A review by somanybookstoread
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a hard one for me. I picked it up during a difficult time in my life and the emotional struggle so apparent on the page pulled me in ways that I felt with poignancy. I absolutely loved Orange’s debut “There, There”, which I read just a few months ago. “Wandering Stars” picks up where his first novel left off. It is definitely a sequel. Because some time had passed since I had read the first book, I needed to refresh myself on the many characters (some of whom have the same names) and their stories. So I do recommend that There, There is fresh in one’s mind to get the most out of this book. Perhaps it was because of this work and cross-referencing that I needed to do that the work didn’t completely wow me the way his first novel did.

It’s a beautifully-rendered story. I found it to be honest and dark. Orange writes about addition with such depth that I figured there was no way he didn’t have first-hand familiarity. Upon finishing the novel, I looked to see what I could learn about that and found an interesting article from The Guardian, published in March 2024, that confirmed my suspicions. 

I love his writing style. I love his honesty. I love the places he’s writing about. I remain a big Tommy Orange fan and will look forward to his future work. 

The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/16/tommy-orange-my-whole-family-has-had-problems-with-addiction-including-myself