
Author: Raven Leilani
Published: August 4th, 2020
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Where I picked up my book: Local Indie
My Rating: 5 stars
My Thoughts:
This was truly an intoxicating debut novel. I’m still thinking about it weeks after finishing it. Here are some thoughts I had:
- I LOVE characters that don’t have it all together and by definition, this main character (Edie) is far from having anything together.
- Leilani is beyond a talented writer. She creates sentences that often had me pause to think about the actual sentence structure. It is truly a work of art.
- This is not a light read. It’s definitely dark and gritty and at times, fell into the ‘this is a slightly uncomfortable situation for me’ pile, but nonetheless-I soaked in every word.
- I’m realllllll glad I’m not in my early 20’s and dating anymore (no offense to those of you that are, but oooof)
- NYC is almost a character in her own right. I LOVEEEEE when that happens in a book. Especially as someone who has only been to NYC a couple of times.
- Luster covers a lot of topics (being Black in America, being poor, being young and trying to navigate life, being an artist, growing up in an emotionally abusive home, alcoholism, self-harm…the list goes on) BUT there was not one second that I felt overwhelmed by how much was being confronted in these pages. I keep coming back to this-I think it was because Leilani’s magical writing made it happen with ease.
- There is a lot to unpack in this novel and I hope to get the chance to discuss it with someone asap! Sorry for the rambling mess-but that’d what this book has left me at.
- Go ahead and grab this book. You won’t be disappointed. Have I mentioned the writing?!?!
Bookishfolk…read instead.