What do you think?
Rate this book
The Constellations Are Unrecognizable Here
Two trans boys struggle to reclaim their bodily autonomy in the aftermath of a brutal galactic war.
ebook
Published November 29, 2021
546 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Joseph White
13books4,661followersAndrew Joseph White is the trans, autistic, and bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, Compound Fracture, and You Weren't Meant to be Human. Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, and lives in Virginia with his wife and their antisocial cat.
He can be found at andrewjosephwhite.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @AJWhiteAuthor.
He can be found at andrewjosephwhite.com or on Twitter and Instagram at @AJWhiteAuthor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 11, 2024
andrew joseph white you can have all of my money forever
January 3, 2024
4.5/5
I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right.
I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right.
July 8, 2022
"I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right." going to kms
July 12, 2022
i would happily read a full length novel about this
August 28, 2024
4.5 i eat up everything ajw writes ngl
September 6, 2023
You know this is going to hit home if you need to suppress the urge of screaming into the void reading some of the passages.
I've tried to write a meaningful review for about half an hour now, but I really can't think of anything to say aside from "if you know the feel, then you know the feel and this is going to bring you to tears."
Which it did.
I know the feel.
It's hard.
I've tried to write a meaningful review for about half an hour now, but I really can't think of anything to say aside from "if you know the feel, then you know the feel and this is going to bring you to tears."
Which it did.
I know the feel.
It's hard.
December 3, 2022
gosh this messed me up but it was so well written. love hell followed through us and this definitely fulfilled my need for more, but definitely make sure you’re in a good headspace and mind the content warnings before reading
December 11, 2022
I need a full-length novel of this, please. 🪐✨️
February 19, 2024
4.5 stars
always a slay from ajw
always a slay from ajw
November 11, 2024
This review contains a bunch of content warnings! They kind of give some of the plot away, though, so this review contains spoilers on technicality. Be warned???
Also, I kept all of my original edits in their original order because hey, chronological continuity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
we don't even have a cover yet but I'm very excited to see what this man does with sci-fi
EDIT: I'm a goddamn idiot, this isn't a novel and it's been out since 2021. Pay 0 attention to this oh my god
EDIT (2): about 50% through the short story now. Hooooly fucck this is a lot. Make sure to read the content warnings, y'all. It's got what a book critic might vaguely refer to as "heavy themes" (thoughts of self harm, suicidal ideation, dysphoria, misgendering, etc, etc.) And the worst part? it's well-written. It draws you in and then forces you to finish it because of how infuriatingly good AJW's writing is. With all that out of the way, here's a link so you can suffer too :D happy reading!!!! (review to come soon enough dw)
EDIT (3): hehehehehe I read the whole thing I am smiling and kicking my feet but in like a sad, crying sort of way because what the absolute hell did I just read???? AJW, you scare me sometimes with your writing. It's too damn scary and it's too damn good. (ah, and y'all can add plain old "self harm" to that cw list in Edit 2. there's more than just ideation in this fun little story!!) (fr though go read this shit it's so good)
Also, I kept all of my original edits in their original order because hey, chronological continuity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
we don't even have a cover yet but I'm very excited to see what this man does with sci-fi
EDIT: I'm a goddamn idiot, this isn't a novel and it's been out since 2021. Pay 0 attention to this oh my god
EDIT (2): about 50% through the short story now. Hooooly fucck this is a lot. Make sure to read the content warnings, y'all. It's got what a book critic might vaguely refer to as "heavy themes" (thoughts of self harm, suicidal ideation, dysphoria, misgendering, etc, etc.) And the worst part? it's well-written. It draws you in and then forces you to finish it because of how infuriatingly good AJW's writing is. With all that out of the way, here's a link so you can suffer too :D happy reading!!!! (review to come soon enough dw)
EDIT (3): hehehehehe I read the whole thing I am smiling and kicking my feet but in like a sad, crying sort of way because what the absolute hell did I just read???? AJW, you scare me sometimes with your writing. It's too damn scary and it's too damn good. (ah, and y'all can add plain old "self harm" to that cw list in Edit 2. there's more than just ideation in this fun little story!!) (fr though go read this shit it's so good)
January 5, 2024
{4.50 stars}
I honestly don’t think I’ll ever not love something Andrew Joseph White writes. His writing makes my heart burn in the worst and best way possible. I almost always nearly shed tears when I finish his stories only to stop them seconds before they fall. My palms sweat when I get to the climax of his stories, and that didn’t stop with this short story.
I thought there was no way that this small book would hit even nearly as much as his full length books do, but I was wrong. Somehow this story made my stomach drop all the same.
I don’t know that I relate to the topic of his writing as much as I used to, but that doesn’t matter. What I do currently relate to is the depersonalization, body dysmorphia, and gender identity crisis in this short story.
