light from uncommon stars is about music, about food, about queer identity and love and found family, immigrants and lineage, memory and feeling. this was weird (complimentary). one moment you can be reading about feeding ducks, the next eating delicious ducks from sam woo bbq, and then next a soul-striking meditation on how “here and now is not a bad place and time to be, especially when so much of the unknown is beautiful.”

this story plays with narrative voice in a sneaky and interesting way, sometimes slipping into first/second pov and omniscient third pov at the drop of a hat. the tonal shifts were something to get used to at first; it can get funny and unserious as much as it can get dark and heavy but i think that’s what makes it impactful. i was on board quickly. i loved all the characters and especially the complexity we get from a character like shizuka.

this book has a special place in my heart, if not for the old woman yuri and transfem mc (katrina you deserve the world twice over), then for how seen i felt as a queer asian who grew up in the san gabriel valley. i’ve said in a forum post that the details about food, local businesses, and cities make this feel that much more grounded through the fantastical elements. i was moved to tears a bit by the end so… suffice to say i loved this