Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

121 reviews

colormecaro's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

Ok so first up, I read this and There There chronologically, so:
1 - historical “before” part of Wandering Stars
2 - There There in its entirety
3 - Aftermath & Futures parts of Wandering Stars

I would thoroughly recommmend this way of reading the two books. If I hadn’t been able to follow on immediately after finishing There There, I think I would have rated it worse because it leaves quite a few questions at the end. 

Equally, while the historical part seems very short (and I would love to read it in more detail), it provides some very necessary context for the general feeling of displacement and lack of connection to native roots that ripples through both books. 

And while I still have some quarrels with the way Tommy Orange writes (a few more full stops instead of commas would have been nice), I loved how in Wandering Stars he focuses on fewer characters and gives them more depth. Something I was missing in There There. 

I also hope Tommy Orange will write a book focussing on Lony in the future. That character just made sense to me (I am a white European woman, so this is absolutely a tribute to Tommy Orange and his writing ability).

I know I critiqued the writing so it should only be 4.5 but I want this in my 5⭐️ reads because feelings wise, it definitely was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

orla_h's review against another edition

emotional informative tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Genocide

Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident

theangrylibrarian's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction

letsgolesbians's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mostephanitely's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Mass/school shootings, and Abandonment

skitch41's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug use

Moderate: Genocide, Self harm, and Colonisation

Minor: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts

cellio21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

katrinky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad

5.0

a book about addiction that was 5 stars for me?!?! I had a characteristically hard time during the Orvil and Sean drug chapters because I hate reading things from the view of addicts while they're high, but the context of generational trauma and generational addiction meant I could get distance and perspective on it that made me want to hang in and keep reading. every character was written deeply and fully; everyone was a main character. it took me a long time to read because it was not a pleasant story, but also because the writing is gorgeous and I wanted to pay attention.  EXTREMELY recommend. will read again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

shamelessbibliophile41's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction

patlo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts