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A review by snipinfool
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Shizuka Satomi was a gifted violinist who made a deal with the devil for her soul. Due to a technicality, she did not have to give up her soul if she could find others willing to give up their souls instead. She had to find seven individuals in forty-nine years (7 x 7) or forfeit her soul. Shizuka found six people and was on the hunt for the final one. She thought she had found the last soul in the Bay Area of California and was on her way to listen to this prodigy and possibly make the girl her final student.
Katrina Nguyen had recently come out to her parents as a trans female. Her parents were extremely upset by the news. Her father frequently beat and berated her. Katrina took a couple of group violin classes as a child before her father put a stop to it. She continued to teach herself how to play watching YouTube videos. Playing the violin was what brought her joy. Katrina knew her father would continue his violent actions, so she ran way from home. She wondered to a park and started to play her violin. Katrina was able to soothe her soul when she played. While playing in the park, a small group gathered to listen. One of the people was Shizuka who happened to stop by the park where she played as a child. After listening to Katrina, Shizuka thought she could help Katrina better her violin skills.
Lan Tran was a refugee from another galaxy who traveled to Earth with her family. Her planet was in the middle of a galactic war that had already wiped out other planets. Lan was a retired starship captain and looked for a world whose inventions and innovations were backward enough to remain off of the radar to those possibly looking for her and her family. Lan bought a donut shop named Starrgate Donuts from a retiring couple and used the technology she brought with her to replicate perfect donuts. The area below the shop housed their research lab, living quarters, and their spaceship. They were prepared to stay indefinitely until they found out the war was over or just prior to the "level-five gamma ray burst" 247 light-years away heading toward this solar system. Shizuka stopped at the shop one day to use the restroom and bought a giant donut. She continued to stop by for a donut and became friends with Lan.
One wouldn't think there would be a way for these three beings to connect, but there was. The three women were connected by a need for companionship, hope, and a want to belong. Each of the characters were interesting and I wanted to know what came next for them. The story worked for me. The side characters completed the cast well and enriched the tale. I would have liked to have had a little more knowledge about Tan's life prior to arriving on Earth. This was an interesting premise for a book and was very enjoyable.
Katrina Nguyen had recently come out to her parents as a trans female. Her parents were extremely upset by the news. Her father frequently beat and berated her. Katrina took a couple of group violin classes as a child before her father put a stop to it. She continued to teach herself how to play watching YouTube videos. Playing the violin was what brought her joy. Katrina knew her father would continue his violent actions, so she ran way from home. She wondered to a park and started to play her violin. Katrina was able to soothe her soul when she played. While playing in the park, a small group gathered to listen. One of the people was Shizuka who happened to stop by the park where she played as a child. After listening to Katrina, Shizuka thought she could help Katrina better her violin skills.
Lan Tran was a refugee from another galaxy who traveled to Earth with her family. Her planet was in the middle of a galactic war that had already wiped out other planets. Lan was a retired starship captain and looked for a world whose inventions and innovations were backward enough to remain off of the radar to those possibly looking for her and her family. Lan bought a donut shop named Starrgate Donuts from a retiring couple and used the technology she brought with her to replicate perfect donuts. The area below the shop housed their research lab, living quarters, and their spaceship. They were prepared to stay indefinitely until they found out the war was over or just prior to the "level-five gamma ray burst" 247 light-years away heading toward this solar system. Shizuka stopped at the shop one day to use the restroom and bought a giant donut. She continued to stop by for a donut and became friends with Lan.
One wouldn't think there would be a way for these three beings to connect, but there was. The three women were connected by a need for companionship, hope, and a want to belong. Each of the characters were interesting and I wanted to know what came next for them. The story worked for me. The side characters completed the cast well and enriched the tale. I would have liked to have had a little more knowledge about Tan's life prior to arriving on Earth. This was an interesting premise for a book and was very enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Moderate: Deadnaming