By: Mariah Thomas
There is a beauty to talking about the uncomfortable points in life and bringing power to them. Author Loretta Chefchaouni does just that with The Lustrous Dark. This book tackles toxic motherhood, fighting the patriarchy, addiction, autonomy and so much more in a way that is digestible for teen readers. Knowledge is key and the world of the “Woven Kingdom” provides a way not to only educate the youth but provide a guide of navigation. At its core this is a book of a woman’s survival and reclaiming her power.
Main character Shay has spent most of her life training as a midwife’s apprentice. This provides a stable life, but Shay dreams of so much more. She also has immense trauma of her own to work through regarding her birth as her mother, Hindi, is discovered to be alive after many years. She is also addicted to the magical drug in this universe called “snow.” In a position to choose between the drugs and creating a new life for her daughter, her mother’s addiction wins. This leaves Shay abandoned in a deadly forest with looming monstrous creatures around. The world Shay knows has constantly been teetering between submission and a war of resistance between the men who control the magic and revolutionaries who want to destroy it. Shay eventually learns the truth of how this realm functions and the darkness behind the creation of “snow.” She is put in a tough position to become one of the revolutionaries or go back to a stable life.
As an adult reading teen and young adult books, I love when I stumble upon something I know my teenage self would’ve enjoyed and felt inspired by. At so many points this is a novel that made me gasp and see the real world connections. As a teenager, I know I would’ve felt compelled to do further research and follow lightly in the lead character’s footsteps. A passage that stuck with me was, “She stands. She opens her mouth. She screams. […] A scream for all the women hurt by men with big egos and tiny hearts. A scream for the parts of herself that she gave away before she knew her worth. A scream to remember that injustice is something no one should ever get used to.” What I love most about this book is the power held in Loretta Chefchaouni’s words. There is a great impact for the characters you meet along the way and for the reader as the novel holds many real world ties.
This is author Loretta Chefchaouni’s debut novel and, boy, does it make waves. I instantly found myself ready to continue this story with the planned sequel. Her author bio beautifully sums up her work as “fantastical tales turn grief and fear into myths and monsters and explore all the scary parts of being human within the safe space of stories.” She is a recipient of the Highlights Foundation’s Muslim Storyteller’s fellowship and this is a special book that shows the importance of programs and funding new authors to bring their visions to life.
Every little detail of The Lustrous Dark from the cover to the contents itself to the acknowledgments and more tell a deeper story. This book is wildly political and revolutionary in the best ways. While it brings real world fears into a fantasy space, it does not shy away from the real world pain and trauma. This book provides hope for situations that can feel hopeless, so I highly recommend this to anyone in search of a revolution.