Reviews with content warning for Blood - Luxúria

I was conflicted going into this because I had read many mixed reviews of the harsh and sometimes vulgar ways in which Raven Leilani describes the life of Evie, but, I completely disagree! This story felt real, honest and appropriately sobering, the main characters graphic language was used at appropriate times and it all served to make Evie feel like a well-formed and fully developed character! I loved this book and the only reason for it not to have the full five stars is because some chapters felt too long and drawn out, but still engaging along the way so I couldn’t deduct too much! A new favourite for sure

Content Warnings

emilykthelin's review against another edition

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dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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macknificent's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

The description for this book makes it sound like a thriller, if that is what you are looking for you will be disappointed.

This is a story about black girls, in white suburbs, who grew up on Tumblr and surrounded by trauma. We are shown who those girls become when they refuse to wear the mask of The Strong Black Woman because it is too restricting and nobody showed them how to adjust for their own measurements.

I loved this book, it was refreshing to see a black woman in the role of Sad Girl and the writing was beautiful. Leilani deserves her flowers on this one.

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sib_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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

1.5

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flossiepalmer's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

Luster is beautifully written and beautifully complex in its depiction of both romantic and platonic relationships. The protagonist and her flaws is the focal point of the book, her insecurities driving her to make impulsive, destructive decisions which continue to leave you hanging at the turn of every page. As the story develops, you as a reader are left not entirely sure what to expect, and the atmosphere within the book is tense, teetering on the edge of complete disaster. This really was a page-turner and a perfect read for those who enjoy complex relationships, miscommunication and character-driven plots.

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