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A review by kris_mccracken
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
2.0
"Wandering Stars" by Tommy Orange is a worthy attempt to explore the generational trauma and historical injustices endured by Native American communities. However, the ambitious narrative is weighed down by significant structural and stylistic challenges that make it an awfully slow and disjointed read.
Orange's exploration of colonialism's lingering shadow should have been a deeply moving experience. Instead, the frequent time jumps and rambling nature of the plot render the story difficult to follow, as though the narrative itself is caught in a whirlwind of tangents. The nonlinear structure, meant to reflect the fractured history of its characters, feels more like a labyrinthine puzzle without reward.
The prose occasionally offers glimmers of beauty, but these are fleeting, buried beneath stilted sentences and an overabundance of run-ons that leave the reader adrift. The language strives for profundity but too often becomes repetitive, turning an exploration of important themes into a laborious slog. There is something distinctly superficial about the storytelling, as if the emotional weight it aims for remains elusive.
The descendants of the Star family, ostensibly central to the tale, are underdeveloped and fail to rise beyond their archetypes. Their stories, meant to illuminate the generational scars of colonialism, too frequently blur into one another, lacking the emotional resonance needed to truly connect with the reader. Addiction and substance abuse are recurring themes, yet they are handled with an expository bluntness that strips away the potential for deeper, more nuanced insight. These struggles feel told AT the reader rather than shared WITH them, diminishing their intended impact.
⭐ ⭐
Orange's exploration of colonialism's lingering shadow should have been a deeply moving experience. Instead, the frequent time jumps and rambling nature of the plot render the story difficult to follow, as though the narrative itself is caught in a whirlwind of tangents. The nonlinear structure, meant to reflect the fractured history of its characters, feels more like a labyrinthine puzzle without reward.
The prose occasionally offers glimmers of beauty, but these are fleeting, buried beneath stilted sentences and an overabundance of run-ons that leave the reader adrift. The language strives for profundity but too often becomes repetitive, turning an exploration of important themes into a laborious slog. There is something distinctly superficial about the storytelling, as if the emotional weight it aims for remains elusive.
The descendants of the Star family, ostensibly central to the tale, are underdeveloped and fail to rise beyond their archetypes. Their stories, meant to illuminate the generational scars of colonialism, too frequently blur into one another, lacking the emotional resonance needed to truly connect with the reader. Addiction and substance abuse are recurring themes, yet they are handled with an expository bluntness that strips away the potential for deeper, more nuanced insight. These struggles feel told AT the reader rather than shared WITH them, diminishing their intended impact.
⭐ ⭐