Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Luster by Raven Leilani

8 reviews

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.5

Luster by Raven Leilani wasn’t my favorite contemporary novel, but I did like the tension it built throughout. The atmosphere versus the subject matter developed in interesting ways, but still felt true to real life experiences. I wasn’t a fan of the characters in this book, however. None of them felt interested me and I didn’t find myself rooting for any of them. This novel continually made me feel uncomfortable with what I was reading, but it didn’t feel like it was in a productive way. I appreciate books that make me feel uncomfortable as a learning mechanism, but this didn’t feel like it was trying to teach me anything, and if it was it wasn’t clear what the lesson should be. While I liked the writing style, the content of the novel didn’t feel like it was focused. It jumped around a lot and skipped over things that felt like they should be important for others that were maybe not as much. Overall this was a short novel, but it did feel longer than it was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

taylorsevalia's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, and Stalking

kylajaynebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

onion's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Medical content, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Pregnancy, and War

dorsetreader's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, and Medical content

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

raynaaskiverr's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

rebelred7's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

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