Raven Leilani: Luster (2022, Pan Macmillan)
240 pages
English language
Published April 8, 2022 by Pan Macmillan.
Reminds a bit of “Such a Fun Age”, with more interiority but less propulsion.
I didn’t know much about this going into it and was under a vague impression it was going to be fluffier or something. But it was heartbreaking at times and uncomfortable and I’m glad I read it. That dude though.
3.5 stars. I felt similar to On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous about this book. Very intentional word choices that were a little wasted on me. This was a weird, aimless, painful story. I think the short length worked given that. The narrator’s voice was very effective to me. She’s a depressed, detached person, and the voice reflects that. It might be off-putting to other readers.
