A review by brianneh
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad slow-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

It’s been a while since a book really made me emotional. And Light from Uncommon Stars not only made me sob once, it made me cry multiple times throughout my reading of it. This book was intriguing, weird, and overall just a joy to read.
One of our main characters, Katrina, has not had an easy life. The trauma and the seemingly endless amounts of little cruelties that the main character Katrina goes through and the resulting self doubt/ emotional baggage that she carries with her is just heartbreaking. I really just wanted to slap anyone who was mean to her.
I absolutely loved the writing style of Ryka Aoki. She jumps around quite a bit, but I didn’t find it that hard to follow as all the characters are very distinct from each other. All of the main characters in the book are complex and multifaceted with their own rich backgrounds and histories.
Light from Uncommon Stars, while heart-wrenching at certain points also has a nice balance of quirky & lighthearted sections. This book honestly has it all. Queer & multicultural representation. A devil with a toadish appearance. An abundance of tangerines. A space crew that’s also a family. Donuts. A good mentor to someone in need. Selling souls. And a lot (A LOT) of violins.
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