Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Last night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

32 reviews

dev921's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, Classism, and Deportation

pantslint's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

I don't often read historical fiction, but a close friend gifted this book to me and boy am I glad she did.

This book made me cry. It made me do further reading, too. I knew about the insanity of McCarthyism and COINTELPRO from schooling, but didn't know the extent of the effects that the Red Scare had on the Chinese-American community (which aren't surprising, honestly). I didn't know about Dr. Hsue-shen Tsien. Or about the Chinese Confession Program. Or how the Chinese Exclusion Act meant that Chinese immigrants and Chinese-American communities were largely men.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a beautiful coming of age story, and also a diaspora story. It encompasses a lot of what I feel for my own immigrant parents—compassion for the difficulties they've endured and the trauma they harbor, and yet anger for their refusal to see outside of themselves and their community's perceptions. I have so much to say about this book, but I think that's all I can manage for this first read.

All I have to say left is that I have a personal vendetta against Shirley.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

letters_from_gabriella's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

This book would’ve been a 5 star read if it weren’t for a few sections that felt unnecessary to me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

sierraclimbs's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad 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

4.5

A really important story about the Asian American queer experience in the 1950s.  

Despite this story covering some challenging topics, I found it very easily digestible & engaging. I believe it is important to remember that, as different as it seems to our modern day reality, the 1950s wasn’t that long ago & the long standing racism & bigotry persists even in small ways today. 

The story is very relatable while maintaining a historical accuracy that is clearly well researched & written with passion for telling untold stories of the time. 

I think this book should be put on required reading lists for high schoolers everywhere. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Outing, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Deportation

This is a historical fiction, all words & terms used are due to trying to stay faithful to the time period it takes place in. Nothing felt egregious or unnecessary.

ajay913's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Bullying, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and War

gilnean's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, War, and Classism

almostelle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, and Police brutality

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

• 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

It's an important book due to how it tells the stories of people who previously only existed in the margins of history and gives them a voice but I personally did not enjoy it. It's probably due to how I usually don't read historical/romance, didn't ship the main couple and personally would not make some of the major decisions the main character did. 

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Content Warnings

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.)

smithreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Deportation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Hate crime, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and War