Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

342 reviews

popsicleplease's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Transphobia, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Gun violence

forestfloor's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.0

A read I really enjoyed, with a lot of creativity and complexity to the plot. However, I found that the complexity came across as hurried and almost chaotic. Katrina rising out of her situation to stardom, Shizuka's souls harvesting to make good on a deal with the devil, and Lan Tran and crew taking refuge from an intergalactic war by disguising themselves as doughnut shop owners could all very easily been enough plot for their own books. The interaction between these three stories is what made this read so great, but executing that density of plot in the space of the pages fell a little short for me. 

I also had qualms about the portrayal of Katrina's trans identity. I don't want to dismiss the authentic perspective Aoki writes from, a lot of it was very real. However, being trans myself, I found it painful to read how much of her identity is routed in self-hatred, rather than conviction in her gender. Constantly through the story, in a variety of scenarios, she responds immediately with self hatred and internalised transphobia. I started to struggle to resonate with her because of how constant and immediate it was: I would have potentially been more convinced by her character if there was more of a downward spiral in her thoughts to arrive there. I also found myself getting distracted from the plot because I  was wishing she would have moments of gender euphoria. I spent a lot of my time reading wishing she would catch a glimpse of herself and see herself as she is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia and Racism

crrieandrsn26's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I loved the parts with Shizuko and Katrina (and Astrid) and the parts with Lucy but the whole side story with Lan and her family felt very unnecessary and irrelevant.

I think I would have enjoyed it more and it would have carried more emotional weight if they were a normal immigrant family but the sci-fi/alien aspect really just didn’t work and felt very heavy handed and were the weakest points of the book.  

Not to mention making the comparison of a hologram girl “struggling to feel like she fits” with Katrina’s struggles that were very much based in reality felt more than a little side-eye inducing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Transphobia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

mandal1226's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

5.0

A tale filled with music, demons, and Aliens?! A must-read in the LGTBQ+ community, but a necessary read for every community.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Deadnaming

Even if you don’t know anything about classical music, and specifically violin lore, the story is so much bigger than that.

foxblood's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Rape, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Racism

dreamweaver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

There are some themes that weren't explored as in depth as I would've liked

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child abuse, and Rape

Minor: Outing

eni_iilorak's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Outing, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Transphobia

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Murder, Self harm, Bullying, Classism, and Homophobia

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Suicide

theirgracegrace's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Light From Uncommon Stars is a beautiful symphony from start to finish. Every pastiche-style chapter slowly develops the relationship between its three main characters: Shizuka Satomi, a violin teacher who needs to sacrifice one more student to Hell to be able to play again; Katrina Nguyen, a transgender woman escaping her transphobic and abusive family only to become Satomi's student; and Lan Tran, an alien refugee fleeing a galactic war with her family by pretending to be the owners of a donut shop. The prose reveals and hides at every moment, building to a powerful concert the night before Satomi's contract with Hell is up, and either she or Katrina has to die. The ending completely surprises and lends itself well to the book's themes of being oneself and sharing one's soul with the universe to stave off apathy and hate. Incredible book that I've recommended to everyone already!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Stalking, Violence, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Transphobia, Cursing, Death, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Rape, Deadnaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Blood, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

tristanklein's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Racial slurs

mpbookreviews's review against another edition

emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Racism, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Self harm