Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

64 reviews

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! 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

caitlynva's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

A wonderful book where two women’s separate stories come together as one over a shared location. Each comes with their own struggles and complex issues that leads you to never take a “side” throughout the book. Beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

nerdy_book_mom's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

indydc's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer

rgibbons's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

This book started out rough with very emotional and challenging life situations and didn't really improve from there. Just too heavy for me

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Alcohol

Minor: Homophobia

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Trafficking

Minor: Confinement, Violence, and War

ecn's review against another edition

Too much abuse (and so many types)  way too early on

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Sexual harassment

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

annabulkowski's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ienbdri's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

Was this book realistic or perfect? No. Is it a good read for when you need a sapphic relationship and people that successfully battle their childhood demons? Absolutely. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail