A review by pucksandpaperbacks
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo

CW: Death of a grandparent, stroke, medical content: scenes at a hospital and mention of loved one in the hospital; cheating, internalized homophobia & lesbophobia; sexual content; grief; toxic relationship. 
 

This was a phenomenal read. I'm so grateful to have been back in Malinda Lo's world. Set almost 60 years since The Last Night at the Telegraph Club, we follow Aria, a recent high school graduate spending the summer in San Francisco with her grandmother, Joan.

Aria's summer is not what she thought it would be. She was supposed to go to Martha's Vineyard with her friends but after a "scandal", she's sent to stay with her grandmother. With a queer awakening, first queer crush, and learning more about her family's history.

This is a love letter to art and queerness. This quickly became one of my favorite YA books of the year. It's sex-positive and was just a fun summer read overall. 

I will say, the only criticism I have is with 
Steph and Aria's relationship . I really hated the cheating part and wish it had gone a different way. I understand the author's intent of showing summer flings and the characters flaws. Like, it made a lot of sense to Steph's character, but I really hate when cheating is added to the plot. I also wish Steph's identity had been more fleshed out because as she mentions she doesn't feel like a girl, I would've liked some more clarity on that because it just felt misgendering. I would've liked to have an epilogue or novella seeing where Steph is now, 10 years later.