Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Luster by Raven Leilani

9 reviews

deeb_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny medium-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

If you have ever been in your twenties, you probably have known someone like Edie. This person is intelligent and talented, but for some reasons (often related to past traumas) they somehow always manage to self-sabotage or run out of luck. It can be frustrating and awful when it happens in real life, but they'll always have a hell of a story, and our thankfully fictional Edie certainly delivers. 

Leilani manages to trace the intricacies of her characters and their interactions with each other-- which is great, because not much else happens in the book. (If you're not really into character driven books, you probably won't like this one.) Edie, Rebecca, Eric, and Akila all feel fully fleshed out, with their occasionally hostile, occasionally tender interactions providing the meat of the story. Even small-seeming interactions tell you something about the characters and their relationships to one another.

"She has terrible handwriting, doesn't she?" he says... He smiles, this small cruelty hanging in the air between us. And though I can tell he feels a little bad about having said it, he seems relieved when I join in. (32)

Although Edie is introduced to the Walkers through Eric, her interactions with his wife Rebecca and their adopted daughter Akila are my favorite parts of the book. Rebecca and Edie share a tense relationship that eventually warms to reluctant camaraderie, and Edie does her best to help try to guide Akila through the rockiness of adolescence made worse by her isolation as a Black girl in a white suburb. Any one of these characters could have been one note-- Eric as a midlife crisis schmuck, Rebecca as a jealous wife, Akila as a precocious child who merely serves to provide wisdom to the adults, Edie as a "misunderstood," traumatized artist. Yet Leilani serves to make them awkward and flawed, but overall well-intentioned.

Edie will likely be polarizing to readers, who might be frustrated watching her make questionable decisions and suffer the consequences

(ex. get fired from her office job for impulsively hooking up with a long list of coworkers)

or be turned off by her cynical and kind of out of pocket behavior. I personally loved her narration and thought that she felt raw and very real. She's certainly been through her share of traumas and is scraping by on the economic margins in a very expensive city, and this background makes her choices seem more realistic. As a narrator, she's sharply observant, raw, and often pretty funny. 

Like most white people who eat beans in the woods undeterred by the fresh fecal evidence of hungry bears, Eric finds his mortality and soft meaty body a petty, incidental thing. I, on the other hand, am acutely aware of all the ways I might die. (11)

I also loved Leilani's writing style, which is poetic and really evocative of both sensory details and interior emotions. However, I can understand why a decent number of other reviewers didn't like it-- if you like a more subdued writing style it will probably strike you as overwrought. At times, the writing style did bother me, generally just during the occasional flow-of-consciousness run on sentence. For me, though, it hits more than it misses.

In the city, there is a smell. Hell's Kitchen, a rotting, fungal fruit. Midtown, smelling of mildew and old pecorino. I forgot that this is what happens in New York when it rains... (200)

Besides complex characters and well-crafted writing, Leilani provides insightful commentary on race, sex, love, and artistry. Why young women "[make] gods out of feeble men." How intergenerational trauma and racialized poverty affect families and continue vicious cycles. Why people make self-destructive decisions when it comes to sex and relationships. The story addresses these issues and weaves them seamlessly into the narrative, with Edie connecting her own story to that of generations of everyday triumphs and tragedies and her relationships with Rebecca, Eric, and Akila fleshing out these themes.

Overall, very enjoyable writing, humor, and commentary, though definitely might be a bit polarizing depending on your taste in problematic narrators and purple prose.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder and Fatphobia

bookishplantmom's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-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

This is a very compelling book. I thought the prose was really beautiful in some passages. I loved the overall tone of the story. This sort of hazy, gritty, slice of life approach to storytelling can be very engaging when done well. And it is done well here in my opinion. The characters are flawed and messy which made them feel very authentic. I found the story engaging and at times really gut wrenching. The characters in this book really go through it in some cases. The one thing I wish is that there had bit a little more emphasis on mental health. It was clear to me that many of the characters were deeply traumatized and at no point does the story speak to how mental health is something that requires as much attention and care as physical health. This book is really powerful in some aspects and is a bit of a gut punch at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Police brutality

Moderate: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual assault

itsbumley's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

The last third of this book saved it from getting a lower rating. While I can appreciate the poetry and extended metaphors in Leilani’s writing, I can’t help but feeling it comes across as rather constipated and convoluted in parts. I quite often found myself completely lost and having to reread to regather the thread of the prose.

The actual premise was intriguing - the commencing few chapters were not particularly enthralling, but the pace did pick up later on in the novel. The portrayal of nihilistic self-destructive sex was raw and ugly, knitted together in a web of nuanced discussions on race, sexuality, feminism and capitalism which I found very interesting and affecting. These are the parts that dragged this book up in its rating.

However, I overall found this to be quite a slog to get through. I powered through the final half in one sitting, and the concluding chapters were immaculately done. But in the end I wasn’t particularly enthralled or interested in Edie as a character.

I stand by my appreciation for Leilani’s prose, and I finish my review with this quote that I found powerful:

I am inclined to pray, but on principle, I don’t. God is not for women. He is for the fruit. He makes you want and he makes you wicked, and while you sleep, he plants a seed in your womb that will be born just to die.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

armontheroad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

LUSTER was 240 pages of pure brilliance. I don’t think it’s possible for me to compile my thoughts on this book. This novel reminded me a lot of QUEENIE but in a US setting. If you’re interested in stories about young Black women making bad choices and just trying to get through life, I would highly recommend these two. LUSTER is a commentary on trauma. I do not suggest it lightly!! It being queer was also a pleasant surprise.

CWs/TWs: Sexual content, eating disorder behavior, calorie counting, racism, car accident, depression, abortion, ableist language, self-harm, childhood sexual assault, blood, police brutality, domestic abuse, fatphobia, sexual harassment, medical content, body gore, suicide, PTSD, racial slurs, body dysmorphia, TERF language, animal death, animal cruelty, miscarriage, blood, etc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

macknificent's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

bethanstanleyy's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense medium-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

4.25

The first thing I absolutely have to say about this book is that the writing is beautiful. There is a sense of realism to every page of the book that really makes the story believable. Edie is a painfully raw and real protagonist with a strong narrative voice that I thoroughly enjoyed, I just wish that she, as a character, loved herself as much as I love her. The book follows her as she tries to navigate her life and relationship with a married older man. A relationship that only becomes more complicated when Edie loses her job and is invited into his home by her paramour's wife. Another character that I really enjoyed apart from Edie was Akila, her lover's adopted daughter.

As for drawbacks to this book, I think that more could have happened in the second half and I'm surprised that it didn't. There was a stretch of pages where it seemed like not much of anything was happening, and though I was never *bored* exactly, I was waiting for the pace to pick up.

Overall, this was a really great, quick read, and if you've been thinking about picking it up, here's your sign!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infertility, Vomit, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Religious bigotry

masscrafter's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Abortion, and Death of parent