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haileyhardcover's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Aria spends the summer before starting college discovering who she really is and who she wants to be.
I was so excited for this book. I read Last Night at the Telegraph Club earlier this year and was absolutely blown away by Lo’s writing, the history, and the characters she created. As a companion novel to Telegraph, I expected the same magical experience with A Scatter of Light. Sadly, I didn’t feel it.
The two main characters, Aria & Steph, felt so overly dramatic - especially considering they are older than the characters in Telegraph. I physically cringed multiple times at some of the things they said/ did. I didn’t find either of them very likable, and I couldn’t root for them.
Part of what made Telegraph so magical was the history. A Scatter of Light is also set in the past, but a much more recent past - 2013, right when Prop 8 was overturned, making gay marriage legal in California. This is mentioned a few times in the book, but I wish more attention had been given to everything going on at the time, rather than focusing so heavily (almost entirely) on the “relationship” between Aria and Steph.
There is also one scene in which Steph implies that she is struggling with her gender, but it is completely brushed over and never explored. It felt like a last-minute throw in for some additional diversity as there was no other trans/non-binary/gender queer rep in the book.
The best part of the book was the (very brief) glimpse we get into the lives of Lily and Kath (the main characters from Telegraph) in 2013. No spoilers, but I was glad to see where they had ended up, nearly 60 years later.
Maybe my expectations were too high, but overall I was just really disappointed with this book. Telegraph has a permanent home on my shelves, but A Scatter of Light is probably going to be one of those getting unhauled at the end of the year.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic
esh_maki's review
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
A beautiful coming of age story about a half Chinese, bisexual girl figuring out who she is and dealing with all of the problems life throws at you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Abandonment
librariangeorgia's review
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
I absolutely adored LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB that I just /had/ to read this one. And the fact that it’s linked to that book made it so much more exciting!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - like I’m struggling to put into words how much I loved it. I wanted to take my time with it so that it wouldn’t be over too soon but also speed through it to find out what happens.
Now, tell me why I got so invested in the characters that I actually started welling up at /that/ moment. I felt like I was going through all the emotions that Aria was going through!
I just loved the Lily and Kath mention!! I was waiting for them to crop up!
I highly recommend this book, and LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB if you’ve not read that one either!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Grief
onebook_more's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Death and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Abandonment
bookwormbullet's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment