic and expressive and often comforting, I am a huge fan of Malinda Lo’s prose. The cast of characters is interesting, likeable and diverse but towards the end, Aria becomes a somewhat irritating protagonist as she is quite one-track-minded (though this felt completely accurate for the mind of an 18-year-old with her first real crush). Romance becomes an intense focus in the latter part of the book and will likely be a hit for people who are a fan of slow-burn romances with a hint of *spice*. At times the story was a little slow but as soon as I began to feel like it was plodding along, it would pick up with an unexpected turn. I found myself wishing for more connections to LNatTC but when they did arise they were extremely satisfying. Overall I feel as if my expectations with a little too high but this book has many redeeming qualities and is sweet and charming in its own right.
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Abandonment