Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Yerba Buena: A Novel by Nina LaCour

109 reviews

lolajh's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

WOW. What a truly beautiful read. Nina is such a talented writer and I’d love to see more adult fiction like this from her because this was beautiful. The emotional journey of Sara recovering from her trauma and Emilie finding stability and their relationship making the both of them better people was just beautiful. Hard to get through some parts (I feel like the s.a. did not have to be that graphic to get its point across), but a lovely ending that made it all worth it. Loved the characters, loved the story, just a truly lovely book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

casdelvo's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction and Sexual content

meg_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really genuinely loved this. As per usual, with most books that I love a whole lot, I have a hard time articulating why. This was beautifully written and reading from these character's perspectives hurt. I felt so connected to Emilie and her family dynamic and her feelings of purposelessness. I also felt so connected to Sarah because her story was so tragically realistic and complicated. I loved these two women and their intertwining stories and the ways in which they grew into themselves and grew into loving one another. I also feel like this book had one of my favorite niche traits, which is soulmate energy. Not overt soulmates, but like these people are so deeply connected from the jump. From the moment their eyes meet or they speak to one another, or they touch and then there is no going back because the world is changed and there is this unexplainable deep connection to this other person. Never explicitly written on the page that they're soulmates, but it has that energy. I love that shit. This was just such a beautiful and painful book and I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent

pale_faced_fear's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

belladonnashrike's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

a solid 4 🌟 - I enjoyed it but it wasn’t perfect. I wish that emilie and sarah’s pasts were more fleshed out

(specifically with the drug plotline in sarah’s past — unless I missed something, it wasn’t mentioned until the end? it felt off)

and I wish that it was longer. I would’ve loved to read more about their relationship.

I loved that how even though they went through semi-similar situations in their past and are still working through it (also wish this was more of a focus), the plant is what really brought them together. I just love that. 

nina lacour writes very beautifully and julia whelan really made her words come to life! this is the first audiobook i’ve ever finished and I would say it’s mostly due to whelan

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

absonfire's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief

ruaruarua's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexual assault

Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

madanxiety's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

An interesting narrative. I liked how it was as much about the characters as individuals (or more so even) than their relationship. In fact, I think by spending so much time on their individual journeys, it made me see them as truly compatible partners.

My biggest gripe was the whole Jacob relationship. It was difficult to be sympathetic of Emily tbh, and I just wanted to get back to Sarah 😂. Like how are you going to knowingly get involved w a married man and then get butt hurt about it? I know there was a power dynamic at play with him being her boss, but still like it was excruciating listening to her literally say "mm, I don't wanna do this" and then do it anyway 😭. But I suppose that was the point. Character growth and all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

bencaroline's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lovealwaysadi's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Terminal illness and Toxic relationship