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cassandrareadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Eulabee and her family are quite likable and I think it’s due to the fact that they live in an extremely wealthy neighborhood but don’t come from money. Both parents had to work for their money and status in society. Other characters are descendants of the Mayflower or heiress to fortunes. Eulabee’s mother is from Sweden and her dad is American (Hungarian descent).
Eulabee remains true to herself always. She isn’t defiant or overly rebellious, and is rather an honest and truthful person who is not easily swayed by the affluent people in her town. She is a thirteen year old girl who attends an all girls private school, so there is some naivety that comes with that kind of upbringing. However, she’s much more smarter than people perceive her to be. Perhaps it’s the real reason why she’s ostracized. Her suspicions about the kidnapping are true.
Everything surrounding Maria Fabiola and her disappearance comes full circle in the last chapter. She lies for attention and she lies because something deep inside of her feels she is lacking. All the money doesn’t matter if you can’t be your true self.
Expectations for this novel: enjoy the story and enjoy the characters. Do not expect a plot twist or to have a visceral reaction.
I feel like this book was going to be like season 1 of the Hulu show Cruel Summer but it did not have that plot twist I was looking for. There was no tension building.
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Death, and Death of parent
headachesince03's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Suicide, Sexism, Blood, Bullying, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Racism, and Rape
Minor: Homophobia and Outing
hannakutlu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
raelin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It was very slow moving and the plot seemed secondary to the story of growth we suppose Eulabee gets out of it. From the description I was expecting a lot more plot and mystery, I did not find much. I think if I had gone into without that preconceived notion I would have enjoyed the story a lot more.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Death of parent
samvanz12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
girlonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Eulabee has never thought of her life as terribly exceptional. Like every other latchkey kid in the 1980's, Eulabee spends the hours after school and on weekends roaming the neighborhood with her best friend Maria Fabiola. Maria Fabiola is one of the richest kids in Sea Cliff, the upscale San Francisco neighborhood where they both live. Maria Fabiola is pretty and popular and Maria Fabiola always gets her way. When Maria Fabiola goes missing on her way home from school one day after a falling out with Eulabee, everyone in the neighborhood is naturally sick with worry. Everyone except for Eulabee, that is. The police call it kidnapping, the news calls it a local tragedy. Eulabee calls it the biggest sham her former best friend has ever pulled off.
"Separately we are good girls. We behave. Together, some strange alchemy occurs and we are trouble."
I first came across this book when researching new releases in February and fully intended to eventually read it but, full disclosure, seeing that Marin Ireland narrated the audio book is what pushed it to the top of my list. As with Leave The World Behind, Ireland's voice carries this book to an entirely different level and I can't imagine experiencing the story without it. She is just that good.
This book is written exquisitely. The prose itself is dynamic, illustrative and even harrowing at times while expertly maintain the whimsical ethos of a teen aged narrator living in a sheltered upper-class American neighborhood in the 1980's. For that I am in genuine awe of Vendela Vida's ability to capture the nostalgia of time and place - one which I have no personal experience with, at that - and forget it into something so perfectly familiar to me that I devoured the entirety of her novel in less than 24 hours. I saw myself in so much of Eulabee and even, truth be told, in Maria Fabiola at times. I think there are relatable traits in the worst of this book's cast of character which is precisely what made the entire thing so deliciously alluring to me.
This book is described as a mystery and even as a thriller. I would, however, classify We Run The Tides as contemporary fiction the likes of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng and Trust Exercise by Susan Choi. It is a story of teenagers that is written as much for adults to enjoy and relate to as for their younger counterparts. And, admittedly, that is my absolute favorite genre of fiction.
✨ Rep in this book: n/a
✨ Content warnings for this book: death, suicide, kidnapping, drowning, murder, sexual content, bullying, vomiting, blood, fatphobia, trauma, death of a parent, drug use, pedophilia, sexual violence, toxic relationship
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Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Murder and Death
briwithabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
While Eulabee and her friends were definitely more brazen than I was at that age, I could totally connect with and understand the things they were going through. The early teens are such a tumultuous time for any young woman. This book covered several important and heavy topics, and my heart hurt for Eulabee and some of the things she endured.
Though her character was over the top, I have no doubt that there are plenty of real Maria Fabiolas in the world. I had a "Maria" in my life as a kid, just not to the extreme of the character in the book. But I really respected Eulabee for the way she handled that relationship, when it would've been so much easier to go along with her friend and keep the peace.
This was a quick and enjoyable read, and I thought the ending was perfect. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a coming of age story or that is nostalgic for the 80's.
Thank you to netgalley and Ecco for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
Moderate: Bullying and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Blood