Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - Wandering Stars

I was excited to hear that Tommy Orange was releasing a new book in 2024 after reading his debut novel, THERE, THERE, in 2019. I enjoyed THERE, THERE but wasn't wowed. I thought WANDERING STARS was a much more cohesive book; the characters weren't exactly developed in a lot of detail, but their personalities were somehow still clear to me, and their inner monologues, emotional pain, etc., felt sincere.

WANDERING STARS follows multiple generations of a family navigating their Native American heritage and identity, individual and generational traumas, and addiction. Opal, one of the grandmothers, tries desperately to keep her family stable and together through it all as the poverty and addictions of the generations before her continue to follow the family. It can get a little difficult to follow all of the POVs—some in first-person and others in third—but the story is beautifully written, heartbreaking at parts, and an important historical analysis tackling the impact of boarding schools, colonization, and more on Native American bloodlines.

*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

"I thought maybe there was some looped aspect to people partying at the lake, then ending up at the rehab at the lake, then relapsing and partying again on the lake like some hell in paradise or paradise in hell. That's what addiction had always felt like, like the best little thing you'd forget on the worst day possible, or the worst big thing on a day in a life you thought kept getting better because you kept getting high."

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ktdakotareads's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.75

Thanks to AA Knopf for the free copy of this book.

- I knew Orange would break my heart with WANDERING STARS, and he sure did.
- Orange expands on the legacy of colonization and the generational traumas that stem from it, showing different ways they manifested throughout the decades.
- Orange’s writing is so gorgeous, the kind of writing that you can’t imagine being done any other way.
- I reread THERE THERE immediately before this one, and am happy to report that the anti-fat bias in the first book is almost entirely gone.

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mmccombs's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

There There was a book that got me back into reading, so you can imagine how excited I was to read Orange’s sophomore novel, Wandering Stars. As I expected, the writing was wonderful, crackling with life and humor and sorrow, distinct in voice and style.

The first third, the more historical fiction aspect to this novel, was a full 5 stars from me. I loved how the characters connected (and chronologically! Thank you!) and how distinct their voices felt while keeping a familial thread throughout. The themes here of historical trauma and resilience, of surviving and passing down stories, were so clear and well crafted. It is very impressive that this is both a prequel and a sequel at once, but I mostly think it should have just been the former. While I did enjoy coming back to these characters, adding a sequel to what felt like a wholly complete novel is perhaps too much of a good thing, a wonderful story to return to but also treading a lot of the same ground we have already covered. It didn’t feel fresh, I was unfairly comparing it to the 1st novel, and I found the wrap up at the end (“where are they now??”) to be a bit neat.

On the whole, there is so much to love here and I leave this knowing Tommy Orange is an instant-buy author, hoping more people will find and love his work. The first part worked much more for me, but I can’t say no to a compelling character-driven novel!

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the eARC!

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heyreadingpants's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

Book review: Wandering Stars

by Tommy Orange

4⭐️

I was so happy to see a follow up to There, There - a book that shocked me by the suddenness of the ending. Wandering Stars both picks up where we left off - with Opal, Jacquie, Orvil, Loother and Lony after the events of the powwow - and takes us back to trace their family through generations.

The historical sections - which were about a third of the book - quickly traced the family from the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado through prisons and residential schools that forced Native folks to assimilate. I wish this section of the book had lasted longer and had more detail - it was a story I’ve never seen told before and told really well.

Once we return to the modern contingent of the family, we see the effect of trauma play out in as many ways as there are characters. We see the choices and impacts of addiction, and how addiction can feel like not a choice at all. Characters throughout both sections make choices that make you want to jump into the story to stop them, they’re that bad. And usually you can see their why, see what made them choose their path. It’s a tough read and a good read.

I loved Opal. I think she will stick with me the most.

Wandering Stars mixes awful, realistic, depressing events and character development with just the smallest bit of hope.

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skudiklier's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

It's hard to overstate how excited I was for this book; There There has been one of my favorites ever since I read it, and I've been checking for news of its sequel for so long now. When I found out I could read it on Netgalley it was the highlight of my week.

That said, this didn't disappoint at all. I will admit it took me a bit to get into it, given how different the first third or so is from There There. But I trusted Tommy Orange and his process, and I found the entirety of the book engaging, even if it took me longer to read the beginning.

I read the last two thirds of this book all in one day, and basically couldn't put it down. I love the way it balances hard depressing real-world shit with love and hope for the future. The characters here go through so much, and at times it can be really hard to read, but I don't think it should have been written any other way. It's a great sequel and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

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