Mini Review Monday: Luster & The Night Swim

Happy Monday, book nerds!

Remember that time I didn’t post for almost a month? Yeah, me neither. 🙈

For real though, I’m sorry for the disappearing act over here. I’m going with the flow during these confusing and turbulent times, but holding it down much better over on my IG. So if you’re missing daily updates, make sure you click this link and give me a follow! 💚

I’ve planned some additional posts to go live this week, so stay tuned for more updates as to my daily shenanigans. In the meantime, scroll on down to check out this week’s edition of Mini Review Monday.

FIRST UP? LUSTER! Click the links for the full synopsis below!

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Goodreads/Amazon/Interabang Books ⬅️ my local indie!

Luster by Raven Leilani 

Title & Author: Luster by Raven Leilani 

Genre: Adult Fiction/Contemporary 

Release Date: August 4, 2020 

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 

Series Details: Standalone

Page Count: 240 pages

Rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS

Fun Fact/Not-So-Humble Brag: ⁣My full review and bookstagram photo was featured in an online article for Marie Claire hyping Luster. You can check it out here!
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“𝐍𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲.”

This ownvoice debut was an obvious pick for my August BOTM box, and I’m so glad I was able to read this emotionally complex snippet of Edie’s life.

Spending her days in a roach-infested apartment in Bushwick, Edie is apathetic to life after only 23 years. Understimulated and underpaided by her job at a children’s imprint, she leans into promiscuous — and destructive — encounters to pass the time. She knows her life could be different, but she’s been conditioned to live in this state of indifferent paralysis.

“𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭.”

Edie begins an affair with a married man, Eric, 23 years her senior with his wife’s knowing consent. And if this book was simply about the turbulent relationship with this mediocre man, I’d say it wasn’t worth the hype. Luckily, Leilani’s MC becomes involved in the daily lives of Eric’s wife, Rebecca, and their adoptive daughter, Akila, and it’s in these relationships that this book truly delivers.

Tackling everything from overt racism and excessive police force to poverty, abuse, family dynamics, suicidal ideation & depression, this compressed chronicle of Edie’s life was near impossible to put down. I devoured Leilani’s unflinching prose in a mere two-sittings, and while I know this book won’t work for everyone, I’m certain it will spark a conversation or two.

This book is messy, chaotic, intelligent, and real. Its modern setting & story felt like nothing and everything all at the same time. I wish I had read it slower because I’m certain there was poetry lost in my speed reading.

TW: Physical/verbal abuse, marital affair, racist language and use of slurs, death of a parent, suicide and suicidal ideation, abortion, miscarriage, police brutality/excessive force, depictions of autopsies, death of a dog, gun violence. 

NEXT UP? THE NIGHT SWIM! Click the links for the full synopsis below!

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Goodreads/Amazon/Interabang Books ⬅️ my local indie!

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Title & Author: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: August 4, 2020  

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press  

Series Details: Standalone

Page Count: 352 pages

Rating : 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advanced physical copy in exchange for an honest review.

“When it comes to rape, it seems to me “if only” is used all the time. Never about the man. Nobody ever says “if only” he hadn’t raped her. It’s always about the woman. If only…”

Intrigued by the opening line, hooked by the end of chapter one, and thoroughly invested by the end of the first podcast episode (an element that truly elevated this mystery in my opinion), I quickly fell captive to the lure of The Night Swim.

Toggling between two narrators, two timelines, and two police cases, The Night Swim tackles a multitude of heavy issues while providing thought-provoking commentary and capturing the zeitgeist of the #MeToo era.

Rachel, a famous true-crime podcast journalist, is sent to North Carolina to cover a divisive rape trial in which the accused rapist is not only the town’s wealthiest “golden boy,” but also on track to be an Olympic swimmer. (Zeitgeisty af, am I right?)

Our other narrator, Hannah, is determined to recruit Rachel into helping her solve her sister’s 25-year-old murder that took place in the same small town. Although her sister’s death was deemed an accident all those years ago, Hannah is finally ready to share the truth that will change everyone’s understanding of the events that led to her sister’s untimely death.

With accurate and addictive podcast episodes, intense and emotional courtroom scenes, and two mysteries on the verge of being solved, this addictive story kept me glued to its pages until the verdict was read.

Covering everything from the injustices in the legal system (and how wealth often plays the biggest role), rape culture, bullying, depression, and suicide, The Night Swim is not an easy read. It’s depictions are detailed and graphic, but never for shock value. It’s a hard-hitting story and one that if you’re capable of handling, I’d highly recommend.

TW: death of a sibling, death of a parent, rape, sexual assault, bullying, cancer, slut shaming, physical abuse, depression, PTSD, suicidal ideation and suicide, underage drinking/drug use, and drug overdose. 

And with two August releases, we wrap another Mini Review Monday post. Have you had a chance to read either of these emotional novels yet? Are either of them on your radar? Let me know below!  

And, as always: Happy Reading!

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