*this review contains spoilers*
I must begin this review with the disclaimer that this will be a completely biased review, as I am actually obsessed with Malinda Lo’s books. The chokehold that Malinda Lo’s work has on me is insane so please be warned that I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. As a queer Asian American woman in STEM, this book (much like Last Night at the Telegraph Club) was everything I never knew I needed in my life and much more.
It’s so hard to put into words how strongly I feel about this book. Everything that happened between the beginning of this book right up until the last page felt so organic and natural to me. I was immediately drawn in by the friendship between Aria and Steph that had quickly blossomed into something more. Their secret moments together were so sweet, although short and fleeting, and I kept wanting more of them as I read on. The messiness of the relationship between Steph and Lisa was so raw and real. It was so confusing to want to root for Steph and Aria to end up together, even though I knew it wasn’t completely ‘right’. Although a part of me is torn that Aria and Steph didn’t end up together, I feel like it was all justified. Their ‘breakup’ could’ve been more heartbreaking and earth shattering, but I am very grateful that Malinda spared us that pain. I did have to step back and realize that Aria WAS so young and still had so much growing to do from where Steph let her go. I can wholeheartedly appreciate the gentleness and tenderness that I could feel between them until their end.
On a brighter note, finding out that Lily & Kath got married had me in tears. I was actually obsessed with their relationship in LNATTC and could not stop wondering about them, even months after I had finished that book. I can’t put into words how grateful I am that Malinda Lo let us know how they ended up and what had happened since we last heard of them in LNATTC.
My heart feels so full after reading this book. Once I heard that Malinda Lo was coming out with a new book, I had hyped it up in my head so much that I was afraid I wouldn’t love it as much as I had expected to. This book absolutely exceeded all the expectations that I had for it. I am so grateful to have won an ARC for this book and to have gotten to read it before its official drop date. I personally thought this book was absolutely amazing and I am completely beside myself with how much I adore this work. Thank you so much to Malinda Lo, for making me feel so seen within your works and for giving your readers yet another stunning book.
I must begin this review with the disclaimer that this will be a completely biased review, as I am actually obsessed with Malinda Lo’s books. The chokehold that Malinda Lo’s work has on me is insane so please be warned that I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. As a queer Asian American woman in STEM, this book (much like Last Night at the Telegraph Club) was everything I never knew I needed in my life and much more.
It’s so hard to put into words how strongly I feel about this book. Everything that happened between the beginning of this book right up until the last page felt so organic and natural to me. I was immediately drawn in by the friendship between Aria and Steph that had quickly blossomed into something more. Their secret moments together were so sweet, although short and fleeting, and I kept wanting more of them as I read on. The messiness of the relationship between Steph and Lisa was so raw and real. It was so confusing to want to root for Steph and Aria to end up together, even though I knew it wasn’t completely ‘right’. Although a part of me is torn that Aria and Steph didn’t end up together, I feel like it was all justified. Their ‘breakup’ could’ve been more heartbreaking and earth shattering, but I am very grateful that Malinda spared us that pain. I did have to step back and realize that Aria WAS so young and still had so much growing to do from where Steph let her go. I can wholeheartedly appreciate the gentleness and tenderness that I could feel between them until their end.
On a brighter note, finding out that Lily & Kath got married had me in tears. I was actually obsessed with their relationship in LNATTC and could not stop wondering about them, even months after I had finished that book. I can’t put into words how grateful I am that Malinda Lo let us know how they ended up and what had happened since we last heard of them in LNATTC.
My heart feels so full after reading this book. Once I heard that Malinda Lo was coming out with a new book, I had hyped it up in my head so much that I was afraid I wouldn’t love it as much as I had expected to. This book absolutely exceeded all the expectations that I had for it. I am so grateful to have won an ARC for this book and to have gotten to read it before its official drop date. I personally thought this book was absolutely amazing and I am completely beside myself with how much I adore this work. Thank you so much to Malinda Lo, for making me feel so seen within your works and for giving your readers yet another stunning book.