Published: 2022
Series: Last Night at the Telegraph Club Companion
Author: Malinda Lo
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Fiction, Contemporary, Queer, Lesbian
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 9-12
Number of Stars: 5-Stars
Goodreads Link: A Scatter of Light
Triggers: Drinking, smoking
Review By: Wendy Scalfaro
Publisher’s Summary:
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.
And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, A Scatter of Light also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath’s lives since 1955.
Review:
If you enjoyed Lo’s Last Night at the Telegraph Club you’re going to love this companion novel. This coming-of-age story focuses on building close relationships between characters, while exploring themes of love, grief, regret, and forgiveness. My favorite part of A Scatter of Light is the relationship between Aria and her grandmother, a renowned artist who is grieving the loss of her beloved husband, a former scientist. Aria grows closer to her grandmother as she spends her summer sulking over bad choices and lamenting her absent mother. She also learns more about her late grandfather through his lecture tapes that she finds and spends her days watching. Not to be overlooked is the intense relationship that builds between Aria and Steph, a slightly older lesbian who happens to already be involved with another woman. Aria rediscovers her love of science, art, and photography while discovering her own sexuality. A Scatter of Light is a gorgeously written story that should be in every YA collection. 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.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- ELA / Literature: Perfect for analyzing coming-of-age character arcs, companion novel structures, first-person narrative styles, and the integration of personal and historical timelines.
- Social Studies / History: Ideal for exploring modern LGBTQ+ history, focusing on the social progress and historical context surrounding the first major Supreme Court decisions regarding gay marriage.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): Offers rich discussion points regarding identity exploration, self-discovery, processing grief and regret, and managing complex family dynamics and expectations.
- Art & Science: Connects beautifully to studies on how photography, creative expression, and science intersect as tools for coping with personal loss and understanding oneself.
Diversity & Representation:
This novel provides outstanding diversity, equity, and inclusion value. It centers on a Chinese-American protagonist navigating her biracial identity while depicting a vibrant, intergenerational, and working-class queer community in the Bay Area. It reflects different identities and lived experiences with deep empathy, authenticity, and historical nuance.
Readalikes:
- Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
