I felt so let down by this one. I had heard so many good things so my expectations were a little high.

I will say the actual writing is beautiful: the author speaks with beautiful prose. Everything described vividly. I wish I was just more invested in the story. I didn’t get attached to any of the characters except Akila. The main character Edie just seemed cold and distant. Eric was weird and I couldn’t figure out why Edie or Rebecca were enamored with him.

The casual violence that Edie seemed okay with I couldn’t understand. What she found in the monopoly box seemed important towards the end but then went nowhere.

I just found myself bored.

Raven Leilani's debut novel LUSTER follows a young Black woman as she navigates life as an artist and gets involved in an open marriage. Roxane Gay calls this "uncomfortable and stressful and beautiful and haunting and honest and ugly," and I couldn't agree more. I devoured this book, trusting Leilani at each twist and turn, and appreciated her insights on race and class and art. Edie is a deeply complicated individual, and she gets in your face from the very first page, trying to make you share in her loneliness. It's tangible. It's uncomfortable. It's heart wrenching. And even though the things she shows you are messy, you are rooting for her all the way. A truly exceptional debut novel; Leilani is one to watch!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Not my favorite book I've read. Mostly the whole situation was just super odd and felt really disjointed and stilted. I know that it was meant to feel uncomfortable, but I'm not sure that the writing style was meant to feel that cold. I also found some aspects to be very unrealistic- maybe it's just me but I don' t know anyone who's slept with a single coworker let along 5+ within two years at a job.

The best parts of this were the relationship between Akila and Edie and the short length.

This one was a hard one to review. I was excited to read it after seeing it be compared to Girls and Insecure, two of my favorite shows. Unfortunately, I didn't get that vibe. To me, the author was trying a little too hard to be edgy and some of the scenarios just seemed forced and not really relatable. With that being said, he writing was beautiful and I can't wait to see what this new author does next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me provide my honest feedback in exchange for an ARC.

Luster is an interesting novel and perhaps I'm in the minority in that I didn't find it entirely enjoyable, but rather only somewhat readable. Indeed, the rave reviews are spot-on in that it is a timely exploration of race and class relations in our culture and the power dynamics that are inherent therein. That said, nothing here is particularly enlightening, or even novel, for that matter. I also found the course of events highly unlikely, inapposite, unbelievable. Even if we suppose that the wife agreed to an open marriage (we have no reason to think otherwise), it's SUPER unlikely that she would invite her husband's mistress to live with them while he's out of town for business. Even if, we suppose, that her rationale for doing so is because she's seeking insight/advice/help/support for her Black daughter (the MC is Black, the daughter is adopted, parents are white), are we really supposed to believe that this is how its all going down?

Side note: With regards to the daughter and MC's interaction with the police, I felt that other novels have done a better job of evoking the emotion, empathy and understanding of that experience as a Black (wo)man, i.e., "The Hate U Give." And if we're looking for a novel that explores race and class relations, I can think of at least a few other novels that do it better; at a minimum do it more believably. (This isn't sci-fi or dystopian fiction, we are supposed to believe this is possible, right?)

On balance, I found the subject matter interesting and relevant to what's going on in our country right now, but the execution just wasn't for me. Luster felt like a really long diary entry, but colder and lacking any relatable emotion (other than being young and broke), interspersed with some dialogue, and endless run-on sentences. I dunno, perhaps I'm not the right audience for this type of writing.

Kudos to Ms. Leilani for her effort.... but for me, it's a pass.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an ARC of this novel.

I ran a review of this book in our 11 newspapers and websites. I ran a review of this book in our 11 newspapers and websites. I ran a review of this book in our 11 newspapers and websites.

