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valjeanval's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you would like a master-class in voice, particularly writing the voice of thirteen year old girl, look no further. I don't think I've ever read an early teen thought process that worked as well as this one. I think I generally shy away from "coming of age" stories because they so often feel trite. Eulabee's voice is that perfect intersection of intelligent immaturity that I feel really captures this age. The flash forward at the end is also inspired. Just a fantastic piece of fiction that I'd recommend to just about anyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Suicide, and Bullying
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
room334's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I think this a very, quick good book that held my attention the entire time. Super solid, but not something I see myself thinking about a lot or leaving a big impression on me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
michelleka's review
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Suicide
headachesince03's review
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
hakaruhonou's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pedophilia and Drug use
Minor: Suicide
_karandrea12_'s review
It had a disturbing feel which I am not in the mood for at present. Not a badly written book by any means, just not for me at this time.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
akchanda's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
I adored this book. Vida perfectly captures the logic-defying, embarrassing thought processes and the difficulty of many friendships in adolescence. I loved Lulabee’s narration - her complicated independence and (in her eyes) maturity combined with her naivety reminded me of myself as a teen. Her narration made me laugh out loud. I also have a soft spot for San Francisco, so loved the descriptions of the Sea Cliff neighborhood and the city.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
readingwithcats's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Minor: Suicide
bowlofnicole's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
girlonbooks's review
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
🛹🛹🛹 (three stars as rated in the oblong shape of Keith's skateboard floating in the waves)
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.
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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Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Suicide
Minor: Murder and Death