Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour

15 reviews

spiides's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

I enjoyed the author’s entry into adult fiction tremendously! Her past writings that shows the young adult’s journeys through pain have always shown maturity, and it was nice to see what Lacour could do once fitting the adult sized shoes on fully. The ups and downs kept me rooting, the mistakes had me reeling, the love had me smiling. 

However, while the duel storytelling together with Lacour’s alluring prose did indeed capture me, they were not strong enough to overshadow the instantaneous love-at-first-sight / lack of connection between our two lovers. Sarah and Emilie’s stories were captivating and harrowing, but never felt quite meshed as one (and at times unfortunately better once separated.) Romance appears to be the main device used to tie our two lovers, but sadly I cannot say it succeeded. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Death of parent

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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

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

becdeluna's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

ecn's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

jensch's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

doubletherazzle's review against another edition

Good writing, nothing bad on the book, just a bit too depressing/heavy  for my current vibe (see content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Emotional abuse

preciouslittleingenue's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

One of my new favorite sapphic stories. A beautiful example of a story that isn’t ABOUT being queer, but has queerness seamlessly woven throughout the same way straightness traditionally can be with no effort. This was a coming of age story for both women, and they just happened to be queer. 

Sara’s plight gutted me. In the beginning, the whole “the only solution is to run away” baffled me, but I’ve come to notice this is a recurring theme in La Cour’s work (We Are Okay comes to mind first, which I also read and loved but have not reviewed yet). And the more Sara’s character was constructed, the more it made sense for her. I have a little brother that I was old enough to help raise (albeit with two parents) and the thought of losing him so young is enough to kill me. So I get Sara, I do. Their reunion was so complicated. It just kept hurting. 

Emilie is almost seemingly less pitiable, but that would be superficial to say wouldn’t it? Being manipulated by an older married man fucks you up big time. I didn’t think I would feel for her as much but god I did. And then I felt like an asshole for judging her as a home wrecker when she was receiving trauma the whole time. I loved the weaving in of her New Orleans culture, loved the rekindling of love between sisters. 

And Sara and Emilie together. I ship it so hard. I know Sara is a mess, and I was so worried all the while that this would be the “I’m too fucked up to be in a relationship” trope but La Cour didn’t disappoint. I know they lived happily ever after. I know they had a sick gay wedding. I love them so much. 

EDIT: do agree with other reviewers, though, that it isn’t a romance. Notice how above I said “new favorite sapphic story” not “sapphic romance.” Because I kind of felt that it was more than a romance before I even read other reviews. It’s really about these women growing, healing, and finding themselves, and the last step to that just happens to include each other. Which I happen to find incredibly romantic. I love it. 

Definitely my favorite of La Cour’s work. Her prose and language is the most beautiful in this one too. Her work always flows beautifully as it’s read to me (I’m an audiobook girlie) but this one was just exceptionally so. Cannot recommend enough. Gorgeous in every way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Addiction

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Infidelity

iriwindel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-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: Addiction, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Sexual harassment