Content levels
Trigger warnings
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Synopsis
Good Omens meets The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in Ryka Aoki's Light From Uncommon Stars, a defiantly joyful adventure set in California's San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts. Hugo Award Finalist A National Bestseller Indie Next Pick New York Public Library Top 10 Book of 2021 A Kirkus Best Book of 2021 A Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction Book of 2021 2022 Alex Award Winner 2022 Stonewall Book Award Winner Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka's ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She's found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn't have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan's kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul's worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Tags
Is Light From Uncommon Stars appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This literary sci-fi/fantasy blend features a transgender teen runaway protagonist dealing with homelessness and identity, a Faustian bargain storyline involving souls, and gentle queer romance between adult women. Strong themes of acceptance and found family.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include self-harm, homophobia, and transphobia (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Three women from different worlds—a cursed violin teacher, a transgender violin prodigy, and an alien refugee running a donut shop—form an unlikely family that might break a centuries-old curse.