Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Luster by Raven Leilani

118 reviews

kerrence30's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Difficult to describe, but it feels so honest you can’t dislike it. The situation is regretful, and the main family of characters are distrustful yet likeable, and although the narrator is honest to a fault, she is somewhat of an antihero. The important plot line is the different experiences of living in New York/ New Jersey for the black and white characters. It is intentionally unsubtle, and well delivered.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Eating disorder and Police brutality

Minor: Drug use, Suicide, and Infertility

bail33's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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 is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I feel like I know the characters, and even though I didn’t particularly like Rebecca, I feel like I miss all of the characters now that I’m done reading because I had such a sense of being there. Leilani’s writing is just beyond incredible. She uses many words to explain things that could be summed up in just a few, which imo goes against the trend in literary writing right now, but because of it I know and love and understand her setting and cast more. There were so many passages that I have highlighted because how how much they inspire me to write. Such a beautiful and meaningful novel.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Abortion, Miscarriage, Suicide, Death of parent, and Addiction

Minor: Blood, Car accident, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship

stellahadz's review

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

I wanted to like this book, but I think the writing style and characterization didn't really resonate with me. Most of the characters felt very flat, which may have been a deliberate choice by the author, but it didn't engage me as much as I would have liked. Still, I think Raven Leilani writes well and if she wrote another novel I would definitely give it a chance.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality, Medical content, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Abortion, Death of parent, and Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder

kikireads1232's review

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

2.0

I just... why? Whyy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, and Toxic relationship

pikkumarja's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

Aluksi suhtauduin kirjaan varauksella; ensimmäinen virke ei saavuttanut sitä shokkiarvoa, jota se ehkä tavoitteli. Kirja muistuttaa kummallisella tavalla Akwaeke Emezin Hölmöä rakkautta.

Kirjasta muotoutui kuitenkin erittäin ansiokas ja tarkkanäköinen tutkielma Ediestä ja hänen suhteistaan Rebeccaan, Akilaan ja Ericiin. Tarinassa käsitellään limittäin rakenteellista rasismia, fanitusta, hyväksikäyttöä ja lohtua ja se muodostaa erittäin erityisen kokonaisuuden.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Abortion

Moderate: Medical content, Police brutality, Death, and Blood

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Abandonment

al_davies_jones's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Slavery, Animal death, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Medical content, Physical abuse, Blood, Infidelity, Addiction, Sexism, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Drug use, and Grief

vagorsol's review

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Racism, and Miscarriage

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Abortion

Descriptions/depictions of depersonalization.

jujuwithbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Racism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Abortion

brotestantethic's review

reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

This was very different than what I was expecting. There’s a lot that’s great to pull from here—the deep dives into power dynamics, the evaluation of duty to others, etc.—but i just did not like how this was written. Some parts read juvenile and others expand into sprawling paragraphs. Too much happens and is brushed over too quickly for the sake of piling examples and metaphors for imbalance of power. Overall this novel was not necessarily entertaining but i do believe will leave a lasting impact. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

taylorsevalia's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, Racial slurs, Medical content, and Stalking