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whirl's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
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
5.0
Such a lovely and beautiful book. I don’t know the first thing about violins or classical music but the book isn’t any less accessible or enjoyable because of it. The main characters are all amazingly strong women, all in their own field of expertise and with their own unique talent; and also with their own unique struggle to overcome
I can’t even begin to describe how weird the combination of scifi / classical music is, but at the same time it totally works here and just makes sense - until you try to explain the book to someone else and it really stops making sense.. so just read it to find out for yourself
It makes you both love and hate the world we live in and the people in it, but also shows that by being kind yourself to the people you meet even if it seems just basic courtesy to you, can make a big difference. I think that’s my main take away from the book: be kind, you don’t know what anyone else is struggling with so why not take a chance on improving their day even a little bit where you can. And find the right people to connect with and stick with them and take care of each other like family
I can’t even begin to describe how weird the combination of scifi / classical music is, but at the same time it totally works here and just makes sense - until you try to explain the book to someone else and it really stops making sense.. so just read it to find out for yourself
It makes you both love and hate the world we live in and the people in it, but also shows that by being kind yourself to the people you meet even if it seems just basic courtesy to you, can make a big difference. I think that’s my main take away from the book: be kind, you don’t know what anyone else is struggling with so why not take a chance on improving their day even a little bit where you can. And find the right people to connect with and stick with them and take care of each other like family
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Transphobia
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Religious bigotry, War, and Xenophobia
just_one_more_paige's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was marketed as aliens/space and violins and donuts and queer and bargains with demons, honestly, there's nothing there I don't love (or, in the case of the demon-bargains, I at least love reading about them - the demon was my favorite part of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, as you know). So. This was promptly added to my TBR list and here is its moment!
Shizuka Satomi is known as the Queen of Hell, having made a deal with a demon, she must now trade seven souls (violin prodigy souls) to save her own. Katrina Nguyen is a young transgender girl, a runaway, whose violin playing in a park caught Satomi's ear. Satomi only needs to deliver one more soul and Katrina is willing to trade almost anything for a safe home and, in this case, a chance to learn under Satomi's tutelage. It's a perfect match. Except for an interstellar refugee, Lan Tran, whose donut shop and eyes full of stars, along with Katrina's unorthodox musical choices, cause Satomi to realize that maybe there is another option, and the lives of these three women (plus, a few wonderful additional female side characters) become intertwined in a way that just might thwart fate.
This was a much more lyrical, slower-paced story, than I had expected. For some reason, I had a fast-paced space adventure story in mind, but instead got an earth-based reflective music and self-discovery journey story, that was so much more soul-touching (pun intended) than I had been prepared for. In the best way. I will say that, if you plan to listen to the audiobook, I would recommend having the physical copy around as reference, because it felt a bit jumpy to listen to. The style of writing is lots of short sections and there is not a clear indicator for the transitions in the audio. So, with the character in focus changing that often, I found that, if my attention wandered even a little, I would lose track of the thread of who we were following. It got easier as I got to know the characters better, but wanted to give a heads up.
On to the story itself. First, it’s just one of the most unique setups for a story that I’ve ever read: a soul-stealing demon agreement with violin prodigies, a trans runaway looking for a better future, an intergalactic family running a donut shop…like, what?! Who thinks to put those things together? I love it! And past that, this is one of the most quietly tender and compassionate novels I’ve ever read. There is no shying away from how terrible the world, and people, can be – no disingenuity on that front – but past that, the softness and warmth I felt from most of the main characters’ interactions with each other was unmatched. Honestly, even past the main characters, to the rest of the phenomenal supporting female cast, like Shizuka’s housekeeper Astrid, Lan’s Auntie Floresta and daughter Shirley, and the violin-repairer Lucy…there was such a depth of feminine support, facing myriad challenges: being a trans women, being a woman in a male-dominated field, being a refugee, being an AI woman. The levels of acceptance here spread both wide and deep, fully intertwined, with gorgeous recognition of the ways that moving through the difficult reality of survival can become a skill and a benefit, giving something beautiful to the person just like any other skill or trait (though with its attendant self-consciousness and concern as well, in equal measure, like everything else in the world). Honestly, Aoki writes with such lovely insight into the human condition and it, like I said, warmed the soul of this reader.
I also must mention the profound reverence in the writing for the things that make a person feel safe and whole. Specifically, there is a heartfelt highlighting of the immeasurable and undefinable things that make music (violin) and food (primarily donuts) something special. The appeal to the senses, the way music and food can make you truly feel through sound and taste, was written with a precision and appreciation that I’ve rarely seen. The way Aoki is able to convey the power and pull of (especially) music through words is…stunning. One of the best parts of this overall wonderful novel.
