Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Luster by Raven Leilani

240 reviews

victorsbookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, Miscarriage, Drug use, Death of parent, and Infertility

Moderate: Abortion, Animal death, and War

bail33's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I feel like I know the characters, and even though I didn’t particularly like Rebecca, I feel like I miss all of the characters now that I’m done reading because I had such a sense of being there. Leilani’s writing is just beyond incredible. She uses many words to explain things that could be summed up in just a few, which imo goes against the trend in literary writing right now, but because of it I know and love and understand her setting and cast more. There were so many passages that I have highlighted because how how much they inspire me to write. Such a beautiful and meaningful novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Abortion, Miscarriage, Suicide, Death of parent, and Addiction

Minor: Blood, Car accident, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship

stellahadz's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I wanted to like this book, but I think the writing style and characterization didn't really resonate with me. Most of the characters felt very flat, which may have been a deliberate choice by the author, but it didn't engage me as much as I would have liked. Still, I think Raven Leilani writes well and if she wrote another novel I would definitely give it a chance.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality, Medical content, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Abortion, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder

thatsssorachael's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Racial slurs, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion, Racism, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Police brutality

kikireads1232's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I just... why? Whyy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship

seizuredreading's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I didn’t put this book down. I thought, maybe, just maybe, I’ll read one chapter per day. You know as a little treat. Raven truly said to MY face, “WRONG ANSWER FO HEAD!” 

She disturbed my peace from the first word right up until the last. Sure, some people may find some of the crucial topics trite (racism: as it was discussed in the book at how exhausting it is to be Black in PWI spaces *Kanye shrug*), however comma. That aside mc is working out parental issues with a couple she stumbles across. An “open” marriage that may not be as what’s advertised.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abortion, Police brutality, and Infidelity

Moderate: Stalking

pikkumarja's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Aluksi suhtauduin kirjaan varauksella; ensimmäinen virke ei saavuttanut sitä shokkiarvoa, jota se ehkä tavoitteli. Kirja muistuttaa kummallisella tavalla Akwaeke Emezin Hölmöä rakkautta.

Kirjasta muotoutui kuitenkin erittäin ansiokas ja tarkkanäköinen tutkielma Ediestä ja hänen suhteistaan Rebeccaan, Akilaan ja Ericiin. Tarinassa käsitellään limittäin rakenteellista rasismia, fanitusta, hyväksikäyttöä ja lohtua ja se muodostaa erittäin erityisen kokonaisuuden.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

Moderate: Medical content, Police brutality, Death, and Blood

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Abandonment

al_davies_jones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Animal death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Blood, Infidelity, Addiction, Sexism, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Drug use, and Grief

kjofalltrades's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Medical content, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Police brutality

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

futurememory's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. That was everything that I thought a Sally Rooney novel would be, and far, far more. 

Luster is gorgeously written. It flows like spoken word poetry, and is not remotely afraid to revel in specificity. It’s uniquely Black, and Black NYC at that. The sentences ramble with a lyrical cadence that begs to be read aloud, with often surprising and wonderful turns of phrase. I often found myself smiling as yet another sentence hit perfectly. Line by line it’s a delight. 

I loved how brutally messy this was. How quietly sad and unflinching it is, how literary it is, and how full of 20s ennui and unfocused chaos it is. 

The characters are all so flawed, so human, that I couldn’t help but hope for them. 

I think this is divisive for a reason, but it worked tremendously for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Police brutality and Alcoholism

Minor: Drug use