Scan barcode
yammmw's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, and Sexual content
caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Edie's struggle to discover herself and "come of age" without yet understanding what her identity is or what she wants it to be feels inevitable given the culmination of factors surrounding her life. Her attempts to find herself in men, in her art, in jobs she's told she's too Black or too promiscuous or not XYZ enough to be part of, are heartbreaking. She is so, desperately lonely. And then, her internal musings about the absurdity of applying to a million dead end jobs to make rent, or about how older men are not necessarily deep so much as they've just lived more life, pull a painful laugh out of you even if you don't want to be amused. If a reader in your life says they they like stories about messy, damaged female leads, put Luster in their hands.
My favorite relationships of this book are between Edie and Rebecca and Edie and Akila. There's a complex dynamic with Rebecca where, while Edie might seem to have some power over Rebecca being the woman that R's husband is having an affair with, Rebecca is by far the one holding Edie's life in her hands. The scene where
And then there's Akila and Edie. In many ways, Akila is who Edie must have been like as a kid--incredibly nerdy, passionate, artistic--and in other ways, she's who Edie is now--lost, a stranger in her own home. Lonely. Black in a context that is deeply unfriendly to Blackness. It was so touching to see Edie nurture Akila, not only protecting her from the racism of the police and her tutor and helping her take care of her natural hair in a way that Akila's (White, Adoptive) parents don't know how to, but in encouraging her art and storytelling and engaging with her on her interests. I think they very much needed each other, and it made it all the worse when
This was a difficult book to read, emotionally speaking. But so well worth it.
Graphic: Infidelity, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Police brutality
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Addiction and Drug abuse
avocadotoastbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Edie, a 23-year-old black woman living and finding her way in New York, tries to fill the void left by her loneliness with sex.
The title "Luster" makes sense in this regard. However, the novel wasn't just about sex and lust. For most of the time, the novel depicts the pain and anguish of each character.
Edie: loneliness, loss of her job and apartment, living with her (much older) lover's family, daddy issues, childhood trauma
Rebecca: marital problems, dealing with her husband's younger lover, not wanting to be a mother but having a child
Eric: substance abuse, marital problems, infertility
Akila: childhood trauma, abandonment issues due to multiple adoptive families, the only black kid in the neighborhood, disordered eating
In some ways I hated all the characters and didn't find them likable, but I could also identify with small parts of each character.
While I loved how Raven Leilani described the dynamics between the characters and Edie's thought processes, I didn't like how stuffed with "internet wisdom" the book was. It felt to me like Leilani was trying to sprinkle a little self-help book vibe into the story.
Also, the power dynamic that results from the massive age difference in Edie and Eric's relationship wasn't romanticized, but it also wasn't portrayed for what it really is. Throughout the book, everyone blamed Edie, but really Edie is a victim of Eric.
At least by the end of the novel, Edie admits this.
"He is the most obvious thing that has ever happened to me, and all around the city it is happening to other silly, half-formed women excited by men who've simply met the prerequisite of living a little more life, a terribly unspecial thing that is just what happens when you keep on getting up and brushing your teeth and going to work and ignoring the whisper that comes to you at night and tells you it would be easier to be dead."
Overall, Luster was a good debut novel that deals with important issues and the life experiences of young black women. I can't wait to see where Raven Leilani is going.
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Abandonment, and Classism
graciekay's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Police brutality, Abortion, and Death of parent
bethvance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
laurataylor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism
popcornreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Abortion
yustawrites's review against another edition
- 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
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!
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug use and Infidelity
itsbumley's review against another edition
- 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
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
evalotteli's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, and Police brutality
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent