Luster by Raven Leilani

Bookseller: Danielle
Publisher & Year Published: Picador USA, 2021
Book Title: Luster
Author: Raven Leilani
Genre: Literary Fiction, Black Humor
Series: No

Gist: A young Black woman, Edie, meets a married white man online who says he is in an open marriage. The white married couple have adopted a teenage Black daughter, to whom Edie becomes a sort of mentor.

What you expected vs reality? Given the title and jacket stylings, I expected it would be a bit of a "sexy" read, but it was mostly a character study, albeit beautifully written from a fresh perspective.

Takeaways & Reflections: The protagonist is in her 20s and experiences many of the structural issues facing Zennials and younger Milliennials today, such as underemployment, increasing rents, plus the experiences of racism and sexism in the workplace.

Who would you recommend this to? People looking to immerse themselves in an original story but also those interested in the perspective of the "outsider" in a couple's non-monogamous marriage.