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A review by bekkah_co
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Tommy Orange very quickly became a favorite author of mine after I read <i>There, There</i> for a lit class back during my undergraduate. He came to talk to my college about the writing process for this book, and I was in awe with his process and inspiration. When I saw Wandering Stars was coming out, I was ecstatic. I was on a six-month long waitlist at my library for the Kindle version of this book! In short: I had high, personal standards for this book and was expecting it to be a 5-Star Read for me.
However, it wasn't. It sits very firmly as a 4.5 and most of that had to do with the interconnectivity of the characters and stories. While in <i>There, There</i> there was a clear connection, this connection felt transient. This wasn't a major detraction for me. I simply think I wasn't in the right space to be drawing full connections between the present day characters.
Now, with all this negativity out of the way, I loved this book. Orange is an incredibly talented writer. His writing is an absolute treat to read. He mixes his prose and the history of Indigenous Americans excellently, creating a beautifully informative read. He continues to build on the lives of characters we are introduced to during <i>There, There</i>, which was great for me! I do want to state that reading his previous book is not necessary at all to enjoy this read; it will simply enhance it. I see many reviews calling this book a prequel and a sequel, and I agree with this sentiment. The early part of this book provides the historical contexts for Orvil's family and what they had to go through. While dry and more historical, it demonstrated just how Orvil came to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the book.
If you are looking for a text that deals with complex histories, discussions on addiction, complex/blended families, and what it means to be Native, Orange's writing provides an interesting perspective.
However, it wasn't. It sits very firmly as a 4.5 and most of that had to do with the interconnectivity of the characters and stories. While in <i>There, There</i> there was a clear connection, this connection felt transient. This wasn't a major detraction for me. I simply think I wasn't in the right space to be drawing full connections between the present day characters.
Now, with all this negativity out of the way, I loved this book. Orange is an incredibly talented writer. His writing is an absolute treat to read. He mixes his prose and the history of Indigenous Americans excellently, creating a beautifully informative read. He continues to build on the lives of characters we are introduced to during <i>There, There</i>, which was great for me! I do want to state that reading his previous book is not necessary at all to enjoy this read; it will simply enhance it. I see many reviews calling this book a prequel and a sequel, and I agree with this sentiment. The early part of this book provides the historical contexts for Orvil's family and what they had to go through. While dry and more historical, it demonstrated just how Orvil came to be. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the book.
If you are looking for a text that deals with complex histories, discussions on addiction, complex/blended families, and what it means to be Native, Orange's writing provides an interesting perspective.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Mass/school shootings