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mpimental's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, and Rape
amberlfaris's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault
klutzykara'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
4.5
I'll definitely check out some of Nina LaCour's other books, as I really liked the writing and characters in this one. Strong 4 rating. It's nice to enjoy a new, unique book after realizing I seem to have disliked a good amount of books so far this year lol. Keep in mind this is definitely more literary fiction/contemporary fiction with some heavy topics and romantic elements, not a "romance" or light book. I like reading stories like this, but others may not.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
hannahmaecox'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
absolutely stunning
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Addiction and Sexual assault
jjreads331's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
2.0
The blurb on the cover called this "A love story for our times." I don't think that kind of lead in could be more misleading. I'm mad the cover is so beautiful since the book was deeply mid for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Blood
sarnacle's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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
4.5
This was one of those beautiful, but heartbreaking, but hopeful books. You know the type. It starts out pleasant enough, but then it makes you sad, but then it redeems itself and the writing is engaging and beautiful and absorbing? That type. I could probably call more than a few of those to mind off the top of my head. Anyway, this is that book.
I saw a lot of positive reviews, but was tentative about putting it on my TBR. Then I saw that Julia Whelan narrated the audiobook and I rushed over to Libby and put it on hold. By the time my turn came up. I’d forgotten that JW narrated it and so I was so very happy to hear her voice when I started the audio. As usual, she does an exceptional job. She makes a beautiful story even more beautiful. (And quite frankly, her narration helps me through the sad parts, too.)
When I say that the writing was absorbing, I really felt like I was there. It helps that I’m a native Angelino (Angelina? No really, folx, I do speak Spanish) and every location, intersection, freeway, even up to the trip up and down I-5 and those landmarks, I recognized. It’s so different experiencing a book when you actually know the locale. There’s even more investment in the reading.
It was a pretty quick read, and I wouldn’t have minded if more pages had been added to focus on Emilie’s sense of identity. And (small spoiler) I was hoping we’d get closure for Grant and Sara. Other than that, the characters were people whose stories you wanted to learn and they were satisfying to the very end.
CW: addiction, drug use, death of a parent, death of a loved one, sexual content/assault
I saw a lot of positive reviews, but was tentative about putting it on my TBR. Then I saw that Julia Whelan narrated the audiobook and I rushed over to Libby and put it on hold. By the time my turn came up. I’d forgotten that JW narrated it and so I was so very happy to hear her voice when I started the audio. As usual, she does an exceptional job. She makes a beautiful story even more beautiful. (And quite frankly, her narration helps me through the sad parts, too.)
When I say that the writing was absorbing, I really felt like I was there. It helps that I’m a native Angelino (Angelina? No really, folx, I do speak Spanish) and every location, intersection, freeway, even up to the trip up and down I-5 and those landmarks, I recognized. It’s so different experiencing a book when you actually know the locale. There’s even more investment in the reading.
It was a pretty quick read, and I wouldn’t have minded if more pages had been added to focus on Emilie’s sense of identity. And (small spoiler) I was hoping we’d get closure for Grant and Sara. Other than that, the characters were people whose stories you wanted to learn and they were satisfying to the very end.
CW: addiction, drug use, death of a parent, death of a loved one, sexual content/assault
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent
hellobillieb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Sexual violence
rowanwithwords'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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Terminal illness
kingrosereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
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
3.0
A sapphic piece of literary fiction that starts off great but falls flat halfway through.
This book starts off the way you expect it to as this kind of sad summer vibe with Sara and Emilie’s adolescent traumas. Sara’s childhood best friend turned girlfriend is found dead in a river which results in 16 year old Sara running away to LA. Emilie, at 15, witnesses her older sister overdose in their home. The books goes back and force between the two POVs and it also switches from their past and present throughout the book. This flow works at times and other times is very clunky. I found myself liking their stories separately but not really caring about their story together.
The book is advertised as being this romantic drama where these two women are connected by this one small thing, and they have to overcome their past trauma to make their relationship work. However, the women don’t meet until the halfway point. They meet briefly and then don’t meet for another year where it then takes a few months before they run into each other again and start a relationship that’s gone on for a couple of months before they hit a (albeit mild) snag that has them both questioning the relationship and their own self-worths. It’s this point that’s lost on me. Their connection is instant which I get and could be on board with, but then it’s all very instalove and high stakes when it’s only been a couple of months. And their entire relationship is brushed over. Which, if this is just literary fiction, say that, don’t advertise it as this romantic drama when the romance is barely in the book, and the romance that is there, is pretty insignificant. These women are 26 and 28, which is relatively young, but they’re acting like they’re 19 and 21.
I did like Emilie’s struggle with her Creole identity and passing, but it’s just kind of brushed over. Just like Sara’s past is brushed over.
The book eventually meanders through these two stories that takes away from the emotional aspect of the book. I’d honestly prefer if this was just their two respective stories to show maybe their hardships so you can connect to them, but make the stories more linear, only jumping back when it’s relevant. Then end with them meeting and leaving it open ended.
It gets points for the first half and actually getting my cold, dead heart to feel something.
This book starts off the way you expect it to as this kind of sad summer vibe with Sara and Emilie’s adolescent traumas. Sara’s childhood best friend turned girlfriend is found dead in a river which results in 16 year old Sara running away to LA. Emilie, at 15, witnesses her older sister overdose in their home. The books goes back and force between the two POVs and it also switches from their past and present throughout the book. This flow works at times and other times is very clunky. I found myself liking their stories separately but not really caring about their story together.
The book is advertised as being this romantic drama where these two women are connected by this one small thing, and they have to overcome their past trauma to make their relationship work. However, the women don’t meet until the halfway point. They meet briefly and then don’t meet for another year where it then takes a few months before they run into each other again and start a relationship that’s gone on for a couple of months before they hit a (albeit mild) snag that has them both questioning the relationship and their own self-worths. It’s this point that’s lost on me. Their connection is instant which I get and could be on board with, but then it’s all very instalove and high stakes when it’s only been a couple of months. And their entire relationship is brushed over. Which, if this is just literary fiction, say that, don’t advertise it as this romantic drama when the romance is barely in the book, and the romance that is there, is pretty insignificant. These women are 26 and 28, which is relatively young, but they’re acting like they’re 19 and 21.
I did like Emilie’s struggle with her Creole identity and passing, but it’s just kind of brushed over. Just like Sara’s past is brushed over.
The book eventually meanders through these two stories that takes away from the emotional aspect of the book. I’d honestly prefer if this was just their two respective stories to show maybe their hardships so you can connect to them, but make the stories more linear, only jumping back when it’s relevant. Then end with them meeting and leaving it open ended.
It gets points for the first half and actually getting my cold, dead heart to feel something.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Pedophilia, Trafficking, and Death of parent