Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Luster by Raven Leilani

15 reviews

slascano's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-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 book really surprised me. I thought it would be filled with sex because of the plot description. I was ready to stop reading it because I wasn’t looking for that but it was a very small part of it. Insight into a 20 something black woman who is searching for her identity and self worth. Really good book that leaves you valuing all the characters and their role in influencing the plot. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Misogyny

The triggers are not explicit or graphic just present

bookishplantmom's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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 is a very compelling book. I thought the prose was really beautiful in some passages. I loved the overall tone of the story. This sort of hazy, gritty, slice of life approach to storytelling can be very engaging when done well. And it is done well here in my opinion. The characters are flawed and messy which made them feel very authentic. I found the story engaging and at times really gut wrenching. The characters in this book really go through it in some cases. The one thing I wish is that there had bit a little more emphasis on mental health. It was clear to me that many of the characters were deeply traumatized and at no point does the story speak to how mental health is something that requires as much attention and care as physical health. This book is really powerful in some aspects and is a bit of a gut punch at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Police brutality

Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Fatphobia, and Sexual assault

heisiiri's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed a lot of the themes and social commentary, but didn't find the story super compelling. Sometimes I was in awe of a beautifully written scene, sometimes the writing style felt like it just wasn't for me.

I think my main issue with this book was that it's one of those books that are quite depressing and grim, yet it still doesn't hit the feels enough. Like this isn't the kind of book I would cry over. The main character and narrator Edie seems to hold a certain emotional distance to everything that happens in her life, which can be an interesting character trait, but sometimes it also means that the scenes don't really impact the emotions of the reader either. It's a style choice that can really work for some readers, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

The best parts of this book are definitely the relationships between the female characters. I enjoyed the complexity and depth of Akila and Edie's relationship, and some of the scenes between Edie and Rebecca were great as well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Racism

Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Classism, Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Suicide

xbernadette's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Abortion, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, and Sexual content

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

The last third of this book saved it from getting a lower rating. While I can appreciate the poetry and extended metaphors in Leilani’s writing, I can’t help but feeling it comes across as rather constipated and convoluted in parts. I quite often found myself completely lost and having to reread to regather the thread of the prose.

The actual premise was intriguing - the commencing few chapters were not particularly enthralling, but the pace did pick up later on in the novel. The portrayal of nihilistic self-destructive sex was raw and ugly, knitted together in a web of nuanced discussions on race, sexuality, feminism and capitalism which I found very interesting and affecting. These are the parts that dragged this book up in its rating.

However, I overall found this to be quite a slog to get through. I powered through the final half in one sitting, and the concluding chapters were immaculately done. But in the end I wasn’t particularly enthralled or interested in Edie as a character.

I stand by my appreciation for Leilani’s prose, and I finish my review with this quote that I found powerful:

I am inclined to pray, but on principle, I don’t. 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Fatphobia, Grief, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Addiction

onion's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

Minor: Pregnancy, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Police brutality

armontheroad's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

LUSTER was 240 pages of pure brilliance. I don’t think it’s possible for me to compile my thoughts on this book. This novel reminded me a lot of QUEENIE but in a US setting. If you’re interested in stories about young Black women making bad choices and just trying to get through life, I would highly recommend these two. LUSTER is a commentary on trauma. I do not suggest it lightly!! It being queer was also a pleasant surprise.

CWs/TWs: Sexual content, eating disorder behavior, calorie counting, racism, car accident, depression, abortion, ableist language, self-harm, childhood sexual assault, blood, police brutality, domestic abuse, fatphobia, sexual harassment, medical content, body gore, suicide, PTSD, racial slurs, body dysmorphia, TERF language, animal death, animal cruelty, miscarriage, blood, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Body horror, Suicide, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abortion, Self harm, Animal death, and Miscarriage

raynaaskiverr's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

gabb_reads's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Abortion, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Misogyny, Medical content, and Drug abuse

Minor: Infertility and Animal death