A review by bruisedtigers
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

3.75

I really wanted this to be two books -- in a good way and a bad way. Both the 'Faustian deals violinist' plot and the 'Alien donut shop' plot are unique and compelling in their own ways, but I feel like the themes and characters would've benefited from being individually explored instead of blended together. Some of the blending is fun, but overall I think it sadly hampers the narrative overall. I did enjoy this, and I wish it was two stories that I could fully appreciate, rather than one that I'm a bit middling on.

This may not be a problem for other people, but the not-Undertale reference as a core value all throughout really distracted me. Once or twice, I wouldn't have really minded, but it was repeated very frequently, and I think that same theme could've been used without deferring to another media. This narrative was strong enough to stand on its own, without relying on a reference.
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