Light From Uncommon Stars

I grew up on John William soundtracks. I felt in his music stories and feeling so far from my small town life. His music was escape.

Music is escape for Katrina. It is the music of her soul and she has the rare ability to let her soul speak. Her teacher, Shizuka Satomi, recognizes this, but also recognizes that the stigma and trauma of being transgendered is what makes Katrina's soul special. So special that it can fulfill Satomi's contract with Hell. Meanwhile, an alien crew take over a donut shop and befriend Satomi.

This novel is a mash-up of… show more.

This book somehow manages to blend violin competitions, deals with the devil, multiple kinds of refugees, AND aliens?

It shouldn’t work. It really shouldn’t. I love that it did. And that the solution to everyone’s unsolvable problems is so much richer and more complex than I could have imagined – the author doesn’t take any expected or easy routes. Also, there are donuts.

Light From Uncommon Stars is a ray of sunshine when times are tough and the news is depressing.

It’s a yummy and affirming sci-fi book where marginalized people, particularly trans women, get to thrive. Instead of solving problems by killing people, small and affirming acts of allyship, friendship, and love add up to a better world. The story is beautifully done, nonviolent, and hopeful.

It’s not easy to combine two very different genres of fiction successfully, let alone three, but Aoki does.

Aliens owning a donut store in California’s San Gabriel Valley; a violin master teacher who has sold her soul to the devil; a transgender kid cast out by their family, who has a natural talent for the instrument despite never having had a lesson, and who is taken advantage of by everyone, until she starts to study with her mysterious teacher.

I was fascinated to see how on earth—as well as off it—these three very different elements could possibly combine into something… show more.

The Light From Uncommon Stars is, at its sci-fi core, a story about being human and all of the messiness that comes from that state of being.

Even the aliens share a sweet humanness – a desire to find home, to find love, to find family. Plus, you can never go wrong with a donut-shop setting. This book is queer and gender-expansive, with all the beauty and trauma that comes with each.

I wouldn’t call this book cozy – and it’s worth noting that not all of the queer characters are “good queers”, but it isn’t gritty or dark –… show more.