A review by madscibrarian
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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

 This book is pitched as Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I definitely agree with the Good Omens comparison. It's a little quirky with a Queen of Hell teaching star violinists in exchange for their soul and an alien family turning their spaceship into a donut shop in LA. I think The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (TLWSAP) comparison is maybe due to the Aliens? But I don't quite get those vibes. TLWSAP is very warm and fuzzy while this one is a harder read. Our virtuoso, Katrina Nguyen, that the Queen of Hell, Shizuka Satomi. ends up choosing to teach is transgender and disowned by her family. She's on the run with no money and just the violin on her back with hopes of a friend she knew from two years ago may take her in. Her life is difficult and full of challenges that she had to overcome. Shizuka is there to support Katrina and help her see that being a person isn't a big deal. That warm fuzzy acceptance is there, but it's still not without external conflicts. Also, in regards to the alien family, the aliens are an allegory for United States immigration, so there's definitely some commentary there that also isn't warm and fuzzy. I enjoyed this book a lot more because of the conflicts that the characters have to face and overcome, but I just want to temper those looking for warm fuzzy feels. Again, it does still have an overarching message of acceptance, but TLWTAP doesn't acknowledge the dark path to get there. 

Hm, can I say anything more about the book without comparing it to it's pitch? That honestly wraps it up pretty nicely. It covers the main reason why I liked it-- it was quirky and I learned about some of the experiences transgenders and immigrants might face. It's definitely more character driven than plot, and the quirkiness is a large draw. At it's core, it has a lot of heart, and you'll find yourself rooting for Katrina Nguyen to overcome it all and succeed in her music. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.