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A review by somanybookstoread
Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a hard one for me. I picked it up during a difficult time in my life and the emotional struggle so apparent on the page pulled me in ways that I felt with poignancy. I absolutely loved Orange’s debut “There, There”, which I read just a few months ago. “Wandering Stars” picks up where his first novel left off. It is definitely a sequel. Because some time had passed since I had read the first book, I needed to refresh myself on the many characters (some of whom have the same names) and their stories. So I do recommend that There, There is fresh in one’s mind to get the most out of this book. Perhaps it was because of this work and cross-referencing that I needed to do that the work didn’t completely wow me the way his first novel did.
It’s a beautifully-rendered story. I found it to be honest and dark. Orange writes about addition with such depth that I figured there was no way he didn’t have first-hand familiarity. Upon finishing the novel, I looked to see what I could learn about that and found an interesting article from The Guardian, published in March 2024, that confirmed my suspicions.
I love his writing style. I love his honesty. I love the places he’s writing about. I remain a big Tommy Orange fan and will look forward to his future work.
The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/16/tommy-orange-my-whole-family-has-had-problems-with-addiction-including-myself
It’s a beautifully-rendered story. I found it to be honest and dark. Orange writes about addition with such depth that I figured there was no way he didn’t have first-hand familiarity. Upon finishing the novel, I looked to see what I could learn about that and found an interesting article from The Guardian, published in March 2024, that confirmed my suspicions.
I love his writing style. I love his honesty. I love the places he’s writing about. I remain a big Tommy Orange fan and will look forward to his future work.
The Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/16/tommy-orange-my-whole-family-has-had-problems-with-addiction-including-myself