Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Luster by Raven Leilani

115 reviews

keira_rd's review

challenging dark hopeful

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide

luisagerdsmeyer's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Police brutality and Suicide

alexisbashta's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Sexual content, Racism, Suicide, and Miscarriage

tulilipz's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Racism

Moderate: Eating disorder, Abortion, and Police brutality

Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, Animal death, and Drug use

gummifrog's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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 was the first book I wanted to annotate in a long time. The prose was so beautiful, I wanted to savor every second of it. This book explores themes of life and death, creation (in both art and life), intimacy and love of all kinds, and an artist's view of the world. I really fell in love with the characters and although the story was more of a thoughtful reverie as the narrator moved through a period of a few months in which she moved in with the family of the man she was seeing. I ended up loving her relationship with the wife most - that strange jealousy and deep understanding, the push and pull of a person who creates and a person who deconstructs. Anyway, I highly recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Abortion, Blood, Miscarriage, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Excrement, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Alcoholism, and Murder

Minor: Vomit, Gun violence, Car accident, and Animal death

julianicolls's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed the authors writing at times for this book. And it found it to be engaging. I think i would have liked it less if there was less stream of conscious going on. Definitely a lot of overt vs. covert messaging and writing. I liked the exploration of race, generational trauma, human relationships, and how interpersonal relationships affect sexual desires. I just didn’t find the overall storyline to be very compelling and gripping. Going to do some research and literary analysis and potentially update my review

ADDED: changing from 3.5 to 3.75 stars after doing some analysis and reflecting more on the characters. Would have rated higher if I liked the style of writing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Abortion, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Drug use and Suicide

sabmanosa's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful sad tense 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

3.5

I enjoyed this book at the start, then found it tedious, then enjoyed it again. It feels like an extremely personal diary, and the writing is sardonic, dirty, and too honest. I didn’t much care for any of the characters except Akila. 

The power and sex dynamics made me very uncomfortable, and I don’t know if the plot had a point, but not necessarily in a bad way. I didn’t learn anything from it, I just experienced the book. I’m interested in reading some of her shorter works, because I feel like I would enjoy them more with her writing style. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

littlemaggiemae's review

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

a really interesting book i couldn’t put down, but also the kind of book where there is no real plot, things are just kind of happening. but it was good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Racism

Moderate: Suicide and Abortion

vrcreads's review

dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Racism, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Blood, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Drug use, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

kasey_'s review

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Police brutality and Pregnancy