Review // Luster by Raven Leilani
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The Facts: Contemporary fiction, Black Lit
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The Feel: Slow-Burn, Character Driven, Lyrical, AWKWARD!
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The Focus: Edie's in her early 20s and everything's falling apart. Let go from her job and unable to pay rent at her Brooklyn apartment, she takes up residence in the New Jersey home of Dan, her much older lover... and his wife.
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Things To Know:
✨ "You're kind of aloof" he says, and all the kids stacked underneath my trenchcoat rejoice."
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That may be one of my favorite lines of ALL TIME. So funny and so relatable. Leilani's writing was exquisite, and I loved the stream-of-conscious style.
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✨ This may be The Great Millennial Novel. Leilani touched on it all - feminism, toxic masculinity, race relations, white fragility, workplace expectations, friendships and relationships. She even drank La Croix and drove for Postmates. It wasn't pretty, but Leilani perfectly captured that time in your early twenties when you're trying to get your life together, but the world is seemingly working against you.
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✨ Luster was a brilliant character study, and I freaking loved Edie. She was a mess and made terrible decisions (I wanted to yell at her to STOP so many times), but I really felt for her. I watched an interview where Leilani explained how most Black female protagonists are strong, fabulous bosses (rightfully so), but Edie was the opposite. She was slightly neurotic. A bit of a nerd. She had IBS. She was unique and hilarious and I really wanted to hug her.
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✨ I kept wondering why Edie wsnted to shack up with this middle-aged white man, who was insecure and dopey and had pit stains in half his family photos. Also, why would his wife invite her husband's young mistress into their home? WHAT?! Well, misery loves company, and when you have nowhere else to go, you make desperate decisions. The fact that Eric and his wife adopted a Black teen who had no connection to her culture added a whole 'nother level to the story. Brilliant.
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Read if you like:
✨ Girls
✨ Insecure
✨ Being uncomfortable
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Read this, especially if you're a Millennial!

This novel REALLY didn't work for me, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it won't work for anyone. If you enjoy intentionally self-destructive main characters and stream-of-consciousness perspective, you might like this one. I've seen it compared to Queenie and My Year of Rest and Relaxation, both of which I've read and didn't enjoy. I think those are fair comparisons, as the main characters and tone are very similar.

I liked the premise of this book far more than the execution. The idea of a contemporary thriller about a millennial black woman entering into an open marriage between two upper-class white people sounds fascinating. Unfortunately, the potential for a great story gets lost in the main character's lack of self-awareness and the detached writing style. At the 60% mark, I find myself not caring about what happens next as I'm not connecting with any of the characters and the plot is buried in too many heavy-handed metaphors.

Beautifully written and mesmerizing, at times overly so, "Luster" might leave a reader more intrigued by the author and their prowess than the plot itself. However, I'm eager to read Leilani's future work and am in awe of her talent.

I really, really enjoyed this book. The format and writing style were different, but it really added to the reader's experience of the character and how she was feeling. This book was nothing I expected but truly kept me reading. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon and Instagram.

LUSTER
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫/5

The author, Raven Leilani is a new writer in fiction, and her writing is absolutely beautiful. The story is of a young black woman living in NYC. She finds herself broke, without a job, and in the middle of a suburban white couples open marriage. The book grabbed me hard in the first chapter, and then lost me as the book went on. Again, the writing was very vivid and impressive especially for a first time fiction writer, but the story line fell flat for me.

Thanks to the Publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced readers ebook of this novel for a fair and honest review.

Sometimes I wonder why I use NetGalley because it feels like most of what I get approved for are mediocre stories desperate for attention. I was pleasantly surprised when I read this because it was one of the exceptions. I was hooked almost immediately. Do you know that feeling of when you start a book and you realize this is exactly what you wanted? That's what this was for me. Not only is the writing fun and easy to read, the story is fascinating.

It follows the sexual exploits of a young black woman and her involvement with a married man in an open relationship. It deals with the issues that can arise in this kind of situation as well as the sexism and racism and women have to deal with.

No one in this book is perfect, least of all our main character. She is a women who thinks she knows what she wants and unabashedly goes for it. Some of what happens is cringy, but that is life. I loved the story and the complexity of the relationship.

It reminded me of Queenie, but I enjoyed this a lot more.

If the premise sounds intriguing, I highly recommend. Fantastic book and I can't wait until Leilani comes out with her next book!

