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jaealey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
mackinley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse
heademptybookcasefull's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
juanita's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, and Racism
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
- 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
As for drawbacks to this book, I think that more could have happened in the second half and I'm surprised that it didn't. There was a stretch of pages where it seemed like not much of anything was happening, and though I was never *bored* exactly, I was waiting for the pace to pick up.
Overall, this was a really great, quick read, and if you've been thinking about picking it up, here's your sign!
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Police brutality
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infertility, Murder, Vomit, and War
Minor: Religious bigotry
mklein319's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Police brutality
carolinehope96's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Racism, and Police brutality
Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion and Suicide
gabyaponte's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Miscarriage and Racism
Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcoholism and Police brutality
bentonnnn1's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction
spaghettireads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Luster is told from the perspective of Edie, a Black 20-something living in New York, who gets involved with a married couple who have agreed to have an open marriage. The story goes further and deeper than just a messy marriage though, with discussions on race and misogyny included in Edie’s narrative.
I thought what Leilani did particularly well was the level of detail provided. The narrative jumps from event to event quickly, and often there are few details given. There is just enough detail given to get the story across, and make insightful observations, but few enough that sometimes the reader has to make assumptions and guess at what happened.
If you enjoy fiction about the millennial experience, I would recommend picking this up if you haven’t already. While parts of it are uncomfortable to read, I think that Leilani pulls the story together well.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Animal death