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writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Luster by Raven Leilani 🏠
🌟🌟🌟🌟
🏠 The plot: Edie is just scraping by. She's coasting in a dead-end job at an all-white office, having unfulfilling encounters with men, and she's barely doing the thing she really loves, painting. Starting an affair with an older man soon takes an unexpected turn as she moves in with his family: his (kind of intense) wife and adopted black daughter.
I went into this read knowing that it has a divisive main character, and I can kind of see why. Edie's narration is depressive and one-note for much of the novel, especially in the first half, and she is wilfully self-destructive in her relationships. Reading it directly after another book with a mentally struggling main character, I did find it very heavy reading at times.
However, as the novel unfolded I thought the style of narration was very clever, and I found that the connection I formed to Edie was more interesting because of her more complex motives. Particularly as she developed a friendship with her lover's adoptive daughter - and tried to teach her things that her white parents had neglected to - I thought the way she opened up to the reader was really powerful.
To be honest, I suspect a lot of the discomfort around this book - mainly, it has to be said, from white reviewers - comes from the fact that Edie is scathing of white spaces and the behaviour demanded from her to assimilate into them. The book also draws a clear connection between this generalised hostility and police violence. It's a really powerful novel, especially for a debut(!!) so don't let the "unlikeable narrator" label from many reviews put you off!
🏠 Read it if you liked My Year of Rest and Relaxation or if you like unflinching portrayals of difficult relationships, grief, racism, and depression.
🚫 Avoid it if you're avoiding scenes of police violence, sexual violence, and workplace discrimination.
🌟🌟🌟🌟
🏠 The plot: Edie is just scraping by. She's coasting in a dead-end job at an all-white office, having unfulfilling encounters with men, and she's barely doing the thing she really loves, painting. Starting an affair with an older man soon takes an unexpected turn as she moves in with his family: his (kind of intense) wife and adopted black daughter.
I went into this read knowing that it has a divisive main character, and I can kind of see why. Edie's narration is depressive and one-note for much of the novel, especially in the first half, and she is wilfully self-destructive in her relationships. Reading it directly after another book with a mentally struggling main character, I did find it very heavy reading at times.
However, as the novel unfolded I thought the style of narration was very clever, and I found that the connection I formed to Edie was more interesting because of her more complex motives. Particularly as she developed a friendship with her lover's adoptive daughter - and tried to teach her things that her white parents had neglected to - I thought the way she opened up to the reader was really powerful.
To be honest, I suspect a lot of the discomfort around this book - mainly, it has to be said, from white reviewers - comes from the fact that Edie is scathing of white spaces and the behaviour demanded from her to assimilate into them. The book also draws a clear connection between this generalised hostility and police violence. It's a really powerful novel, especially for a debut(!!) so don't let the "unlikeable narrator" label from many reviews put you off!
🏠 Read it if you liked My Year of Rest and Relaxation or if you like unflinching portrayals of difficult relationships, grief, racism, and depression.
🚫 Avoid it if you're avoiding scenes of police violence, sexual violence, and workplace discrimination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use
thekandra's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, and Death of parent
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Police brutality and Pregnancy
madelinedalton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Self harm, Blood, and Police brutality
Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Abortion
Minor: Alcohol
bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
When I was reccomend this book, i wasn't given too many details and I'm glad for that.
Where it started and where it ended, not at all what I was expecting.
I love messy characters and this book is FULL of messy characters.
Made me reflect on how we really don't know what is happening in the lives of people around us.
Where it started and where it ended, not at all what I was expecting.
I love messy characters and this book is FULL of messy characters.
Made me reflect on how we really don't know what is happening in the lives of people around us.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Police brutality, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts
yustawrites's review against another edition
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This books got me out of a reading slump. I can't help but compare it to Queenie, but this was much better. I DNFd Queenie quite quickly, whereas this book intrigued me.
It didn't match all of my expectations. If it's called Luster, I really expected more eroticism or kink. This books was more about loneliness, family issues, art as a way to deal with life. The writing was so good and I actually expected the plot to take a sinister turn but this also never came.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, and it was full of brilliant writing that made me reflect on things along with Edie. There was no BS or unnecessary long scenes. The story moved quite fast in a way that kept you engaged rather than confused.
I particularly enjoyed the clever and accurate descriptions of how it feels to live in someone else's house/flat. And although sometimes I thought Edie makes questionable decisions that don't make her situation any better (and then she's like: why is my situation not any better??) - it was quite frustrating - but at the same time I realise as an onlooker it's not all what it seems. I have to give Edie credit because she has a good heart and tries to make the most out of her situation, wherever she is!
