A Scatter of Light
by
Malinda Lo
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Penguin Random House
Imprint
Dutton
ISBN
9780525555285
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism , Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use , Language: Strong Language , Sexual Content: Sexual Harassment , Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes
Award-winning author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful coming-of-queer-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage. And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Lo’s new novel also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath’s lives since 1955.
Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha’s Vineyard with her best friends—one last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria’s parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother’s gardener. Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable—for Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It’s the kind of summer that changes a life forever.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism , Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco: Underage Use , Language: Strong Language , Sexual Content: Sexual Harassment , Sexual Content: Strong Sexual Content/Themes
Details
Format
Page Count
336
Trim Size
8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
0: points 0
Lexile
HL790L
Genre
Fic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Feb 2023
Book Genres
Realistic Fiction
Topics
Grandmothers. Lesbians. Same-sex marriage. LGBTQ. Chinese Americans. San Francisco, California.
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-Exiled to spend the summer with her grandmother in California after an incident at a graduation party, Aria Tang West expects a summer of boredom. Enter Steph Nichols, her grandmother's gardener, who befriends Aria and brings her into her circle of friends and the queer community to which they belong. The more time Aria spends with Steph, the more she questions her identity. Using the summer of 2013, when same-sex marriage became legal in California, as the backdrop, Lo here presents an excellent coming-of-age and coming out story. Characters are complicated and messy but in a realistic and relatable way. The story is driven by Aria's truthful narration, which is beautifully reflective of an 18-year-old at that time. Aria is biracial (Asian and white), with most other characters defined or cued as white. Although not a sequel to Last Night at the Telegraph Club, there is a glimpse into Lily and Kath's life since the events of that novel. VERDICT A must-have for any library collection.-Amanda Borgia?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Filled with stimulating nonfiction and can't-put-it-down fiction, this catetory is perfect for bridging the gap between young adult and adult reading. Take note: these 12 selections often contain mature situations and language that could be considered controversial.
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Interests
Diversity,Fiction,Mature Readers,LGBTQ+,Novels,Realistic Fiction
Grades 11 & Up
Mature Young Adults Plus
14 books per Year
$285.46 per Year
