Bibliographic Information

Title: Light from Uncommon Stars

Author: Ryka Aoki

Publisher: Tor Books

Copyright Date: September 28, 2021

ISBN: 978-1250789068

Genre

Science Fiction

Format

Book

Print Length

384 pages

Reading Level/Interest Level

Adults – with appeal to young adults (per NoveList Plus & Alex Awards)

Awards or Honors Include

• Hugo Award Finalist: Best Novel (2022)
• Alex Award (2022)
• Stonewall Book Award for Literature (2022)

Plot Summary

“With the violin, I can sing, speak, be beautiful,” Katrina had said. “I’m not worrying about what bathroom is safe, or if the store is empty enough to go shopping. Playing a violin isn’t always easy. But it’s easier than everything else.” (p. 271, Kindle edition)

Katrina Nguyen runs away from her violent father, pitiful mother, and cruel neighbors to find safety with friends in California’s San Gabriel Valley. What she finds instead is more abuse as a young Asian transgender woman. A chance meeting with renowned violinist and teacher Shizuka Satomi may change everything for Katrina, but at what cost?

Shizuka has earned her name as the Queen of Hell by propelling six former students to fame and fortune, then damning them to violent deaths and their souls straight to Hell; Katrina just might be the seventh. As the two form an unexpected bond, Katrina finally discovers what it means to live in her truth, and Shizuka begins to question all she thought was dear.

Author Background

Ryka Aoki is a Japanese-American professor of English at Santa Monica College. She graduated with her MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University and has written numerous works of poetry and two novels: He Mele A Hilo and Light from Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki, n.d.). About writing, she has said: “I know that there are many amazing transgender writers who write about transgender characters for transgender audiences … as a trans writer, I would rather not limit my stories, my imagination, and my craft. …  I think we need more public … affirmations that our stories, as different as they might be, are exquisitely human” (Aoki, 2015).

Critical Evaluation

Light from Uncommon Stars is the kind of lovely, unsettling, genre-defying book that feels best enjoyed when the reader goes in with very little information. That’s because author Ryka Aoki deftly layers in so many wonderful characters, scenes, and surprises that have to be read in context to be understood. Katrina’s heartbreaking experiences as a young Asian transgender woman are gritty and unforgiving. Shizuka’s deal with a demon and her time as an agent of Hell are straight from a horror novel. How the two of them grow to find what is pure and beautiful about each other is such a bittersweet, rewarding journey.

And just for good measure, Aoki throws in commentary about immigration through the plight of an alien starship captain (who also owns a donut shop) and the unjust suppression of women through a shop owner who repairs cursed violins. She includes a Swiss housekeeper and holographic AI daughter to help keep everyone cared for and in check. This disorienting cast of characters somehow mesh into a story that is weird, very human, and full of heart.

Content warnings for sexual assault, self-harm, domestic abuse, and consensual and non-consensual sex work.

Creative Use for a Library Program

There is a lot of significance in Light from Uncommon Stars on how to make the perfect donut. A library could run a program teaching teens how to make donuts in a variety of styles and flavors.

Speed-Round Talk

Light from Uncommon Stars travels between Hell, outer space, and our own cruel Earth to tell a genre-bending story about what three women will do for safety, for fame, and for love.

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

This book does not have any recorded challenges, but that’s probably because it’s not specifically written for young adults or likely to be included in many (or any?) school libraries. If it were, I expect there would be several objections – there are depictions of sexual assault, sex work, self-harm, domestic abuse, and implications of murder and war. This book may not be for a general teen audience and seems best recommended to older teens by someone familiar with the content warnings and the reader in question.

Reason for Inclusion

Light from Uncommon Stars is one of the more complex inclusions in this collection. With the potentially triggering content included in the book, it’s not an easy or clear recommendation for every reader, and I do think it’s specifically best for older teens. With that caution in mind, though, Light from Uncommon Stars is a profound book about the transgender experience and a powerful look at how to find one’s community. It’s unflinching in its portrayal of hate and abuse, despair and loneliness, but also fights through it all with a message of hope, which I think is valuable to have in any contemporary collection for today’s teens.