It didn't match all of my expectations. If it's called Luster, I really expected more eroticism or kink. This books was more about loneliness, family issues, art as a way to deal with life. The writing was so good and I actually expected the plot to take a sinister turn but this also never came.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, and it was full of brilliant writing that made me reflect on things along with Edie. There was no BS or unnecessary long scenes. The story moved quite fast in a way that kept you engaged rather than confused.
I particularly enjoyed the clever and accurate descriptions of how it feels to live in someone else's house/flat. And although sometimes I thought Edie makes questionable decisions that don't make her situation any better (and then she's like: why is my situation not any better??) - it was quite frustrating - but at the same time I realise as an onlooker it's not all what it seems. I have to give Edie credit because she has a good heart and tries to make the most out of her situation, wherever she is!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug use and Infidelity
snavehannah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death
suchsweetsorrow89's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
the only reason why i picked up this book was that my friend constantly raves about it. i can see exactly why she loves it so much. this book, as most reviews probably say, is a weird and strange book. i hate to compare books because I believe that an author's work should be taken as is, but this book highlights and mirrors similar themes that you will find in my year of rest and relaxation and the bell jar. this story follows edie, a black woman in her 20s that is struggling with her relationships to men and her parents, how to live life in general, and how to make money when suddenly caught in between jobs. the main character, through her random and sometimes absurd thoughts and motives, takes us on a journey even though the plot is somewhat generic. i love books where the main plot is a bit generic because it highlights the inherent struggle one faces in their everyday lives when not working or really given any sense of who they are, where they come from, and what they could be (and also what it requires to be that thing/person). while this book is absurd in a way similar to my year of rest and relaxation, what separates the two is clear as day: one is absurd, and one is just strange. being 'strange' means it's realistic and human, just not entirely normal in the way that one would imagine. i think this book has many beautiful lines, and while the language is a bit confusing at times, i also think it symbolizes and emphasizes that edie, while lost in life, is smart. though she cannot see it (and the book is written in a way that we can feel that lost feeling she feels), we intrinsically know that she is smart enough to move through life and move through the world-- she just quite literally has no clue on where to go. personally, i love that we do not get this 'happy ending'. as someone who loves the odyssey and the Iliad, the themes of wanting memorialization in some way or another-- not necessarily to prove that she was great-- but that for a moment in this big phenomenon called life-- she was at least there. ending on this note of striving and some level of understanding between herself and the world but still not quite figuring it out was an unconditional route in these types of books and hence why i love it so much . raven breaks from the traditional 'tragically beautiful sad girl' narrative in a way that's beautiful. all this being said, this book is much sadder than those other books so please be aware. i certainly can tell i will be in a slump after this because it is heavier than you'd expect, and so there is a chance that you might too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Gun violence and Abandonment
itsbumley's review against another edition
emotional
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
ulmaridae's review against another edition
"God is not for women, he is for the Fruit. He makes you want and he makes you wicked, and while you sleep he plants a seed in your womb that will be born just to die."
"All the raw materials that are gathered and processed into shadow and light, the pigment drawn from sand and canterbury bells, the carbon black drawn from fire and spread onto slick cave walls. A way is always made to document how we manage to survive. Or in some cases, how we don't. So I've tried to reproduce an inscrutable thing: I've made my own hunger into a practice. Made everyone who passes through my life subject to a close and inappropriate reading that occasionally finds its way, often insufficiently, into paint. And when I am alone with myself, this is what I am waiting for someone to do to me. With merciless, deliberate hands, to put me down onto the canvas so that when I'm gone, there will be a record. Proof that I was here."
Though the subject matter of this book was sad and often uncomfortable, the writing was absolutely breathtaking and almost trance-like.
"All the raw materials that are gathered and processed into shadow and light, the pigment drawn from sand and canterbury bells, the carbon black drawn from fire and spread onto slick cave walls. A way is always made to document how we manage to survive. Or in some cases, how we don't. So I've tried to reproduce an inscrutable thing: I've made my own hunger into a practice. Made everyone who passes through my life subject to a close and inappropriate reading that occasionally finds its way, often insufficiently, into paint. And when I am alone with myself, this is what I am waiting for someone to do to me. With merciless, deliberate hands, to put me down onto the canvas so that when I'm gone, there will be a record. Proof that I was here."
Though the subject matter of this book was sad and often uncomfortable, the writing was absolutely breathtaking and almost trance-like.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Grief, and Abortion
keeceefd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This one was good. I was grabbed pretty quickly but I did feel like it dragged a bit in the middle. But the character exploration was great. Interesting to see a very modern exploration of being a young black woman. I really liked digging into Edie’s psyche but I wished the author would’ve given a little more about Rebecca’s reasons for agreeing to opening their marriage and how they came to adopt Akila.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Drug use, Racism, and Abortion