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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
some_random_person_hi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Racism, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, and War
Underage drinking & underage smoking. (Not explicitly condemned in text.)rinku's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Deportation
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Outing, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Minor: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy
Pedophilia warning is just in case, for an adult woman behaving flirtatiously towards the teenage protagonist.lisa_m's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
There she writes about lesbian culture and especially the role Asian-American and other marginalised groups played.
Sadly the story just didn't grip me. I really wanted to love this book but I didn't. I liked the story and I think it's a really important one to tell. It was just not a very enjoyable read for me.
I guess I just don't want to read about queer people being seen as abnormal and gross. I get that at the time that was normal but it still just made me uncomfortable and mad.
Also the author uses some words that made me uncomfortable because of their negative connotations. She also addresses this at the end of the book and that she used those words because it's what would have been used at the time.
I also didn't really connect to any of the characters. They all felt a bit shallow and like just a way to portrait the story. If I liked the characters more I might have been able to overlook the rest..
Edit:
For me it was probably a 2 star read. I did not enjoy it and the weird terms like calling the Asian protagonist 'china doll' multiple times just made me uncomfortable. I do think that this book is important though. It is not catered towards me and I cannot identify with the mc very much but maybe I'm just not meant to and that's okay. There are so many books written about girls I can identify with extremely well so I don't think that this is a bad book just because it's not for me. Actually I would maybe even recommend this to a very niche group of people. Queer people (of colour) with historical interests or interest in the LGBTQ movement.
For those reasons I have decided to give this book 3 stars instead of the 2 it was for me. it would just feel unfair and not do this book justice.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Classism, and Deportation
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Characters
The list of characters is really diverse and I loved it. I cannot speak for the Asian rep but I loved the sapphic love. I could really find myself in the panic that surrounds a baby gay and I wish with whole my heart that Lily’s story would have been easier. I felt a lot for her and she deserved better.
Worldbuilding
The worldbuilding is done in a very fun way. The story is played oud in the real world and it shows. If you google the locations you are able to find them and I love this!
Story
This is one of those books that is very important but before you read this please check the triggerwarnings!
Writing
The writing was beautifully done and gripped me. I had to finish this book!
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Gaslighting
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, and Police brutality
McCarthyism, The Red Scare, The Lavender Scare, threats of deportation, forced outingcaoimhe9876's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Hate crime, and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, and Miscarriage