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laguerrelewis's review against another edition
- 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
the other violin will sound the note”
—Say Yes, Andrea Gibson
Light From Uncommon Stars is difficult to distill. A plot synopsis often leaves your audience thinking “how does that fit together?” This is actually Stars’ greatest strength—it contains multitudes, and its insight is fathomless. Like Gibson says in the poem quoted above, Ryka Aoki is able to play the exact chords that resonate and sound in the reader. The result is a moving and incredibly affecting story of legacy, love, connection, community, mistakes, the condition of being alive, and the connective power of music and donuts. These words will stay with me for years to come. Keep tissues on hand, and do not read this book hungry.
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Violence, Misogyny, Blood, Death, Dysphoria, Sexual content, War, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Outing, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, and Medical content
theirgracegrace's review against another edition
- 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
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
lorriss's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Violence, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Rape, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Drug use, Fatphobia, Incest, Religious bigotry, and Suicide
melliedm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked it’s creativity, I liked what it was trying to say, and I liked it conceptually. When it comes to the execution, however, I don’t think the final product worked for me.
I found the perspective-switching mid-scene and sometimes as frequent as every few paragraphs offputting and confusing, with the character voices to feel too unified/similar to make those perspective switches feel like they made a marked difference outside of being jarring. I also felt that the novel did a lot of telling as opposed to showing, frequently giving us far too much information so that we couldn’t engage with the unpredictable nature the book seemed to flirt with. The one time the book did not telegraph what was coming clearly, it instead telegraphed the opposite—which could have worked if we had not been given false information from an internal perspective. The false information coming from an external perspective would have felt earned, but the internal made it feel like we were intentionally lied to in order to achieve a last minute twist.
Despite my complaints and the fact that this wasn’t a hit for me, Light From Uncommon Stars still managed to be charming and an easy read. You can just fly through the pages, which is a fantastic trait. I think that there are many people who would absolutely love to bask in Light, I just wasn’t one of them.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Outing, Deadnaming, Sexual content, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Racism
Minor: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury
softanimal's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Outing, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, and War
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Child death, Deadnaming, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicide
Fetishization of trans women and women of color. Deadnaming in only one scene. Assault briefly on-page, but mostly implied/discussed; mild sexual content in the form of camming and sex work. Use of transphobic/homophobic, racial, and ableist slurs, both reclaimed and otherwise.achingallover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i really liked the themes and descriptions of music and food and family and parallels between katrina and shirley.
unfortunately some of it felt disjointed or clumsy. but overall i enjoyed.
Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Outing, Rape, Terminal illness, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Alcohol, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
beforeviolets's review against another edition
- 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
non-consensual sexual content (two instances: onscreen, not graphic, easily skippable [p. 49-50]; incestuous, offscreen, easily skippable [p. 181]), sexual harassment/assault (onscreen, brief, [p.333]), consensual sexual content (onscreen, brief), sex work, fetishization of Asian women and trans women, violence, domestic abuse (parental, physical and emotional /spousal, mention), injury from abuse, child abuse, trauma, transphobia (internalized, external, t-slur, misgendering, deadnaming), severe dysphoria, homophobia/lesbophobia (f-slur, d-slur), racism (specifically towards East Asian individuals, g-slur, c-slur [indirectly used]), self harm (offscreen, graphic mention [p. 177-179]), blood, abusive living environment, religious bigotry, use of the r-slur, sexism, death (mention), war, gaslighting (external and internal), outing, cancer (mention), fire (brief), anxiety, vomit (mention)
This book was GOING to be a 4.5 until I read the spent the 50 pages in absolute tears.
Light From Uncommon Stars is a gorgeous tale about learning to believe in your own worth in the face of a world that tells you that you’re worthless. It’s about the importance of a life, no matter how “damaged.” It’s about fame, motherhood, and the necessity of having a voice.
Aoki showcases resiliency through her protagonists, all reminiscent of phoenixes rising from the ashes and being reborn into a new life, into a new home, or even into a new family. She sends a beautiful message to readers that no matter how hard your past or how lost or isolated one might feel, there is always hope in a friendly smile, a kind word, or a helping hand. All of the characters have a history of so much pain and fear and despite all of that, they are able to save themselves, often with the help of others, and stand up for their own happiness or the happiness of their loved ones.
But I think my favorite part of this book is how it constantly and beautifully illustrates the the transportive and the transformative magic of something loved, whether it be a piece of music, a video game, or even a donut. The way something, when made with care and passion, can feel like home. Though the story itself is ouchie, the message and the overall tone is one of comfort, like someone is sitting you down with a nice cup of tea and giving you a warm hug, one you didn’t even know you needed.
Gorgeous melodic writing, powerful and brilliant characters, the incredible ability to seamlessly switch POVs mid chapter or even mid paragraph, this story is one to be cherished and celebrated.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Transphobia, Racism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Self harm, Deadnaming, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Incest, Sexual content, Sexism, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Death, War, Gaslighting, Outing, and Blood
Minor: Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit
troisha's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Racism and Transphobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and War