Reviews with content warning for Deadnaming - Light from Uncommon Stars

I enjoyed reading this book; it was fun and mostly lighthearted even though it dealt with a good deal of bigotry and hate. i think Katrina was well-written; her fears and experiences were so relatable (sometimes too relatable) and even though I never went through anything as hard as she did, I could relate to some of what she went through just trying to exist and be herself.

The book does try to take on a lot, though; it tries to do sci-fi, fantasy, a refugee family fleeing an intergalactic war, and a trans runaway who wants to play violin. I’m not sure if it worked combining the spaceship and alien technology with demons and souls. But there were a lot of parts I liked, especially the depiction of the San Gabriel Valley and the diverse cultures and people all living their lives. The place seemed to come alive.

Overall, some elements of the story didn’t quite work and wrapped up a bit too neatly, but the story itself had a lot of heart and made me feel like maybe things will be alright.

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fionamclary's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

You wouldn't think that the three storylines of this book would come together well, but Ryka Aoki has meshed them so beautifully. This book is so full of joy and hope.

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emmambles's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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thenextbookdilemma's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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swashbuckling_mathematician's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

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agentmozell's review

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hopeful inspiring reflective

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

4.0

I had to take a bit after finishing the book before I could rate this.

Before I get into the story I listened to it as an audiobook and I did not care for the narrator. They were very soft spoken and breathy and they made it hard to listen to. I also think this would be best as a physical read because the POVs jump around a lot and sometimes it would be like wait “I’m in Shizuka’s POV now? No wait, Lan?” With no warning either.

Now for the story.

This made me so emotional in a lot of ways. I felt myself in tune with the characters as we learned more and more about them. This I would certainly classify as a bittersweet, everyone got their happiest ending sort.

The struggles of being trans is real, while most like to say they’re supportive it’s not always that easy. The creepiness (from perverts) and double standards that come along with being trans was executed well I think. The struggles Katrina faced were so real that it could be uncomfortable for others to read about.

Shizuka I wasn’t sure at first, but as we learned more about her and her trauma I fell in love with her more and more and got so stressed and sad about her potential ending.

Lan’s was hard to like and relate to at first (I mean she’s an alien), but now I’m just rooting for her and her newfound mission.

This was a great blend of sci-fi and fantasy that made me want donuts. I hope there’s a sequel or side story to tie up some open ends.

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eliotadrift's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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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blue_boy62's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This book definitely took me by surprise in a lot of ways. It’s got a really interesting mix of genres through its sci-fi and supernatural elements, and it’s a nice twist on a lot of different tropes. I loved the wide range of Asian cultures within it and how it depicted them through languages and food. I also really liked how it handled its queer and trans characters; it’s not afraid to show the messiness of our experiences/communities and has a balance of both the pain and joys we often face. I’m a sucker for the found family trope, and I really enjoyed it in this book. I was definitely invested in all the characters and how their stories intertwined. Overall, despite all the fantastical elements, at its core, the story is very human. It’s about connection, community, love, and the power of art, especially music, and it handles those themes beautifully. Definitely worth the read!

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