There was so much heart in the pages of this book. I am having a hard time expressing how much it meant to me, and I am not trans, not a musician, not a baker/cook, not a (literal) alien refugee. But I have feelings, and Aoki wrote a story that is impossible to not connect with emotionally. If you want to read something that fully embodies the sense/feeling of belonging, this is it.
“But Hell favored people who recognized their brilliance, who believed they deserved success, would have success, were it not for a flaw, a disadvantage they could never overcome. […] What made each of them right for Hell was their need for a lie, a façade so powerful, so intoxicating, that they could believe it themselves.”
“But now there was understanding. And with understanding, all things were possible.”
“Tomorrow is tomorrow. Over there is over there. And here and now is not a bad place and time to be, especially when so much of the unknown is beautiful.”
“One does not play memories of music; one plays music itself. And lifetimes, from beginning to end, are as sheet of music, ready to be played.”
“It’s more than my hands It’s my body. Everything it’s been through, everything it’s felt. It’s all part of the way I play. Sure, it’s not perfect, but it’s mine. That’s good, isn’t it?”
“…what matters is not the body, but who inhabits it.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Outing, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Deadnaming, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Bullying
Minor: Murder, Domestic abuse, and Death
moonytoast's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I fell in love with Light from Uncommon Stars a mere two minutes into my listening to the audiobook. I absolutely adore the narrator, Cindy Kay, who has such an airy quality to their voice that just feels like I’m hearing the internal monologue of the characters or like being told a story by a close friend. It suits the writing style very well and really brings the words to life in a way that elevates the story, which can be difficult given the weird aspects of the story and isn’t always the case with audiobook productions.
The narrative structure is third-person limited and primarily switches between the three main characters—Shizuka Satomi, Katrina Nguyen, and Lan Tran—which gives us the space to really learn and understand these characters, their dreams and motivations. Accompanied by Aoki's gorgeous and melodic writing, the story manages to seamlessly switch between point of views mid-chapter or, in some cases, mid-paragraph. Even with a single narrator, Cindy Kay does a solid job of distinguishing these characters, especially within their dialogue.
In my experience, books that don’t stick to one singular point of view can fall flat in one particular way. This is when one character is far less interesting than the others and readers then get tired of their narration, when they could be spending more time with characters that are more interesting and engaged in more interesting plots. (A primary example: The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan.) Ryka Aoki deftly avoids this by creating three genuinely compelling characters at the center of this story that gradually become entangled with each other’s lives.
The real standout character is, undoubtedly, Katrina Nguyen, a down-on-her-luck violinist with no formal training who has run away from her abusive family that mistreats her because of the fact that she's trans. When Shizuka finds her playing Schradieck at the park, Katrina is couch-surfing at a former friend's place that's not all it's cracked up to be... which she only leaves once her violin is stolen and sold to a pawn shop by that friend. This is a character who has endured so much pain and suffering at the hands of strangers and supposed loved ones alike. We see how that trauma and internalized transphobia has impacted her... the way she constantly apologizes almost on instinct, the way she continuously questions how okay Shizuka really is with the fact she's trans, the way she has one foot out the door in case she makes even the tiniest mistake. The writing along with the narration make the reader's experience of the character incredibly visceral: mumbling and stumbling over her words in a constant state of vigilant fear, dripping with the anxiety wrought by past trauma. This makes her growth and the culmination of her character arc at the Golden Friendship Violin Competition all the more impactful.
I also love the dynamic built between Shizuka and Katrina. Shizuka went from choosing Katrina as her seventh student with the full intention of giving her soul over to Tremon Philippe in order to save her own soul and her music—to willingly sacrificing herself for Katrina. Not because of Katrina's music, but simply because she wants Katrina to live. She loves this girl as though she's her own child and would give anything for her. At the end, you can feel Shizuka's pride in her final student bleed off the pages.
The real standout character is, undoubtedly, Katrina Nguyen, a down-on-her-luck violinist with no formal training who has run away from her abusive family that mistreats her because of the fact that she's trans. When Shizuka finds her playing Schradieck at the park, Katrina is couch-surfing at a former friend's place that's not all it's cracked up to be... which she only leaves once her violin is stolen and sold to a pawn shop by that friend. This is a character who has endured so much pain and suffering at the hands of strangers and supposed loved ones alike. We see how that trauma and internalized transphobia has impacted her... the way she constantly apologizes almost on instinct, the way she continuously questions how okay Shizuka really is with the fact she's trans, the way she has one foot out the door in case she makes even the tiniest mistake. The writing along with the narration make the reader's experience of the character incredibly visceral: mumbling and stumbling over her words in a constant state of vigilant fear, dripping with the anxiety wrought by past trauma. This makes her growth and the culmination of her character arc at the Golden Friendship Violin Competition all the more impactful.
