This book was so intensely emotional that I stopped reading for a week 3/4 of the way through because I was worried someone would die and I wasn't able to handle the idea of my beloved characters dying. But then I came back to it, because it's just that good. And my mind keeps coming back to reminisce over the best moments. Without spoiling the book, I can say with confidence that it takes a very skillful author to weave together such seemingly disparate topics into a cohesive story, and that Aoki has done it. Deals with the devil, trans experience, refugee experience, classical music, lesbian romance, and spaceships all come together in the lovingly detailed down to earth setting of San Gabriel Valley.