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

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

5.0

Lily is a teenager in 1954 San Francisco pursuing forbidden love amid the fears of the Red Scare and the cultural pressures of Chinatown. The writing in this is exquisite. I felt like I was right there with Lily, feeling the excitement, confusion, fear, and rage. Lo paints every scene so intricately that I basically had a movie playing in my head. All the societal and cultural obstacles Lily has to navigate seem impossible, but she goes from being this mousy young girl dreaming of space to a strong young woman who knows her mind and is willing to fight for what she wants. I liked the additional peeks at the lives of her mom and aunt, because they give more context to who they once were and how they became who they are. I honestly want to read it again, and that right there is the hallmark of a great story.