I also love the dynamic built between Shizuka and Katrina. Shizuka went from choosing Katrina as her seventh student with the full intention of giving her soul over to Tremon Philippe in order to save her own soul and her music—to willingly sacrificing herself for Katrina. Not because of Katrina's music, but simply because she wants Katrina to live. She loves this girl as though she's her own child and would give anything for her. At the end, you can feel Shizuka's pride in her final student bleed off the pages.
I can't say this book is for everyone. Some may find the plot sparse, pacing slow, and the narrative meandering. After all, this feels less like a fun contemporary sci-fi/fantasy romp and more an intensively earnest character study tucked into a fascinating world... but it's one of the best speculative fiction books I've ever read.
It's a meditation on resiliency, transformation, and the importance of a life. This is best encompassed in Shizuka's internal monologue during her final performance on Earth before Tremon intends to claim her soul:
With no need for a beginning, nor any reason to end, the music continues. And so, no matter who you are, where you came from, what sins you have committed or hurt you have endured... when you are alone and there is no universe left to remember you.
You can always, always rewrite your song.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Racism, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Xenophobia
Minor: Death
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: Abuse, transphobia/homophobia, sexual assault/rape, self-harm, misgendering/deadnaming, sex work/survival sex, death, runaway homeless youth, racism
"That's what you look for. A friend face. A supportive glance. That's whom you hold on to. That's whom you play to when on stage. It doesn't change a terrible situation, but it can help you survive it."
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki WA a whirlwind of scifi, fantasy, and an ode to trans pain and resilience. This book was so fantastic! The descriptions were delicious, the character moments warm and fuzzy, and it had an unreal amount of diversity.
The story is told from several different perspectives. This was hard to follow at first since the POVs change with each page break instead of from chapter to chapter, so you have three or four pov changes in one chapter. Once I got used to that, it actually felt more efficient. The main characters we follow are: Shizuka Satomi, a world renowned violinist and instructor who has sold her soul to a demon and to get it back must sacrifice the souls of seven other musicians; Katrina Nguyen, an runaway trans girl who has taught herself violin and lives a life of survival and pain; and Lan Tran, an alien space captain running a donut shop. Are you not intrigued?
Satomi's next soul is set to be Katrina, when she finds her in a park bench and invites her back to her home and offers to be her teacher, to the astonishment (and derision) of the classical music community. They are a bit (a lot) elitist. Katrina keeps expecting to be mistreated by everyone, because she is trans, and we see her struggle with her self image. I loved the way Katrina and Satomi's relationship developed. It was very mother/daughter, and Satomi did what I wanted to do for Katrina, which is to wrap her in a blanket, show her she's worthy, and protect her from the world. And then Satomi falls for donut lady, Lan. That romance is so cute! I love seeing a Romance plot for middle aged women instead of only for young people.
Aoki's writing is so beautiful and lyrical. The way she described music as memory, and the feeling you get when you smell a good yeast donut was exquisite! Every word made you feel something. Aoki has a lot of themes about the pain and resilience of trans women and how they have to navigate the world. We also have themes about self love and accepting yourself for who you are, flaws and all. The story is really about finding your voice in order to allow yourself to heal. Though there is a lot of pain in this book, it also comes with a healthy dose of hope, and reminds us to look for the friendly faces and supportive glances. You just have to look up.
"That's what you look for. A friend face. A supportive glance. That's whom you hold on to. That's whom you play to when on stage. It doesn't change a terrible situation, but it can help you survive it."
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki WA a whirlwind of scifi, fantasy, and an ode to trans pain and resilience. This book was so fantastic! The descriptions were delicious, the character moments warm and fuzzy, and it had an unreal amount of diversity.
The story is told from several different perspectives. This was hard to follow at first since the POVs change with each page break instead of from chapter to chapter, so you have three or four pov changes in one chapter. Once I got used to that, it actually felt more efficient. The main characters we follow are: Shizuka Satomi, a world renowned violinist and instructor who has sold her soul to a demon and to get it back must sacrifice the souls of seven other musicians; Katrina Nguyen, an runaway trans girl who has taught herself violin and lives a life of survival and pain; and Lan Tran, an alien space captain running a donut shop. Are you not intrigued?
Satomi's next soul is set to be Katrina, when she finds her in a park bench and invites her back to her home and offers to be her teacher, to the astonishment (and derision) of the classical music community. They are a bit (a lot) elitist. Katrina keeps expecting to be mistreated by everyone, because she is trans, and we see her struggle with her self image. I loved the way Katrina and Satomi's relationship developed. It was very mother/daughter, and Satomi did what I wanted to do for Katrina, which is to wrap her in a blanket, show her she's worthy, and protect her from the world. And then Satomi falls for donut lady, Lan. That romance is so cute! I love seeing a Romance plot for middle aged women instead of only for young people.
