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kailaelders's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
This was excellent, it gave so much more context and meaning as a follow up to There, There. I love that it has two such distinct parts between the early lineage of this family and coming back to the aftermath of the powwow in the first book. It is dark and heavy and emotional, but also enlightening and heart-warming. I'm so impressed by not only Orange's skill at writing, but also his gift at crafting and interweaving so much symbolism, plot points, language, and pacing into a cohesive larger world. I think these little details are missing from a lot of other books I pick up and this easily filled that void. I also want to give a shout out to the brilliant yet subtle cover design, with its illustrations functioning as both the "Stars" of the family name/history, but also the bullet holes (both literal and the trauma and violence they represent). Read both of these books, but definitely check for trigger warnings beforehand!
Moderate: Drug use and Addiction
Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Suicidal thoughts
chrism6'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Colonisation and Cancer
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
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
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
amachonis'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
moon_peach'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
Just as heartbreaking as the first book. We start at the beginning great grandfather and we go through multiple generations. You see the cycle of trauma and substance abuse that each of them faces. I will say this ends more hopeful than There, There
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Self harm, Racism, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Pandemic/Epidemic
yourbookishbff'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? It's complicated
4.0
This read was ultimately not for me. It didn't stand alone easily, and I felt I was missing too much of There, There to really understand these big character jumps (requesting this ARC when I hadn't read There, There is ENTIRELY on me - I truly thought this would stand alone). I also don't love overwrought prose - sentences that are routinely paragraph-length run-ons remind me why I don't read as much lit fiction anymore. These are my own preferences, though, and I would still say this is an important and propulsive read that will likely be appreciated by those who loved There, There.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, Death, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Moderate: War, Sexual assault, and Cancer
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
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