Every twenty-something should read Luster by Raven Leilani. It is the perfect storm of the emotion and triviality of being a young person entering the “adult world”.
In short, this book is about a young woman, an open marriage, and the strange bonds that come of it when boundaries are overstepped. All four characters are intertwined in a way I never would have expected upon reading the first chapter, and it was hard to tell in the end who had the largest impact on Edie herself.
Edie was such a lovely narrator. I often wanted to reach into the pages and hug her. It was a comfort to read a character that I so respected and see her struggle with some of the same insecurities I have as a 22-year-old.
I found Edie’s commentary on race, female friendship, and navigating love in the 21st century to be insightful and spot-on. It also challenges the typical idea of marriage and domestic life- a true modern take on love and family. Edie grieves her mother’s death, her lost job, and the artist’s dream she feels she let go of all while realizing that love may not be what she always thought it was. Her confusion and pain become so beautifully wrapped up in her relationships with Eric, Rebecca, and Akila. I couldn’t put it down.
Honestly, I found Edie’s relationship with Eric to be kind of boring, although no doubt it was a catalyst for her self-discovery and understanding of love. I enjoyed seeing Edie’s sister-like bond with Akila blossom, and it was heart-warming to see Akila starting to become more comfortable in her own skin by the end of the book.
However, I found Edie’s curious friendship with Rebecca to be the most interesting. Edie was used to relationships with men, for love and pleasure, but it seemed that female platonic friendship was a never a reality for her. In the beginning of the book we see her failed attempt at female friendship at her publishing job, and when Rebecca seems to take an interest in simply being around Edie, it is comforting in the most peculiar way. Trying to decipher Rebecca’s mystifying attempts at revenge, understanding, punishment, and then bonding with Edie kept me sucked into the novel. The scenes where they reproachfully spent secret quality time together were some of my favorites.
This book is a must-read for young adults, but not just young adults! Leilani’s words are valuable to readers of all ages, and Edie’s perspective is one that I found so remarkable.
Rating: 5/5 cyan paintings
xx, Lauren
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