Luster: A Novel
von Raven Leilani
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA New York Times Notable Book of the YearWINNER of the NBCC John Leonard Prize, the Kirkus Prize, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the VCU Cabell First Novelist AwardOne of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2020A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The New York Times Book Review, O Magazine, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Shondaland, Boston Globe, and many more!"So delicious that it feels illicit . . . Raven Leilani’s first novel reads like summer: sentences like ice that crackle or melt into a languorous drip; plot suddenly, wildly flying forward like a bike down a hill." ―Jazmine Hughes, The New York Times Book ReviewNo one wants what no one wants.And how do we even know what we want? How do we know we’re ready to take it?Edie is stumbling her way through her twenties―sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage―with rules.As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren’t hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric’s home―though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows.Irresistibly unruly and strikingly beautiful, razor-sharp and slyly comic, sexually charged and utterly absorbing, Raven Leilani’s Luster is a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life―her hunger, her anger―in a tumultuous era. It is also a haunting, aching description of how hard it is to believe in your own talent, and the unexpected influences that bring us into ourselves along the way.“An irreverent intergenerational tale of race and class that’s blisteringly smart and fan-yourself sexy.” ―Michelle Hart, O: The Oprah Magazine
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Luster: A Novel
von Raven Leilani
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA New York Times Notable Book of the YearWINNER of the NBCC John Leonard Prize, the Kirkus Prize, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the VCU Cabell First Novelist AwardOne of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2020A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The New York Times Book Review, O Magazine, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Shondaland, Boston Globe, and many more!"So delicious that it feels illicit . . . Raven Leilani’s first novel reads like summer: sentences like ice that crackle or melt into a languorous drip; plot suddenly, wildly flying forward like a bike down a hill." ―Jazmine Hughes, The New York Times Book ReviewNo one wants what no one wants.And how do we even know what we want? How do we know we’re ready to take it?Edie is stumbling her way through her twenties―sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage―with rules.As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren’t hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric’s home―though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows.Irresistibly unruly and strikingly beautiful, razor-sharp and slyly comic, sexually charged and utterly absorbing, Raven Leilani’s Luster is a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life―her hunger, her anger―in a tumultuous era. It is also a haunting, aching description of how hard it is to believe in your own talent, and the unexpected influences that bring us into ourselves along the way.“An irreverent intergenerational tale of race and class that’s blisteringly smart and fan-yourself sexy.” ―Michelle Hart, O: The Oprah Magazine
Aktuelle Rezensionen(2)
Rezension von Julie KuhnFirst read of 2026 (and - after over 5 years of being a Goodreads member, finally my first review, yay)! Still on the fence whether to rate Luster a 3.5 or 4 star read, leaning more towards 4 for now though. I was really enjoying Leilani‘s prose (which at time felt almost dream-like, maybe speaking to the narcotics and drugs Edie consumes throughout the story?) , it made the story both highly readable and moving. Edei‘s life falling apart right before our eyes made me feel anxious at times, however this was countered tastefully by the dry and dark humour Leilani spread throughout the story. The struggles of a Black mid-twenty year-old woman living and trying to survive in New York City, sharp societal critique, as well as a commentary on modern-day relationships and trauma shape the story. All in all I found Luster to be a truly enjoyable read, however I found myself struggling to truly get lost in the story. This might have been due to me listening the novel as an audiobook and its subpar quality (not the narrator, I truly enjoyed her, but rather the background noises audible, clearly detectable cuts and overall terrible audio quality). Currently debating on whether to acquire a physical copy and rereading to see if my opinion changes.
Rezension von Carlos R. DiazThis debut novel is about anger, hunger, agency, art and empathy. Young people amid the era of social media, mob justice and crippling student loans have it tough. They're simply meandering through life. This novel is a time capsule, capturing the now perfectly well, reflecting it to the empathetic reader clearly. There were passages that were both gross and gorgeous, often times in the same sentence. Art challenges us and I'm elated young voices are rising to meet that challenge. I enthusiastically recommend this book.