Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

4 reviews

fkshg8465's review

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I liked it better than There, There, but it was emotionally draining to read. There were too many characters and storylines to get invested as deeply as I would’ve liked. Felt like the author was trying to cover way more ground than made sense for one book, or that it would’ve been a more successful effort if the book had been longer and taken more time to unravel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Cancer, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Gun violence, Addiction, Drug use, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Mental illness, War, Bullying, and Pandemic/Epidemic

nerp's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

WOW. I really enjoyed There There but Wandering Stars was INCREDIBLE. Prose, themes, structure, tone—truly incredible. I love Orange’s prose and how he structures his books. It so deeply impacts your experience with it. 

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!!

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Content Warnings

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

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Racism, Death, Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Mental illness, Grief, Child abuse, Colonisation, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Animal death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Ableism, Cancer, War, and Alcohol

Minor: Slavery, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Antisemitism, Car accident, Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Transphobia, Vomit, Body shaming, Rape, Racial slurs, Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Misogyny, Excrement, and Abandonment

ktdakotareads's review

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Grief, Cancer, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Abandonment, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Racism, Addiction, and Blood

Minor: Mass/school shootings and Gun violence