Last Night at the Telegraph Club Winner of the National Book Award, Young People's Literature 2021

That was great! Such a good book, especially in winter, because the story mostly takes place during winter holidays. Full of emotions, great depiction of teenage feelings and thoughts. Loved it!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a coming-of-age story about finding peace between conflicting identities: In the 1950's, Lily Hu learns to navigate life between her conservative Chinese family and the alluring discovery of the underground LGBTQ+ nightlife in San Francisco. Not only is it a tender love story and an exciting journey to oneself, but the book also reveals the issues Chinese immigrants faced in the US (i.e. racism, accusations of sympathising with communists) and the social pressure to not stand out in the community. With beautifully crafted language this book draws the reader in and doesn't let go until the very last page. Definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year.

I love every single page of this book with my whole heart. It is such a great interesting comfort read that I LOVE SO MUCH!!!

“Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to have nothing keeping you attached to the ground?” This book is an absolute dream of a YA novel set in 1960s San Francisco and weaves a captivating tale that intertwines elements of queer American history and Chinese consumerism in the USA. Malinda Lo masterfully crafts a magical and engrossing addition to queer literature. The protagonist, Lily, is such a kind and admirable soul in the way she endures all of the outside voices criticizing her sexuality, her family and her ethnicity. When she meets Kat, it feels like she’s finally found someone who understands her and with whom she can share everything with. Yet the challenges of the era complicate their pursuit of happiness…

As someone with Asian roots, lots of self doubt and a queer identity, this book was healing. I definitely recommend it to anyone who questions about their orientation/identity. It was also great for me to see that queer Asian-Americans get more visible!