Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Luster by Raven Leilani

130 reviews

cko's review

dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. One of those books I read (listened to, technically) in a kind of trance-- in one sitting. It flew by. The characters and relationships were interesting and the main character's observations had a dry humor and unique perspective. The focus on painting and descriptions of color lent another layer of sensuousness to the tensions in these relationships. The slightly bizarre circumstances and watchful neighbor give the novel a slight horror vibe. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gore, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Abortion, and Death of parent

Moderate: Animal death

mcpl's review

challenging emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, and Police brutality

Minor: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent

bookswhitme's review

challenging dark

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Abortion, and Death of parent

ifersinklings's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.0

I have struggled with my thoughts on this book for hours since I finished it. I enjoyed the writing and the way the story was told and how it unfolded, but I just can't figure out what it was supposed to accomplish. There were so many different aspects and nuances to the story that just never felt like anything was given enough time to be fleshed out. Then it ended. It just seemed to end so abruptly without any real resolution. I also struggled with the infidelity as a central theme to this story. That is definitely a personal issue and one that I did know going into this book, but it may have also made me a little bias to the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Death of parent

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Excrement, Police brutality, and Abortion

cassidy's review

challenging dark 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

3.5

This book is so lonely. But Edie’s detached description of the events of the world around her drew me in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Vomit, Police brutality, and Death of parent

foreverbookwandering's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Racism

Moderate: Body shaming and Death of parent

tiffanylooksat's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense 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’m torn with how to rate this book. 3? 4?
I found myself explaining this book as being similar to a new co-worker telling you too much of their business too soon. But, work is slow that day, and their life is trashy, and you’re a bit nosey, so you listen and now their life story is dramatic, and sad, you wonder why anyone would share all of this with someone they just met. So to my surprise, this book became a page turner for me. But the delivery, deadpan IMO, and ending wouldn’t let me give it a 5 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Racial slurs and Death of parent

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

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

Minor: Cancer and Mental illness

cheye13's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

This is a beautifully crafted novel. Every element – stynax, diction, plotline, pacing – is perfect and wholly of the piece itself. Which is why it's practically painful to admit that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. My disappointments can be entirely contributed to my incorrect expectations. It was much darker, heavier, more melancholy than I was necessarily in the mood for or like to read in general.

My critiques, if implimented, would have ruined the book. There was no thread of whimsy to brighten it, which was intentional. The story didn't really kick off until the mid-point, but the depth of the opening was integral. I preferred reading about Rebecca and Akila and wished Eric were less present, but there would be no Rebecca or Akila in Edie's life without Eric.

This novel portrays the tragedy of Edie's reality in the most beautiful way possible, but the portrayal is too faithful to reality for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Vomit, and Car accident

amelreads's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

• 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

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, and Police brutality

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, and Gun violence

Age gap relationship.