Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

198 reviews

reb_curt's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Drug use

geekybobbin's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Child death, and Drug abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Terminal illness

lovealwaysadi's review

emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Cursing, Medical content, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Minor: Toxic relationship and Terminal illness

gizmorox's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Drug use, and Drug abuse

devmerc's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

erinoco'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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Terminal illness

smillas_tales's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

Vulnerable, inspiring, and unapologetically queer are all things that come to mind when I think of Yerba Buena. I read this back in February and while literary fiction usually doesn’t draw me in, this one did and has stayed with me since! 

This is not a book about queer joy, but it’s a book about the many ways queer joy prevails through hardships. It’s a book about enduring trauma, living with grief, and, most of all, about finding your path in life despite all of it. 

In less than 300 pages we follow the slowly converging paths of Sara and Emelie from their adolescence and well into their adulthood, through all the heartbreaking events they experience and the difficult choices they have to make along the way. This book touches on so many difficult topics, so be mindful of the trigger warnings, but it is so worth the read! 

I often have a hard time immersing myself in character-led stories, but this was an exception. Sara and Emelie are both so realistically flawed and so so lovable. I loved following their journeys, and I was deeply inspired by their willingness and determination to make a life for themselves, to thrive. 

The romance between them was also wonderful, but, considering the time frame of the story and the detail with which their separate traumas and personal growth were explored, it felt somewhat rushed, and it didn’t stand out to me as the strongest part of the story. 

All in all, I adored this book, so whether you’re looking for a brilliant work of literary fiction, something to add to your pride (or all year) TBR, or something to break your heart and put it back together again, I highly recommend this! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Grief, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Child death

mermaid36's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.0

I was enjoying the book for the first half, but the insta-love between the two characters soured the second half for me. It felt especially at odds with how slow-paced the book is in general. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Addiction, and Child death

alaina's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

This book has many scenes with deep rich emotional experiences, but I struggled to care for or root for the main characters. 
This is a story about falling in love but isn’t a romance. 
I wanted the Creole family identity to be explored more deeply. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Sexual content, Death, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death of parent

adrose18's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.5

Lord these poor women - so many awful adults and so much unresolved trauma. I listened to the audio book and read pieces of it in hard copy too. There are parts of it that are very lyrical and lovely but also pieces that were just very frustrating. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Grief