Light From Uncommon Stars

This book had a unique feel to it, something like enthralling and enchanting. It brings together a number of strange characters and strange elements (the aliens who struggle with human concepts, an evil woman who delivers souls to hell but turns out to be nice, the nerding out about violins and certain music pieces) and that shouldn't work at all but it does. It's also cozy and affirming, at least most of the time. Unfortunately, the other 10% of the book are really quite grim. There's a lot of vicious anti-trans hate (a bit too much, in my opinion) by others against Katrina and there's also a rape scene and sexual harassment. The last one doesn't really get adressed. So, I can't recommend it unreservedly but still recommend it with those caveats.

The blurb I read touted this as "Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in a defiantly joyful adventure", which is not how I'd describe it. Though I quite liked the prose itself, I was either annoyed or irritated by every single character, I hated the Faustian/sci-fi crossover, found the endless descriptions of music and food tedious after a time, and thought the ending was obvious and then silly. If this is your type of thing, you'll like it. I'm not overly sentimental and found it mawkish. Not for me.

Loved the book. It is original, creative and heartwarming. Both characters and story take you through the world of donuts, music, Southern California, and the galaxy in a really unique way. Many complex topics were discussed evoking emotions including but not limited to: disgust, hope, humor, joy, etc. The story and characters carry this book. Glad I bought a hard copy!!

Yes there were really hard parts, yes I was triggered at times, but Aoki managed to expertly balance this with such heartfelt and grounded writing that I never felt unsupported when the story ventured to the cliffs edge. This has been added to my list of all time favorites and will be slotted in as a challenging comfort read I return to to remind me that it’s ok when life gets hard and the worlds ugly - I just have to find the friendly face in the dark.

I’m so happy I listened to this, Cindy Kay was the perfect narrator. She also narrates the Sing Hills novellas, so check those out too if you want more expert story telling.

I had a problem getting used to the writing style at first, but as I got used to it I could see the beauty of the story

aoki weaves passion for music together with a sci-fi subplot and a devil's bargain, in what feels like a very strange combination when you read the synopsis, but in fact works perfectly. aoki discusses trans issues, redemption, music, race, and technology with nuance and wit. her characters are vibrant and lively, flawed but lovable. i can't imagine anyone reading this without caring about aoki's characters to the point of tears in both its darker, and more uplifting moments.

i can't recommend this book strongly enough.

I’m not sure I’ve read anything that wacky since Matt Ruff’s earlier works but she pulled it off so well. Also, I’m really missing LA’s restaurants.

Enthralling

This is the best book I've read of the year. Absolutely Fantastic.

Beautiful, poignant, and heart-rending. I didn't expect it to be so original and surprising at the outset, but it was.

LGBTQ+ realistic and positive

A book driven by its characters. I think it would be hard not to empathise with Katrina. The momentum keeps going and you want it to keep going for the characters. Leap of faith in the storyline, no problem, I want this to happen for them.

Written with the narrators view it was able to weave the stories of several people together, but with a strong emphasis on a couple of characters. The narration was also used to skip some of the exacting detail about Katrina's early life while explaining it. For sure a content warning for some of that though.

I can't remember the last time I read a novel that I felt so much. I love the characters, particularly the three central women, I love the story, wild though it is, I love the descriptions, and I love the ending. I felt invested in the characters' lives, particularly Katrina's, in a way I rarely do.

I'm not sure I can unequivocally recommend it, though. Ryka Aoki doesn't shy away from showing how hard Katrina's life is. The first few chapters are particularly tough going, but even when things pick up for her, it's still not all beer and skittles. Not sure I could provide a definitive list of CWs, but transphobia and sexual assault would have to be in there.