Aoki's writing is so beautiful and lyrical. The way she described music as memory, and the feeling you get when you smell a good yeast donut was exquisite! Every word made you feel something. Aoki has a lot of themes about the pain and resilience of trans women and how they have to navigate the world. We also have themes about self love and accepting yourself for who you are, flaws and all. The story is really about finding your voice in order to allow yourself to heal. Though there is a lot of pain in this book, it also comes with a healthy dose of hope, and reminds us to look for the friendly faces and supportive glances. You just have to look up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Self harm
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child death, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicide
Fetishization of trans women and women of color. Deadnaming in only one scene. Assault briefly on-page, but mostly implied/discussed; mild sexual content in the form of camming and sex work. Use of transphobic/homophobic, racial, and ableist slurs, both reclaimed and otherwise.dealingwithdragons's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Trafficking, War, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Outing, Murder, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Drug use, Deadnaming, Cultural appropriation, and Alcoholism
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I sometimes find it hard to write reviews of books that I loved, and I REALLY loved this one.
Light from Uncommon Stars is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. It seamlessly mixes aliens, donuts, music, Southern California, and deals with hell into a story about family and identity and trans self-acceptance. None of the pieces of this story should work together, and yet all of them do.
I loved Shizuka and Lan’s angsty but ultimately sweet and straightforward relationship. I loved the explorations of family legacy and gendered generational trauma and how easily parents can hurt their children without even knowing it.
Olive Garden played a weirdly important role in this book?
All of this makes Light from Uncommon Stars sound sweet and bizarre and cozy and comforting, and it is all of those things. It’s also extremely heavy. One of the main characters, Katrina Nguyen, is a trans teenage girl who runs away from home and gets caught up in the schemes of violin teacher Shizuka Satomi, the Queen of Hell. Katrina deals with a LOT of transphobia in this book, from misgendering to actual physical violence, and her gender dysphoria is also described pretty graphically.
I would not consider this an easy read, so please make sure you can handle the content, particularly the transphobia, if you’re going to read it, but this book is absolutely a new favorite for me, and I highly, HIGHLY recommended it.
Light from Uncommon Stars is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. It seamlessly mixes aliens, donuts, music, Southern California, and deals with hell into a story about family and identity and trans self-acceptance. None of the pieces of this story should work together, and yet all of them do.
I loved Shizuka and Lan’s angsty but ultimately sweet and straightforward relationship. I loved the explorations of family legacy and gendered generational trauma and how easily parents can hurt their children without even knowing it.
Olive Garden played a weirdly important role in this book?
All of this makes Light from Uncommon Stars sound sweet and bizarre and cozy and comforting, and it is all of those things. It’s also extremely heavy. One of the main characters, Katrina Nguyen, is a trans teenage girl who runs away from home and gets caught up in the schemes of violin teacher Shizuka Satomi, the Queen of Hell. Katrina deals with a LOT of transphobia in this book, from misgendering to actual physical violence, and her gender dysphoria is also described pretty graphically.
I would not consider this an easy read, so please make sure you can handle the content, particularly the transphobia, if you’re going to read it, but this book is absolutely a new favorite for me, and I highly, HIGHLY recommended it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Child abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Racism, Deadnaming, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Xenophobia, Self harm, Bullying, Violence, Murder, Domestic abuse, and War
Additional content warnings for transphobic slurs and mentions of plague.sarah984's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
This book has a lot of disparate elements (violin history and culture, refugee experience, trying to find community as a multiply marginalized person, LA food culture, aliens, demons and more) but ties them all together in a way that kept me engaged. The characters were mostly great, and while the author is realistic about the difficulties in our world today it also carries both defiance and hope. I like the way history is presented in the book where change over time is noted and discussed without putting the old against the new.
One of the plot lines wrapped up a little weird and there was a strange dig at vegans near the beginning that felt crueler than the rest of the content but it wasn't a big enough issue to make me drop a star.
One of the plot lines wrapped up a little weird and there was a strange dig at vegans near the beginning that felt crueler than the rest of the content but it wasn't a big enough issue to make me drop a star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Transphobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Outing
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Death, and Murder
teo_rodas's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book left me in utter despair, immediate favorite. So incredibly beautiful. So unspeakably human. So resounding and comforting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, War, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Misogyny, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexism, and Self harm
sknappy1's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Sexual content, Deadnaming, Bullying, Body shaming, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse