Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Luster by Raven Leilani

67 reviews

webtheweeb's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Racism

redroseses's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Suicide, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Drug use

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

dakarif's review

dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

I don’t know what it is, but I really like this book. It’s not my usual style. Its slow, not dramatic, and is character driven. And I’m not similar to the main character at all, she’s definitely bold in ways that are unthinkable to me. 

But her perspective of the world is relatable (even if I disagree). She just really personifies this depressive numbness and the ways you try to feel through it. I can appreciate her dry humor, and the honesty in her narration.

I don’t know who I would recommend this book to, but I would count myself as the target audience.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit

nightfell's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

5.0

I have no words to encapsulate my experience reading this book. 

I am SHOCKED that this is Leilani's first book and I WILL be reading all her other books. 

Luster is a book about a young woman named Edie who is struggling with her life. She gets into a relationship with a middle aged white man and the book goes into detail about the privilege, race, class, gender and many other themes that come as a result of their relationship as a black woman. 

I related to this book too much. 

The writing is phenomenal. It probably isn't for everyone as it requires the reader to pay rapt attention and digest every single word that is written, but that is why I love it so muc. There were sentences that were paragraphs long, which added to the tone and meanings which were perfectly conveyed. Each subsection was perfection, and after each one I felt the urge to out down the book, and stare at the wall, as each part is so packed with meaning, and intention and precision. 

I'm not smart enough to put down in words how this book made me feel, and to unpack the multitude of the layers this book had, all I can say was that it is a one of a kind, and it was executed so well. PLEASE READ IT. 

It took me over a month and it is just over 200 pages long. That's because I read it during a time where I was already depressed and at times the book got too real for me. Some times I would read it and have to make a choice to keep reading or prioritise my own happiness and wellbeing. But it communicates the type of depression that holds you tightly and is with you always. I don't know If this is making sense but just read it. 

That fact that Raven Leilani sat down and wrote this masterpiece makes me genuinely angry, because how did she write this. More accurately: how can anyone write something this powerful. One of my best books of the year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Infidelity

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Classism, Police brutality, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Racial slurs, Car accident, Drug use, Abortion, Physical abuse, and Blood

davidbythebay's review

challenging emotional funny tense 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

3.5

At the start of this book I kept thinking "I'm not a prude, but I am clutching my pearls!" Trust me when I say I am FAR from being squeamish about intimate escapades. But I was still, somehow, shocked by the frankness of the main character. As I read on, I realized what was really gnawing at me was her frankness. She almost sounded like she had already given up and was just an automaton moving about. And I think that was part of the point. As I read, the book grew on me and I really ended up liking it by the end. 

Don't get me wrong, I still have some issues with the story. First of all, it was sometimes disjointed almost in that things just happened and felt like there was no thought behind it by the characters. For example - and this is in the description and not a spoiler - when Edie (our main character) becomes unemployed and invited to live with this family given everything that is knowingly going on here by the parties. It just reads as odd. I get setting aside differences and emotions in an emergency situation, but taking someone in whom you think so little of and then seem to be friends with, back and forth on this endless spectrum of what's going on here. 

The writing was absolutely lovely, on the whole. Some things were a little over written (poetic to the point of overdoing it) but mostly it was a pleasant read. One issue I had was, and this is something small, the hipster-vibe of acknowledging and naming the patriarchy/capitalism/what-have-you in the middle of a rant. I just don't like a conversation - and I have actually been privy to these happening in real life and even then they feel staged - where something happens and it is named by the grander concept that it embodies. I know this is a patriarchal matter you are discussing and having opinions on. I don't need to be bluntly slapped by that wet fish. 

All of that aside, I enjoyed the writing and liked the story. It touched on several important topics and ideas, but sometimes it dealt with them very briefly and it came across as being dismissive. (I'm talking about the key scene in particular. If you know, you know.) As it stands, it was an enjoyable bit of reading but nothing I really connected with. I may just be done with the whole millennial/Gen Z sarcastic "wokeness" even though I am technically called a millennial/Gen Z. It's something that tends to be blunt and generalized without nuance or tact. Luster did not paint with such a wide indiscriminate brush, but it definitely created some bright strokes. 

Better than an average book, but just not my taste. 3.5 Stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Blood, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Abortion, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Animal death, Grief, Stalking, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Death

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

avacate9's review

emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Pregnancy, Racism, Self harm, Abortion, Addiction, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

dorsetreader's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Self harm, Medical content, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Addiction, Mental illness, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Abortion, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, and Toxic friendship

harrirebekah's review against another edition

challenging dark funny slow-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

2.5

2.5 ⭐️ A confusing one. Really enjoyed the start of this book, but for something so relatively short this took me so long to finish the last 80 pages.

I’m not gonna lie I was completely lost after the 110 page mark, I felt like I slipped a chapter. I also really didn’t vibe with the Eric of Rebecca at all, I felt conflicted about Edie and just miserable for Akila.

Idk I thought there were some interesting themes around being a twenty-something who is lost post-graduation, dealing with a lot of built up trauma and an honest and witty take on sex and relationships. But, I just didn’t love it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

betttyy8's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Blood, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Medical content, and Addiction

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Drug use, and Infertility

Minor: Gun violence