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kenzim's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i think the way this book allows us to get to know both emilie and sara in such intimate ways before they ever give in to the pull between them is so unique. this technique really lends itself to a more dynamic story because of the way the reader understands the weight of the ending in the context of the characters’ histories.
all in all, such a tender and sweet book. i loved it.
all in all, such a tender and sweet book. i loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
iriwindel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
kcbatts's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
franklola's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Cancer
imstephtacular's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Infidelity, Grief, Alcohol, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Child death
Minor: Classism
bookcasey's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There were parts of this book I did not enjoy, not because they weren’t well written but because they were not easy. This is a bittersweet book that will tear at your heartstrings, but it’s a beautifully woven story down to the smallest details.
Do check the content warnings.
Do check the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Terminal illness
Minor: Homophobia and War
This book contains heavy themes, but challenging topics are references and emotional responses more than graphic representations.samkcs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Drug use
jademrosas's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book. THIS BOOK. This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I was super hesitant to give it a try but I immediately fell in love from the first page. Nina LaCour writes with language that transcends print and page. It immerses the reader in sensations of touch, taste, and smell so much so that you might find yourself lingering on these details just to stay in the moment longer.
Before you begin this book, I would like to give fair warning that it is not the romance that it claims to be. A lot of the focus is on our main characters, Sarah and Emilie, and their individual stories that bring them together - and pull them apart. Sarah is a woman running from a past that frightens her, who's torn between what's she scared of and what she loves. Emilie is a woman who seeks to define herself and move forward while feeling the need to remain in place or keep the peace due to family dynamics from the past. Do not let that deter you from reading this book though. Ultimately, Yerba Buena paints an intimate picture of the human experience, our fallibility and our desire to move continuously forward, even as we continue to be knocked down. Though we may find some of the choices or mistakes Sarah or Emilie make frustrating, I think we can also find ourselves in them. In fact, you may relate to the many areas this book explores such as broken family dynamics, drug addiction, death of a loved one, the desire to be loved, and to find ourselves. I personally felt more connected to Emilie and her experiences (like changing her undergrad major 5 times) that made me feel seen in a way I never have before. At times, I felt myself weeping over the same issues that plagued Emilie and then rooting for her as I saw her move on, expand, heal. While I didn't feel as connected to Sarah, I still appreciated the arc of her storyline and felt a weight lifted off my shoulders, even if momentarily, as we neared the end.
While I don't think this is a romance novel in the traditional sense, I would say that I greatly appreciate it in this form. It showcased the love between Emilie and Sarah as tender and imperfect, yet still so rewarding. There's yearning and it's sapphic, I mean... what more could you want? Much of Yerba Buena is written in small, impactful snippets of time. It's through these snippets that the reader gets to see the blossoming love of two young women up until its bittersweet ending.
I did knock half a star off my rating because I found that, even though the book moves relatively quickly through time, it felt like a slow read. It's less than 300 pages overall but with how much is contained within these pages, I do wish it was slightly longer so that we could see more development or discussion in some areas. I also believe this book requires some suspension of disbelief overall, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. Thankfully, the best parts of the book completely outweigh its less-than-best parts.
A beautiful and well-done book. I cannot honestly say enough how much I enjoyed it. If you like Normal People or Conversations with Friends then I think you'll find yourself at home in Yerba Buena. Also, maybe I'm crazy but the storyline and the quick fragments of time reminds me a bit of A Marriage Story with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansen. Finally, if you love star-crossed lovers, complicated characters, beautiful imagery, you'll love Yerba Buena.
Before you begin this book, I would like to give fair warning that it is not the romance that it claims to be. A lot of the focus is on our main characters, Sarah and Emilie, and their individual stories that bring them together - and pull them apart. Sarah is a woman running from a past that frightens her, who's torn between what's she scared of and what she loves. Emilie is a woman who seeks to define herself and move forward while feeling the need to remain in place or keep the peace due to family dynamics from the past. Do not let that deter you from reading this book though. Ultimately, Yerba Buena paints an intimate picture of the human experience, our fallibility and our desire to move continuously forward, even as we continue to be knocked down. Though we may find some of the choices or mistakes Sarah or Emilie make frustrating, I think we can also find ourselves in them. In fact, you may relate to the many areas this book explores such as broken family dynamics, drug addiction, death of a loved one, the desire to be loved, and to find ourselves. I personally felt more connected to Emilie and her experiences (like changing her undergrad major 5 times) that made me feel seen in a way I never have before. At times, I felt myself weeping over the same issues that plagued Emilie and then rooting for her as I saw her move on, expand, heal. While I didn't feel as connected to Sarah, I still appreciated the arc of her storyline and felt a weight lifted off my shoulders, even if momentarily, as we neared the end.
While I don't think this is a romance novel in the traditional sense, I would say that I greatly appreciate it in this form. It showcased the love between Emilie and Sarah as tender and imperfect, yet still so rewarding. There's yearning and it's sapphic, I mean... what more could you want? Much of Yerba Buena is written in small, impactful snippets of time. It's through these snippets that the reader gets to see the blossoming love of two young women up until its bittersweet ending.
I did knock half a star off my rating because I found that, even though the book moves relatively quickly through time, it felt like a slow read. It's less than 300 pages overall but with how much is contained within these pages, I do wish it was slightly longer so that we could see more development or discussion in some areas. I also believe this book requires some suspension of disbelief overall, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. Thankfully, the best parts of the book completely outweigh its less-than-best parts.
A beautiful and well-done book. I cannot honestly say enough how much I enjoyed it. If you like Normal People or Conversations with Friends then I think you'll find yourself at home in Yerba Buena. Also, maybe I'm crazy but the storyline and the quick fragments of time reminds me a bit of A Marriage Story with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansen. Finally, if you love star-crossed lovers, complicated characters, beautiful imagery, you'll love Yerba Buena.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, and Sexual content
kaseybereading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Cancer, Death, Medical content, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
sarahmae531's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A very pure yet heart breaking book. Loved the simplicity of it, I feel like it’s everything I want Sally Rooney books to be. Watching Sara and Emilie facing their highs and lows, both together and apart, felt like a privilege, like a friend confiding a secret.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Drug use, and Death
Minor: Pedophilia and Cancer