A review by monalyisha
Luster by Raven Leilani

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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

3.75

I waited too long to review this novel. But what stands out, above all else, is that the prose is captivating & full. I started out thinking I was going to LOVE it…but the weight & unexpected pattern of the sentences lost me partway through and I ended up just really liking it, instead. It’s about a young, unsuccessful Black artist who gets involved with a couple in an open marriage. When she loses her job, she unexpectedly moves in with her lover, his wife, & their adopted, Black daughter.

I liked that the text felt modern, & culturally (& pop culturally) relevant. I loved that Rebecca, the wife, totally upends expectations for what you’d expect a woman in her situation to be like. She’s sharp, edgy, & kind of dark; she’s trying, & failing - but that doesn’t mean that she’s always (or even often!) likable. And, it’s not really about her. At all! 🙈 She’s not even the main character. I’m not trying to center a white woman in a Black woman’s story. I just found her so deeply strange that I can’t help but focus on her. 

What this story *is* about is the following: Art, privilege, using people, class, racism, sex, pleasure, casual violence, isolation, failure, mediocrity, evolution, & growing up (even - & especially - when you’re already grown).
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