I was fascinated with this novel about a young black woman in New York who has an affair with a married white man. He is married to a black woman and they have an "open marriage." The narrator winds up as a mentor of sorts to their young daughter. This was so interesting on many levels, from questions about class, race, marriage, sexuality, medicine and art. So well written and wise, as well as funny and moving. It captures being young in New York very well, and the way in which young people, especially African American women, can be taken advantage of because of their race and gender. I am so glad I read this and look forward to whatever the author writes next!

I am in the minority here I guess but I didn’t care for this book. Felt like it rambled on. No real plot. And the ending was flat. I’m disappointed because I had heard great things.

After hearing mixed reviews, I knew that I was interested in getting this into my collection. I don't really know what I was expecting, but what I got was so much more.

Edie is a young, twenty-something girl living in NYC and trying to get by. She lives in a shitty apartment, has a job she doesn't like, and is hopping from man to man. After striking up an online relationship with a 40-something man, Eric, who is in a open marriage, Edie's life is turned on its head. Losing her job, her roommate and then apartment, turns into Edie having to move in with Eric and his family. And as one could imagine, is not an ideal situation.

Now there were a few things that I was slightly hesitant about throughout the story. The parts where Edie is wanting Eric to hit her kind of make my skin crawl. This happens a few times throughout the book and just wasn't for me. Otherwise, I liked everything else about the book. I felt like Edie, though slightly an unlikable character, was very authentic. Many times when reading about a young girl in the "Big City," I'm left thinking that the story would never in a million years actually happen. This just felt real.

Though I know that this type of story is not for everyone, which would normally include me, I highly recommend it. I flew through it in less than 24 hours (which never happens).

This is an exceptional debut. It's uncomfortable, unfiltered, and uncompromising. This book may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed reading it and I look forward to Raven Leilani's next book.

Luster follows Edie, a struggling 23 year old whose fired from her dead end corporate job for misconduct. She quickly gets involved with an older man enthralled in his own mid-life crisis, and when she’s later evicted, moves in with his family and becomes a sort of live-in babysitter for their adopted daughter. Gorgeously written and at times painful to read, Luster provides a fascinating but brief examination of race, class and sexuality in modern America.

This is a story about a twenty-something black woman who is adrift. There’s an older man in her life, with much drama surrounding her affair. She has job problems. And she loves to paint. The plot is so unique and intriguing, that for a long while, I couldn’t put the book down. The sentences themselves are mesmerizing, and I kept marveling at how the author could be so skilled. The story, and the writing, are off-beat and compelling. I thought for sure this book would be my favorite book of the year.

At the 50 percent mark, however, things got a little boring. There was some description of video characters and Comic Con, and that didn’t interest me. There were also some stream-of-consciousness sections that seemed too long.

Still, I recommend this book—for the writing and the plot. I just think the second half could have been edited so that the plot stood out more.

I will definitely be in line for the author’s next book. She has an amazing voice.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

‘Luster’ is well-written, fascinating novel written in the perspective of Edie, an aimless, detached 23-year old living in New York. She begins a hot and cold relationship with an older married man from New Jersey and becomes entangled in his personal life. The plot was very unexpected and I had no idea what might happen next. The observations are at times hilarious and very dark. Reading in Edie’s perspective brought me back to my twenties and the numbness and uncertainty I felt. Edie acts carelessly and is seemingly unaware of or simply doesn’t care about the consequences that may result. The writing style drew me in and there was not an ounce of fat in the text. I can’t wait to see what Raven Leilani writes next.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for providing this ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up

As if your twenties isn't hard enough: working a boring admin job, living in a less than ideal apartment in Bushwick, and inappropriate sexual encounters at work, Edie gets involved with a married man in an open marriage - with rules. She finds herself slowly getting intertwined with his wife and adopted daughter.

A coming of age story learning about what it means to believe in your talent, trying to make sense of your life, and the unexpected influences that help you find your way.

The writing in this one is beautiful. I found myself reading slower than I usually do to savour the writing. Leilani (a debut author, honestly cannot believe it based on how beautiful and sophisticated the writing is) does a masterful job portraying Edie's loneliness and want for belonging. The more I think about it though, all of the characters in the book represent varying degrees of loneliness, and come together and forge relationships in unexpected ways.

I don't really know what else to say about this one other than it is a beautiful debut!