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shansometimes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
WANDERING STARS follows multiple generations of a family navigating their Native American heritage and identity, individual and generational traumas, and addiction. Opal, one of the grandmothers, tries desperately to keep her family stable and together through it all as the poverty and addictions of the generations before her continue to follow the family. It can get a little difficult to follow all of the POVs—some in first-person and others in third—but the story is beautifully written, heartbreaking at parts, and an important historical analysis tackling the impact of boarding schools, colonization, and more on Native American bloodlines.
*This review is based on a digital ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
"I thought maybe there was some looped aspect to people partying at the lake, then ending up at the rehab at the lake, then relapsing and partying again on the lake like some hell in paradise or paradise in hell. That's what addiction had always felt like, like the best little thing you'd forget on the worst day possible, or the worst big thing on a day in a life you thought kept getting better because you kept getting high."
Graphic: Drug use and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings
caseythereader'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
4.75
- I knew Orange would break my heart with WANDERING STARS, and he sure did.
- Orange expands on the legacy of colonization and the generational traumas that stem from it, showing different ways they manifested throughout the decades.
- Orange’s writing is so gorgeous, the kind of writing that you can’t imagine being done any other way.
- I reread THERE THERE immediately before this one, and am happy to report that the anti-fat bias in the first book is almost entirely gone.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
mmccombs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
The first third, the more historical fiction aspect to this novel, was a full 5 stars from me. I loved how the characters connected (and chronologically! Thank you!) and how distinct their voices felt while keeping a familial thread throughout. The themes here of historical trauma and resilience, of surviving and passing down stories, were so clear and well crafted. It is very impressive that this is both a prequel and a sequel at once, but I mostly think it should have just been the former. While I did enjoy coming back to these characters, adding a sequel to what felt like a wholly complete novel is perhaps too much of a good thing, a wonderful story to return to but also treading a lot of the same ground we have already covered. It didn’t feel fresh, I was unfairly comparing it to the 1st novel, and I found the wrap up at the end (“where are they now??”) to be a bit neat.
On the whole, there is so much to love here and I leave this knowing Tommy Orange is an instant-buy author, hoping more people will find and love his work. The first part worked much more for me, but I can’t say no to a compelling character-driven novel!
Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the eARC!
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Genocide, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
heyreadingpants's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mass/school shootings and Abandonment
skudiklier'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
That said, this didn't disappoint at all. I will admit it took me a bit to get into it, given how different the first third or so is from There There. But I trusted Tommy Orange and his process, and I found the entirety of the book engaging, even if it took me longer to read the beginning.
I read the last two thirds of this book all in one day, and basically couldn't put it down. I love the way it balances hard depressing real-world shit with love and hope for the future. The characters here go through so much, and at times it can be really hard to read, but I don't think it should have been written any other way. It's a great sequel and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury
graphic: child abduction, drug overdose, generational trauma moderate: Native boarding schools