A review by mcdermottcecelia
Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. This book blew me away. Nina LaCour has blown it out of the park with her adult debut Yerba Buena. This story follows two young women as they move from their teens to early adult years and feels like a sort of snapshot into their lives. The characters are well developed and you can really feel connected with them through the artful storytelling. The worldbuilding and setting descriptions were written beautifully, and I could really picture the scenes despite not having been to that part of the country. This book was basically a recipe for a book I normally wouldn't like and then it turned out to be what I expect will be one of my top reads of 2022. This story was so impactful without being traumatic (though you should definitely review the trigger warnings before reading) as you experience the triumphs and tribulations of Sara and Emilie's lives. While this novel has been pitched as a romance novel, it reads more as a literary fiction book with a romance subplot. The romance is not the purpose of the novel, but you can appreciate the story much more when you set your expectations around that going into it. For fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid's Malibu Rising, Yerba Buena is a must-read. Truly phenomenal. Give this a read!

I received an ARC of this book through a giveaway from the Flatiron Books and @readbyfin on TikTok.