Reviews with content warning for Pedophilia - Yerba Buena

This is a story about two messy, starcrossed women who weave in and out of each other’s lives, and how their pasts, traumas, triumphs, and insecurities influence how they interact with the world and each other. These characters are so full and real with their own complex stories, independent of each other. It’s beautiful and tragic, heart breaking but somehow hopeful. This leans heavily literary and away from contemp romance, but if you want sad sapphic girl energy but with a not sad ending, this one is for you.

Content Warnings

kingrosereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional sad tense medium-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

3.0

A sapphic piece of literary fiction that starts off great but falls flat halfway through.

This book starts off the way you expect it to as this kind of sad summer vibe with Sara and Emilie’s adolescent traumas. Sara’s childhood best friend turned girlfriend is found dead in a river which results in 16 year old Sara running away to LA. Emilie, at 15, witnesses her older sister overdose in their home. The books goes back and force between the two POVs and it also switches from their past and present throughout the book. This flow works at times and other times is very clunky. I found myself liking their stories separately but not really caring about their story together.

The book is advertised as being this romantic drama where these two women are connected by this one small thing, and they have to overcome their past trauma to make their relationship work. However, the women don’t meet until the halfway point. They meet briefly and then don’t meet for another year where it then takes a few months before they run into each other again and start a relationship that’s gone on for a couple of months before they hit a (albeit mild) snag that has them both questioning the relationship and their own self-worths. It’s this point that’s lost on me. Their connection is instant which I get and could be on board with, but then it’s all very instalove and high stakes when it’s only been a couple of months. And their entire relationship is brushed over. Which, if this is just literary fiction, say that, don’t advertise it as this romantic drama when the romance is barely in the book, and the romance that is there, is pretty insignificant. These women are 26 and 28, which is relatively young, but they’re acting like they’re 19 and 21.

I did like Emilie’s struggle with her Creole identity and passing, but it’s just kind of brushed over. Just like Sara’s past is brushed over.

The book eventually meanders through these two stories that takes away from the emotional aspect of the book. I’d honestly prefer if this was just their two respective stories to show maybe their hardships so you can connect to them, but make the stories more linear, only jumping back when it’s relevant. Then end with them meeting and leaving it open ended.

It gets points for the first half and actually getting my cold, dead heart to feel something.

Content Warnings

kimveach's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

Yerba Buena is a stunningly beautiful book. It follows the story of two young women through the trauma of their lives. It is a surprisingly hopeful book as they learn to deal with their pasts. I recommend the audio version as the narration was excellent.

Content Warnings

dan047's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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

5.0

Book contains triggers. I would recommend you find some background information on book before reading.

Content Warnings

bookiesncookies's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging 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

4.5

Content Warnings

caidyn's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful 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

Nina does it again! I really enjoyed this book and the story. At first I thought it would be like her YA novels, then Ioved how it developed in complexity to adult. Navigating relationships and work and school. Creating new relationships with parents. Developing yourself. It was very enjoyable.

Content Warnings

sammies_shelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

michellemm's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

More...