ok, so obviously I really enjoyed this. I love that this book will make young queer folk aware of the impact that lesbian pulp fiction had on lesbian life, then, and now. I have the privilege of already knowing about lesbian pulp fiction through women's studies courses I took in my undergrad, but this novel is so much more accessible to people, no matter their age, than a $20,000 university degree.
This could be a possible spoiler, but I feel like it's more of an assurance, so I'm not gonna mark it, but there is something to be said for a book by, about, and for queer women. A lot of the novel talks about how lesbian pulp fiction had to end in tragedy, because of the times. I'm not sure what the timeline is on this, but lesbian pulp fictions are a huge example of what we now call "bury your gays." This changes, not just because it's 2019 and (some) stigma has changed, but also because it's a novel by, about, and for, queer women/folk.
Why haven't I rated it 5/5? This is purely personal/aesthetic choices. The writing was good, but nothing to get excited about. And the characters were good, and I cried, but I never connect in ways that I'd like to when there is a duel-timeline/perspective. This together, despite the third person POV throughout, it didn't smooth the transitions, and it often took me out-of-story when I would pick the book down and pick it back up the next day.
I still highly recommend this book. There still aren't enough lesbian books out there compared to all the books about gay men. It also might teach you something.