Review of ​How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorcia

​How We Named the Stars by Andrés N. Ordorcia is a novel about a man, Daniel, who comes to terms with his sexuality upon meeting his college roommate in Ithaca, Sam. Sam is a soccer player who doesn’t fit the ordinary understanding of being queer. However, as Daniel and Sam get to know each other, there are signs that Daniel picks up on: being spooned during a camping trip, kisses, stares, and touches that last a little too long for mere friendship. As their freshman year progresses, they run with each other and the tension of Daniel’s love pulls them together. All of Daniel’s friends encourage him to be more forthright with Sam, where they go to a queer party, and eventually Sam invites Daniel out to a party with all the soccer players after he wins their college game. Their will-they-won’t-they continues on until Daniel explains to Sam his feelings for him. Then, they have sex in the last few weeks of the year. However, Sam hasn’t quite understood his sexuality and so near the end of the year, he pulls farther away from Daniel, where he plans to live in a frat house instead of with Daniel. During summer break, Daniel goes to Mexico to bring his grandfather back to America when he receives an email from Sam that he’s not ready to be out and that they should stop seeing each other. This breaks Daniel while he tries to keep up appearances for his grandfather and family in Mexico. At his welcome party, Daniel meets the wealthy caterer, Diego, who falls quickly for him. Diego invites Daniel out that night where Daniel tries to process his feelings for Sam while also trying to handle Diego. Diego and Daniel then go on a trip where they make love and their relationship blossoms, though Daniel’s true feelings lie with Sam. Then, Daniel gets a call from Sam’s mother saying that Sam died in a drunken car accident without a seatbelt. Daniel is so heartbroken that he retracts himself from his family, drinking and sleeping and trying to figure out how he’d be able to live. In an attempt to get him out of his shell, his grandfather talks to him about his uncle, Daniel, who was also gay and died after accidently being shot by his best friend. Diego then reaches out to invite Daniel out, where Diego’s true intentions are revealed where he only wants Daniel and not for Daniel to process his loss. Daniel ditches Diego after they fight where he eventually returns to his grandfather’s house. It takes Daniel an understanding and an opening up to his grandfather for him to start the process of moving on. When Daniel is able to start thinking about the next year, he goes through his emails where he finds Sam’s final email saying he loved him and that it was stupid of him to write the email before. And so, to reconnect with his uncle’s best friend and provide closure to his uncle’s death, Daniel and his grandfather go to his uncle’s best friend. They talk and go to his uncle’s gravesite where all three men try to process life, death, love, and loss.
 
 Ordorcia frames the novel with Daniel writing to Sam after returning for his sophomore year. Essentially he is in the middle of processing his loss by talking to his dead lover, which provides a beautiful and reflective understanding of Daniel and Sam’s relationship. At the beginning of each chapter, there’s also a diary entry we later learn is from Daniel’s uncle describing his feelings for other men and his desire for activism during the AIDs crisis. It’s a truly intense story of first love, how to process death, and a family’s desire to reconnect.
 
Final Rating: 5/5