Light From Uncommon Stars

"This is a really fun journey, and a heartwarming one. I haven’t seen this touted as young adult, but it felt more young adult than most books I read. Very approachable and cohesive, not a lot of work needs to be done on the readers part. "

"What a journey! There are so many wonderful themes in this book! There are so many different elements to this story that are phenomenal. The representation of culture, gender identity, and music, and the intersection of all three was absolutely a delight to read. Aoki did it absolutely beautifully. We meet Katrina, a transgender girl, who is lost in a world that has done nothing but hurt and betray her in every way possible, and in Shizuka, she finds the home, love, and acceptance she never felt worthy of, nor felt was ever within her reach. Aoki depicted the transgendered struggle so perfectly in Katrina. The constant hunt for safety, the simple necessity of needing a bathroom becomes a life or death situation, proper healthcare becomes a dream clouded by basic needs taking priority. How easily people fail to see a human being behind what they perceive is wrong because they refuse to listen and/or understand. Shizuka made a bargain with the devil to obtain what she believed would make her whole, in exchange for 7 souls. In that proceeds she forgets what it means to be human, damning six souls already she finds the 7th in Katrina and thinks it’ll be another quick easy transaction. But what can offer someone who’s never wanted anything more than be seen for who they are? Lan ran from war and despair to keep her family safe, only to find sweet harmony in the middle of it all. Lan and Shizuka have about the best most honest friendship/love development I’ve read in a while. I really enjoyed their dynamic from beginning to end. Feeling alone in their own circumstances, their miscommunication actually allows them to see each other as they truly are. All of these different journeys come together in the San Gabriel Valley, where Aoki details to perfection every small business, every culture present, every meal shared, prepared and erased as time brings about change. This is all wrapped in the most vivid descriptions of the turbulent yet delicate, eloquent dance between a violinist and their instrument. The struggles of wanting to share the music, while battling the noise. The fear of rejection against having nothing to lose, the sliver of hope against a world that has given you none of it, that maybe in sharing yourself you’ll enable others to find the music within themselves to fight off despair. I’m sure I’m not doing justice in this review but it is a wonderful story, inspiring and insightful with cute banter and brutal honesty that at times is hilarious. Happy reading! "

"This book could have been three separate books. I was more than fine with Faustian deals and a transgender homeless person being a prodigy - that, alone, is an EXCELLENT premise. But the alien refugees. And then the cursed luthiers. And that donuts. It was messy. But I still liked it! The book itself is beautifully written, but damnit if it wasn't messy with a, frankly, lazy ending."

"So much about this book to love. Music, ethnicity, gender identity, deals with devilish beings, outer space, and donuts. Such a rich story of mattering and belonging. Loved it."

"A beautiful weaving of many kinds of love. Heads up, it contains graphic sexual violence."

"Great characters and very interesting concept. Made me cry"

"Amazing!"

"I wish I could give this book 10 stars! It was that good! The escape of music to get away from your problems. It’s so relatable. Some of the most beautiful scenes occur when the characters are experiencing the music and the music is so beautiful that it takes the form of different memories. The author allowed for the humanization of a character like Shazuki who has looked like she was 30 for 40 years. Originally you think “she’s going to finish the cycle and get the ability to play back again.” Meanwhile being in a relationship with an alien made her realize that she’s redeemable!!! It was such a great twist. And for Shazuki to not even question Katrina’s womanhood, shows that hate is taught. It’s beyond words how wonderful it was for Shazuki to say “oh I don’t care” when Katrina discloses that she’s trans for the first time. It’s so beautiful!!! "

"4.5 because one of the POVs confused me in the beginning. I really liked the character growth and the relationships though "

"This book has a lot of disparate elements (violin history and culture, refugee experience, trying to find community as a multiply marginalized person, LA food culture, aliens, demons and more) but ties them all together in a way that kept me engaged. The characters were mostly great, and while the author is realistic about the difficulties in our world today it also carries both defiance and hope. I like the way history is presented in the book where change over time is noted and discussed without putting the old against the new.<br/><br/>One of the plot lines wrapped up a little weird and there was a strange dig at vegans near the beginning that felt crueler than the rest of the content but it wasn't a big enough issue to make me drop a star."