This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you close the last page.

As someone who doesn't gravitate towards historical fiction as a genre, I was apprehensive to read this book. Especially because it's a tad on the longer side as well. However, by the time I finished it, I was wishing for more pages, more story, just MORE.

The book follows a young woman, Lily, as she navigates her identity as a queer woman. She stumbles on an underground gay club, called the Telegraph Club, with her *friend* Kath. In the 1950's it's not a safe space for them to explore their love for one another, and where they live in Chinatown, the Red Scare is looming over everyone.

This book has all the heart, all the emotion, and is just so beautifully written. I have recommended it many times, to many friends since. I read it via e-book but am going to need a physical copy for my shelves STAT.

*Gifted via Netgalley. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dutton Books for Young Readers. All opinions are my own.

unfortunately i was just not interested in this book after starting. i would definitely give melinda lo another shot though!

Unfortunately, I never got around to reading this book. I was excited to read this but then I saw Malinda's tweets being dismissive about how difficult it is for BIPOC authors, specifically Black and dark skinned authors, to receive the same kind of viral reach on BookTok as others. While it's great she's found success, she should acknowledge how colorism plays a factor in which BIPOC authors do see success there. Going forward I will not be reading her novels.

I loved this historical sapphic romance!! Sooooo good. I thought the first loves and self-discovery was well done and also highlighted women in stem nicely. Definitely recommend!

Absolutely stunning. Lo did a lot of research which is evident in the notes at the end and the bibliography. Reading this was transporting. There are so many details, from street names to clothes and very specific history.

I appreciated the ending, which deals with the difficult situation without becoming tragic.

One of my all time favorite reads and one I will recommend over and over. Romance. Mystery. History. It has everything. I also liked the generational story line.

This beautifully written story is about Lily and Kath, two girls in love at a time when their love is incredibly dangerous. Lily, a Chinese-American girl living in San Francisco's Chinatown, has often wondered if two girls can be in love, but she knows it's a question she can't ask her best friend. As she starts to get closer to Kath and drift farther away from Shirley, Lily realizes she can carve out her own identity without the control of her so-called friend. There is so much history in this story, from Madame Chiang Kai-shek, to space exploration. Lily's story is captivating and inspiring.

A good historically set coming-of-age story with an LGBTQ cast. It just didn’t feel YA to me…not every book with a teenage protagonist is a YA book.

This book is incredible and different than expected. It's a coming of age story for a 17 year old trying to uncover their sexuality and place in the world. It was full of hope and heartbreak, and I loved that the story followed Lily through her thought process and life choices. Great read!

I struggle with finding LGBTQIA books that my students want to check out from my classroom library. Books that are too romance-focused or identity-focused are often ignored. This one is a winner--the story is wonderful and can grab any reader. From the plot to the setting to the characters, my students enjoyed this book quite a lot. Love the historical fiction aspect.

Though it took me the first quarter of the book or so to really be hooked on the story, I liked this book a lot. At the halfway point, the plot really starts moving, and the details throughout are excellent. Between the clothes people choose, to the different environments the characters find themselves in, all of it seemed really well researched. Maybe we didn't have to know EVERY street name the characters walk down, but that's ok. Having been to North Beach/Chinatown several times, it was fun to read about somewhat familiar places as they would have been in the early '50s. I also appreciated reading a YA book that felt real. Nobody has a twee name, the ending isn't tidy, and the treatment of romance (and acting upon it) felt true to life, no matter the decade. Definitely recommend this one

When I first heard about this book last year, I knew I had to read it. Queer historical YA set in San Francisco? Yes, please! And I have to say living in San Francisco while reading this made my reading experience that much more memorable.

Lo does an incredible job of recreating San Francisco of the 1950s. Her descriptions of the City and food are vivid, cinematic, and just plain delectable. Because I knew the streets and neighborhood as they are in the present day, I was easily transported back to the 1950s of San Francisco Chinatown. I could picture myself walking down Grant Avenue eating an egg tart. I could picture myself walking in North Beach towards Coit Tower looking at the beautiful view of the bay. I could also picture the dirty looks and racist comments being slurred at me during all of this. And I didn’t have to try very hard given how xenophobia is still rampant in this exact same city and neighborhood today, 67 years later.

1954 was a time when girls got married after high school, same-sex relationships were seen as unnatural and the Red Scare paranoia constantly threatened the livelihood of the Chinese community. And Lo does a wonderful job of weaving these societal constructs into the intersectionality of Lily’s identity, our 17-year-old Chinese American protagonist.

Much to her mother and her best friend’s disappointment, Lily is not interested in finding a boyfriend and getting married. She wants to continue her education in STEM like her Aunt Judy, a human-computer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She wants to go to the Telegraph Club and see Tommy Andrews, a male impersonator. And as she develops feelings for her classmate, Kath, we see her discovering her sexual identity — one that is in direct opposition to her image of a “good Chinese girl”. Because a “good Chinese girl” is not queer and definitely not a Communist. Lo delicately examines Lily’s struggles with self-identity as a queer woman against the Chinese community’s struggles with combating xenophobia, and in turn, highlights the issue that every immigrant and person of color deals with — fitting in.

A beautiful story about self-discovery, first loves, and found family, this novel gives voice to those lost in history—queer Asian American women.

This book lived up to all of the hype. I was so invested in Lily and her journey. Very rarely have I rooted for two people so much. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Usually not a fan of historical novels but this one took me by suprise.i enjoyed it. The plot was amazing, the characters, were so good you get lost in the story and forget they aren't real. Definitely reccomend.

What a beautiful and powerful story. I hadn't read anything like this before and now I need more in my life. I was in tears by the time this story ended because I felt so deeply for the characters and their struggle. Very well done and I cannot wait to read what Lo publishes next.

Immersive and enthralling. Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu is a "good Chinese girl" in 1954 San Francisco who dreams of a career in rocket science like her aunt. But when she sees a promotion for an upcoming male impersonator at the Telegraph Club and a new friendship with classmate Kathleen MIller -who has been to the Telegraph Club- starts turning into something more a new Lily begins to emerge and must walk a balancing line between the two.

Stellar historical fiction for teen readers, with a coming-of-age theme and a heartfelt romance between two girls. Very deserving of the many accolades and awards it has received!

This was just an okay read for me. Nothing particularly special or anything. I think this author and her writing, for some reason, is always just okay for me since I've read her previous books years ago and I felt the same - just okay, nothing special.

However, the one thing that did stood out to me was the historical element and how the MC was an asian person who was trying to hide the fact that she was not straight, There were discussions about family expectations as well as the cultural differences as she navigated America during that time period. I found that super fascinating and could see why the MC was terrified about coming out to her family.

If it wasn't for that, I would've given this book 2* or even 1* because the writing and the plot was just mediocre and not particularly interesting.

3.5

This historical fiction book is set in 1950s in San Francisco following a young Chinese American girl as she discovers her identity as a lesbian and how there is no place in this world for a Chinese American and lesbian.

This author really did her research from using different Chinese dialects to historical landmarks and times. I really appreciated that and it really made the setting come to life. The characters were interesting however I found at times things were overly descriptive and I would start to get a little bored.

The characters were very well done. There was a wide variety of them and I really enjoyed the relationship between Kath and Lily. The ending was bittersweet it wasn’t a perfect ending but I also wasn’t a pile of tears on the floor.

I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I really appreciate the highlight of the LGBTQ community and the things that they faced in the 1950s. These are people alive today and some who are still struggling to find a place in this world. The struggles that Lily face discovering who she is while also struggling to find a place as a Chinese in America was very well done in this book.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.