Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

104 reviews

aquariusisms's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

mjwhitlock18's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Addiction, Death, and Alcohol

Moderate: Pedophilia, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual assault

Minor: Terminal illness

thisbookrox'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief

Minor: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, and War

kimveach's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

kenzim's review against another edition

challenging hopeful 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

5.0

i think the way this book allows us to get to know both emilie and sara in such intimate ways before

they ever give in to the pull between them

is so unique. this technique really lends itself to a more dynamic story because of the way the reader understands the weight of the ending in the context of the characters’ histories. 

all in all, such a tender and sweet book. i loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Grief, and Sexual content

Minor: Abandonment

caidyn's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Addiction, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

nickoliver's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad 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? No

3.75

I didn't know what to expect when I started this, because literally the only reason this really caught my eye was the fact that it was written by Nina LaCour, whose books I've always enjoyed so far. And to be honest, even after being finished, I still don't know what to feel?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

breanneporter's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

4.25

This is a beautiful novel, and love story. It was hard to get through the tragedy of the beginning, but then it was an excellent and realistic portrayal of two women growing and finding themselves through hardship and heartbreak. There was so much detail packed into a relatively short story. I related so much to Emily, and adored her so much too. There was so much beauty in this novel, so much emphasis on beauty, it made me want to whole heartedly pursue all the beautiful things for myself. It was inspiring and lovely. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, and Sexual assault

rebeccawalter's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, and Sexual assault