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veronicakirchner's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.25
The most content warnings I’ve ever added for a single book. A deeply troubling, heavy novel with some glimmers of hope; these two women’s stories are interwoven tragically and beautifully. I am devastated and heart broken for the main characters and the pain/traumas they have suffered, yet find solace in the simple pleasure and peace they derive from their love for one another.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Pedophilia, Abandonment, and Child death
Minor: Homophobia and Blood
guavadunes's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Drug use, and Addiction
montsett's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual content, Grief, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, and Death of parent
monig's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Spoilers ahead. I recommend reading trigger warnings. I had to take pauses in between.
This book had a lot of potential. It starts off incredibly heavy with all of the drug use, sexual assault, and deaths Sara, Grant, and Emilie face respectively. While I do feel we saw growth within Emilie’s character, I don’t feel the same about Sara at all. The closest we got to it was her crashing her late father’s truck in Eugene’s property, but that is still a quick fix for all she had to endure. I would have loved for the book to explore Sara overcoming her previous experiences and was frankly waiting for her to have an “Aha!” moment but it just never happened. Even when she began opening up to Emilie it felt watered down. It seemed pointless to dive into all of her trauma with no real resolution towards the end.
I also felt this book had a lot of loose ends. Colette, Grant, Spencer. The characters kind of vanished and while I understand they aren’t MC I still felt like it would’ve been nice to get some kind of closure that wasn’t so superficial like the run in between Emilie and Grant. Especially after finding out Spencer was dealing. But I guess that’s the way life actually is. That’s something I like about this book. It’s storyline, at times, was simple in the best way. There was not a huge climax imo but it made it more relatable. Overall I think it was a good read but it felt a bit rushed especially towards the end.
This book had a lot of potential. It starts off incredibly heavy with all of the drug use, sexual assault, and deaths Sara, Grant, and Emilie face respectively. While I do feel we saw growth within Emilie’s character, I don’t feel the same about Sara at all. The closest we got to it was her crashing her late father’s truck in Eugene’s property, but that is still a quick fix for all she had to endure. I would have loved for the book to explore Sara overcoming her previous experiences and was frankly waiting for her to have an “Aha!” moment but it just never happened. Even when she began opening up to Emilie it felt watered down. It seemed pointless to dive into all of her trauma with no real resolution towards the end.
I also felt this book had a lot of loose ends. Colette, Grant, Spencer. The characters kind of vanished and while I understand they aren’t MC I still felt like it would’ve been nice to get some kind of closure that wasn’t so superficial like the run in between Emilie and Grant. Especially after finding out Spencer was dealing. But I guess that’s the way life actually is. That’s something I like about this book. It’s storyline, at times, was simple in the best way. There was not a huge climax imo but it made it more relatable. Overall I think it was a good read but it felt a bit rushed especially towards the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Addiction
scarletellajones's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Addiction, and Chronic illness
mcampbell's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Authors 1st adult fiction. Thought it would be way better than this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Addiction
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing
thisbriannahope's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Addiction, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Death of parent
mx_sunshine's review against another edition
dark
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
3.0
I love the relaxing way Nina LaCour describes spaces. I love how the passions of the main characters were explored. Nina conveys her great appreciation of beauty through her writing. Buildings, drinks, and flowers are romantically described.
I appreciate the many different life events Nina covered. Death, grief, trauma, moving and heartache. I liked the pace of the book. I was surprised at how dark the content was in the beginning.
I feel like side characters weren’t fleshed out beyond their relationship to the main characters.
I would’ve liked to read more about how Emilie and Sarah supported each other. I feel like I understood their passions as a reader, but I would’ve liked the characters to express their admiration for each other.
I really enjoyed Emilie’s development over the book.
Emilie and Sarah spend more time apart in the novel than together. I feel like Sarah was
It would have been interesting to see how Emilie and Sarah discuss and reflect on their class differences. There was a lot of emphasis on Emilie’s immigrant grandparents. But she grew up in a home where she was financially supported. She spends years as an undergraduate in university and finishes with a degree that she doesn’t use.
Sarah mentions she read books that were on a university list.
I want to know how Spencer is doing. It feels like characters are given a happy ending through the establishment of a relationship.
I thought the way Collette’s retreat couldn’t be defined was strange. It felt like an easy way to rush character development.
Emilie’s and Sarah’s experiences with drugs was used as a similarity between them. But this history wasn’t expanded on in how they managed that in the present.
There seems to be a lot of unhealed trauma in this book that people aren’t seeking help for. This makes me wary to accept the “happy” ending.
I appreciate the many different life events Nina covered. Death, grief, trauma, moving and heartache. I liked the pace of the book. I was surprised at how dark the content was in the beginning.
I feel like side characters weren’t fleshed out beyond their relationship to the main characters.
I would’ve liked to read more about how Emilie and Sarah supported each other. I feel like I understood their passions as a reader, but I would’ve liked the characters to express their admiration for each other.
I really enjoyed Emilie’s development over the book.
Emilie and Sarah spend more time apart in the novel than together. I feel like Sarah was
It would have been interesting to see how Emilie and Sarah discuss and reflect on their class differences. There was a lot of emphasis on Emilie’s immigrant grandparents. But she grew up in a home where she was financially supported. She spends years as an undergraduate in university and finishes with a degree that she doesn’t use.
Sarah mentions she read books that were on a university list.
I want to know how Spencer is doing. It feels like characters are given a happy ending through the establishment of a relationship.
I thought the way Collette’s retreat couldn’t be defined was strange. It felt like an easy way to rush character development.
Emilie’s and Sarah’s experiences with drugs was used as a similarity between them. But this history wasn’t expanded on in how they managed that in the present.
There seems to be a lot of unhealed trauma in this book that people aren’t seeking help for. This makes me wary to accept the “happy” ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, Sexual assault, Addiction, Death of parent, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cursing
ada_rosales's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Child death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Rape, Grief, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia
vickyreptile's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
3.5
Me gustó Yerba Buena y creo que me llegó en un momento justo: de vacaciones. Es una novela romántica, sáfica, muy dramática. Los personajes principales, Emilie y Sara, acarrean traumas del pasado: una tragedia en la adolescencia para Sara, una vida en pausa y en la sombra para Emilie. LaCour las construye bien a ambas, lo cual no quita que la historia por momentos sea un poco cursi y, por momentos, lenta.
Yerba Buena es, en definitiva, una novela romántica que juega con cierta oscuridad y con la idea de completarse uno primero antes de poder tener un vínculo sano con otros. Es entretenida, sensual y algo lacrimógena.
Yerba Buena es, en definitiva, una novela romántica que juega con cierta oscuridad y con la idea de completarse uno primero antes de poder tener un vínculo sano con otros. Es entretenida, sensual y algo lacrimógena.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Drug use