Scan barcode
ukponge's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Colonisation
pocketfulofprinting's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Addiction and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Cancer
cheazcakeguy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I like that this book focused in on fewer characters - the Red Feather family specifically, some of my favorite characters from the first book. It spends more time with each character, and as a result their struggles and triumphs are more impactful. This book has similar themes to There There, but focuses a lot more on family dynamics in the face of adversity (without getting too spoilery, it deals a lot with addiction and violence, as well as illness). There were so many moments in this book that I resonated with emotionally - highs and lows. The internal monologues of the characters were often so forthright and confessional, like they are pouring their hearts out to the reader, with run-on sentences as they struggle to find the words to articulate their feelings, like someone might do when trying to confide in a therapist, journal, or friend. Yet Orange always finds the right words, and when they hit you they hit hard and deep. And the characters are so relatable in their struggles and feelings and insecurities, you can't help but love and root for them all.
My only real gripe about the book is with the pace. While I liked learning about the Red Feather family history, the pace felt a little uneven in roughly the middle third of the book. This is also a really heavy and emotionally devastating book (as is There There), so make sure you're in the right headspace before diving in.
I just discovered this author, but I can't wait to see what he does next. I think his books are for everyone and should be read by everyone.
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Minor: Alcoholism, Genocide, and War
nerp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This isn’t a plot heavy book, particularly in part one, but the telling of the ancestors was vital to the telling and the whole point. It’s about intergenerational trauma and the lineage of addiction as a coping mechanism for experiencing unbelievable violence. Each story reinforces those. You can read it without There There, although it’s technically a sequel.
Also, the audio is a delight!!
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, and Grief
Moderate: Dementia, Blood, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Genocide, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Medical content, Dysphoria, and Gun violence
lillianreadsalot's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Mass/school shootings
caitgiam's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
ninjamuse's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Self harm, Genocide, and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
author2223's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
january_one's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Cancer, Colonisation, and Alcoholism
lvleggett's review
- 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
4.0
First, Orange takes us back a few generations to when things initially shifted for the family. A massacre of a Shawnee village sends Jude Star on the run. He and the generations that follow are wandering through the world, separated from who they once were and unsure how or if they can get back to it.
As with There, There, the narrative takes on the POVs of the different characters. Wandering Stars is a more reflective book. Plenty of plot, centered on the newest generation of Stars in modern-day America, but with a strong internal dialogue that brings us deep into the experiences of these characters. This book explores how you figure out who you are in a world that has sought to eradicate your family, history and culture across hundreds of years. Yet you exist. We meet characters across the generations who are striving to hold onto what's been lost, to reclaim & rediscover, and to define the future for themselves.
Orange writes young men especially with such precision and care. I can see many generations of readers connecting with their struggles and joys.
Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Racism, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent