Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Luster by Raven Leilani

8 reviews

kjofalltrades's review

medium-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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Medical content, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Police brutality

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

northernblonde's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

Moderate: Racism, Abortion, and Police brutality

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, and Animal cruelty

innastholiel's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Violence, Suicide, Gun violence, and Vomit

mekaylynn's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Infertility, Eating disorder, Suicide, Infidelity, Cursing, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

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

sloanefg's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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: Miscarriage and Sexual violence

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Animal cruelty

culown's review against another edition

emotional fast-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

adoras's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

Luster is a fascinating novel. It takes the general sort of character and premise that might feel over-done: a twenty-something Millenial-or-Gen-Z in New York City, broke and messy and making mistakes. But the plot and characters here are so specific, and the writing so deliberate and beautiful and funny that it feels entirely new and different. During the beginning especially, I feel like I highlighted at least once a page, because I was so in love with the effortless-feeling style. If the style doesn't work for you, and I can see why it might not, you won't like this book.

This left me feeling melancholy. This is one of those books I love but don't feel that I have a lot to say about, maybe because I need to let it sit with me for a while. I enjoyed going in not knowing too much, although I saw someone compare it to Fleabag and in a lot of ways I think that's perfect. For some reason, I can't quite bump my rating up to five stars, but I really enjoyed this, now want to own a physical copy, and am excited to read more by Raven Leilani.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Cancer and Mental illness