“I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right.�
I know how he does it, but I honestly can’t believe that he knows how to write these emotions and struggles that so many people feel so utterly perfectly. I have no idea how anybody rates anything Andrew Joseph White writes under four starts, but I am proud to say I cannot understand one bit nor do I want to. I don’t want to ever be in a place where I’m not dumbstruck by his work, and maybe that says more about me than the author, but I beg to differ. I never thought I’d say I have a favorite author, but I suppose that’s why people say ‘never say never�.
In conclusion, this short story was a quick, painful read that I soaked up. It had a unique plot that pulled my heart strings as far as it could, but I don’t regret reading it one bit. The author’s work will make you uncomfortable, but I think that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do, so don’t be alarmed or surprised. Just enjoy it, but be careful.
I honestly don’t think I’ll ever not love something Andrew Joseph White writes. His writing makes my heart burn in the worst and best way possible. I almost always nearly shed tears when I finish his stories only to stop them seconds before they fall. My palms sweat when I get to the climax of his stories, and that didn’t stop with this short story.
I thought there was no way that this small book would hit even nearly as much as his full length books do, but I was wrong. Somehow this story made my stomach drop all the same.
I don’t know that I relate to the topic of his writing as much as I used to, but that doesn’t matter. What I do currently relate to is the depersonalization, body dysmorphia, and gender identity crisis in this short story.
“I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right.�
I know how he does it, but I honestly can’t believe that he knows how to write these emotions and struggles that so many people feel so utterly perfectly. I have no idea how anybody rates anything Andrew Joseph White writes under four starts, but I am proud to say I cannot understand one bit nor do I want to. I don’t want to ever be in a place where I’m not dumbstruck by his work, and maybe that says more about me than the author, but I beg to differ. I never thought I’d say I have a favorite author, but I suppose that’s why people say ‘never say never�.
In conclusion, this short story was a quick, painful read that I soaked up. It had a unique plot that pulled my heart strings as far as it could, but I don’t regret reading it one bit. The author’s work will make you uncomfortable, but I think that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do, so don’t be alarmed or surprised. Just enjoy it, but be careful.
Read
December 30, 2024Was a quick read, but I would definitely read a full book of this. The setting and characters are intriguing, and I feel White was able to flesh them out well with the length he had. It's also pretty relatable, as someone who had to postpone top surgery due to others influence. Definitely a recommended read!
March 6, 2025
". I wish I could wear my binder to sleep. Wrap something around my chest and squeeze my lungs in exchange for breathing better in my own skin. I wish I could dig my fingers into my flesh and pull it out, take myself apart if it means being put back together right."
HOLY SHIT??? This story is only 6k words but its one of the best stories I have read ever.
HOLY SHIT??? This story is only 6k words but its one of the best stories I have read ever.
May 31, 2024
I adored this short story. Honestly I would love to see this world expanded if the author ever wanted to come back to it. The story was compelling and on the same level of what I’ve come to expect from an Andrew Joseph White story.
January 25, 2024
Beautiful concept I hope for there to be a full version someday, Andrew always captures trans agony in a way that wretches your heart perfectly.
August 22, 2024
Pretty good, hope there's a full book for it someday.
September 4, 2024
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a full-length novelization of The Constellations Are Unrecognizable Here.
Sincerely,
Me
All I want for Christmas is a full-length novelization of The Constellations Are Unrecognizable Here.
Sincerely,
Me
December 29, 2024
A great but short read- delving into a high tech world working to heal after a galaxy-wide war, and the experience of two victims that are tied together in more ways than one.
September 13, 2024
4.5 stars. AJW is an expert at making me confront myself through his characters. ow.
found this title bc i was looking for more of white’s work to devour, and was pleasantly surprised to find this short story available for free!
had 0 expectation of what this would be about. i sometimes find it hard to read characters that i identify with so closely because when they suffer, it’s like i’m right there with them. or even instead of them. this read was a bit ouchie for me, but it was good nonetheless and AJW has quickly become one of my fav authors
found this title bc i was looking for more of white’s work to devour, and was pleasantly surprised to find this short story available for free!
had 0 expectation of what this would be about. i sometimes find it hard to read characters that i identify with so closely because when they suffer, it’s like i’m right there with them. or even instead of them. this read was a bit ouchie for me, but it was good nonetheless and AJW has quickly become one of my fav authors
June 5, 2024
Absolutely incredible. Cried multiple times while reading it because of how visceral it was and how much I felt for Amavon. I have never read something that had put my exact feelings into words before to the point where I had to take breaks while reading despite how short it is to process my emotions towards it. The feeling of disregard and reckless towards one’s own wellbeing that I’ve come to associate with my experience of identity and my transness was really sad to see from an outside perspective and I felt bad that I understood it. Incredible story.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.