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A review by emilyinherhead
Luster by Raven Leilani
4.0
According to my library loan history, I first checked this book out back in May 2021. The buzz was pretty big at the time, which always piques my curiosity, but after hearing that it was about a messy twenty-something I decided it wasn’t for me and turned it back in unread. Cut to November 2024: it was chosen for The Stacks book club, I checked it out again from the library, actually read it this time, and… loved it.
Edie, the main character, is messy, sure, but not in the way I was expecting. Yes, her love life is in shambles and she isn’t doing great at her job. Yes, she ends up getting drawn into the open marriage of the older (white) man she’s been seeing, and yes, she becomes entangled with his wife and adopted (Black) daughter. On paper, girl, woof. But the mess is not shallow or frivolous like I thought it would be. Edie is an artist who thinks and feels deeply, and I loved getting to know her—she’s making mistakes, but she’s trying so hard to figure her life out. It’s impossible not to care about and root for her. Also, Raven Leilani’s writing is simply beautiful; the fact that this is a debut novel is pretty astounding. I’m so glad it showed up in my life again and I could give it the attention it deserved this time!
Edie, the main character, is messy, sure, but not in the way I was expecting. Yes, her love life is in shambles and she isn’t doing great at her job. Yes, she ends up getting drawn into the open marriage of the older (white) man she’s been seeing, and yes, she becomes entangled with his wife and adopted (Black) daughter. On paper, girl, woof. But the mess is not shallow or frivolous like I thought it would be. Edie is an artist who thinks and feels deeply, and I loved getting to know her—she’s making mistakes, but she’s trying so hard to figure her life out. It’s impossible not to care about and root for her. Also, Raven Leilani’s writing is simply beautiful; the fact that this is a debut novel is pretty astounding. I’m so glad it showed up in my life again and I could give it the attention it deserved this time!