UGH. Not sure who the audience is on this one. ( )

This is my kind of YA book . . .yes, the protagonists are young teenagers, and they talk like they are at least five years older than they are, BUT that's actually what makes this an engaging tale for those of us who have aged out of young adult novels.

Eulabee and her three friends are the classic prep school clique with Maria Fabiola as the "queen bee." In this story, the relationship between Eulabee unravels and the ensuing angst is something any woman who survived their teens can relate to. When Maria disappears, the entire community is aghast, and the reader has the fun of seeing Eulabee try to make sense of it all.

While this story isn't a big on surprises, there's a lot of wit woven into it that makes it stand apart from similar offerings. I look forward to trying this author again. ( )

We Run the Tides is a coming-of-age, loss-of-innocence novel set in Sea Cliff, an oceanside suburb of San Francisco in the 1980s. The narrator is thirteen-year old Eulabee but the real protagonist is her glamorous, rich and beautiful friend Maria Fabiola – “Maria Fabulous” to her male admirers – who is by turns envied and idolised by all around her. Maria Fabiola’s mysterious disappearance, and the upheaval this brings to the community is a watershed moment for Eulabee and her generation, one that will mark her journey to adulthood.

I am a sucker for coming-of-age novels, and although I was still a boy in the eighties (and lived on the other side to the world to San Francisco) I still strongly got the feeling of nostalgia evoked by the author. Admittedly, lately we seem to be getting several novels using the missing person “hook” in the context of a coming-of-age story (I’m thinking, for example of "Marilou is Everywhere" by Sarah Elaine Smith or The Van Apfel Girls are Gone by Felicity McClean). I came to We Run The Tides expecting a riff on the same themes. What I didn’t expect was the humour behind the narration – at times eliciting a wry smile, at others sparking a laugh-out-loud moment. This was a pleasant surprise, and one which gave the novel its particular flavour.

OK, the book might not be perfect. For instance, I’m not sure that the “knowing” voice of Eulabee sounds like an authentic young teenager – it is probably more fitting to Eulabee’s older and wiser persona. Similarly, the event-packed narrative tests readers’ ability to suspend their disbelief, particularly considering that this is ultimately a “realist” novel. But it was still a gripping read – an intriguing mix of drama, mystery and humour.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2021/06/we-run-tides-by-vendela-vida.html ( )

Essentially nothing happened the entire time, the characters were unrealistic (as was the storyline), and I just don't get it really?? ( )

I have previously read a book by Vida over ten years ago. This is a coming of age novel that is totally different than the other book I read. It takes place in Sea Cliff area in San Francisco in 1984. I lived near that area for 27 years so I appreciated the details of the book(probably whey I decided to read it). I enjoyed the narrator, Eulabee, who is a 13 year old going to a private school in this exclusive area. She is funny, insightful, but also a 13 year old an it is fun hearing and seeing the world through her eyes. The story concerns her friends and specifically Maria who is a young beauty and an "heiress" and as it turns out can tell a tall tale. The plot has a few problems but overall this is a worthwhile read that reminds you what a tough time it is to be a 13 year old but also what a great time. Not a long book but very good even better for one who lived in that neighborhood. ( )