Raven Leilani | LUSTER

 Plot (via Goodreads):

Luster sees a young black woman figuring her way into life as an artist and into love in this darkly comic novel. She meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage. In this world of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics, Edie finds herself unemployed and living with Eric. She becomes hesitant friend to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie is the only black woman young Akila may know.

Review:

WHERE DO I EVEN START?! Luster is equal parts sexy, poignant, and intoxicating. Like an ethereal dream, the minute I finished the first page I just kind of drifted through the novel laughing, gasping, and loving every single minute of it. Edie is on one hand a brilliant narrator and on the other hand, her character is cold and very blunt. I found this book to be refreshing and from the minute I started it, I just loved the writing style and Edie's voice and how the story progressed into what I would consider different genres - it was utterly fantastic. By the end of the book, I was emotional and drained and I couldn't pick up anything else for days...which is exactly how I want a book to leave me. Raven Leilani did a spectacular job with this novel and I will 100% be reading whatever she releases next.

Rating: 5/5