Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

45 reviews

mollymdull's review against another edition

dark hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Racism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Suicide

rsoccer70's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Similar to how I encountered Tommy Orange's debut novel, I listened to the audiobook of this one - about 1/3 of which is prequel to his first work while the other 2/3 is a sequel which picks up after the tragic ending of "There There." I appreciate how Orange weaves together the history of Indians in America with the modern experiences of urban Indians - specifically Oakland, CA. The past part of the story focused on the de-humanization and de-culturalization caused by the Indian schools of the late 19th & early 20th centuries. Once the family lineage story moves ahead to the grandma of the three brothers from "There There," much of the story becomes about the opioid use and abuse of the oldest of the trio. His addiction is drawn vividly and I imagine with authenticity. Although the plot feels thinner than his first novel, Orange here has a more mature voice - especially as he breaths life in to the family at the center of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

colormecaro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ok so first up, I read this and There There chronologically, so:
1 - historical “before” part of Wandering Stars
2 - There There in its entirety
3 - Aftermath & Futures parts of Wandering Stars

I would thoroughly recommmend this way of reading the two books. If I hadn’t been able to follow on immediately after finishing There There, I think I would have rated it worse because it leaves quite a few questions at the end. 

Equally, while the historical part seems very short (and I would love to read it in more detail), it provides some very necessary context for the general feeling of displacement and lack of connection to native roots that ripples through both books. 

And while I still have some quarrels with the way Tommy Orange writes (a few more full stops instead of commas would have been nice), I loved how in Wandering Stars he focuses on fewer characters and gives them more depth. Something I was missing in There There. 

I also hope Tommy Orange will write a book focussing on Lony in the future. That character just made sense to me (I am a white European woman, so this is absolutely a tribute to Tommy Orange and his writing ability).

I know I critiqued the writing so it should only be 4.5 but I want this in my 5⭐️ reads because feelings wise, it definitely was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Genocide, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

orla_h's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Genocide

Moderate: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident

letsgolesbians's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Colonisation, Genocide, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Racism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, and Pregnancy

skitch41's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Addiction

Moderate: Genocide, Colonisation, and Self harm

Minor: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts

katrinky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

5.0

a book about addiction that was 5 stars for me?!?! I had a characteristically hard time during the Orvil and Sean drug chapters because I hate reading things from the view of addicts while they're high, but the context of generational trauma and generational addiction meant I could get distance and perspective on it that made me want to hang in and keep reading. every character was written deeply and fully; everyone was a main character. it took me a long time to read because it was not a pleasant story, but also because the writing is gorgeous and I wanted to pay attention.  EXTREMELY recommend. will read again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Physical abuse, and Colonisation

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Cancer, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Violence

lizmart88's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I loved There There and was excited about this sequel. I had a lot of trouble getting into this novel. The ancestor backstories were interesting, but they felt so disconnected from the rest of the novel. I was impatient to get back to the characters of There There to see how they were doing. Part of me wishes the ancestor stories were more interspersed with the present day. When we got to the present day, I really enjoyed the stories, even as they broke my heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Drug use

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Colonisation

sydlio's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault