I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written and the story was compelling. I always look forward to work by this author.

An eccentric coming of age story set in San Francisco. This one felt a little slow to me and the depiction of 13 year old girls in the 80s (of which I was one) seemed a little different than I recall. But, the writing and storytelling is beautiful and makes me want to go visit San Francisco again.

Such an enjoyable read! This novel hits so many right notes. Set in San Francisco in the 1980s, this is a coming of age story of female friendship and betrayal. Well-developed, believable characters carry the story, but the plot is intriguing as well (and if you were a teenager in the 80s, you'll enjoy many of the references to things you remember as well). Definitely worth your time---solid, satisfying ending as well. I'll be looking for more from this author. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

A haunting read that places the reader in a highly specific time and place. The heavy nostalgia cuts the tension. The writing will bring readers back to adolescence and the unsettling feeling of not quite fitting into your own skin.

A clever, funny coming of age story that reliably illustrates the drama and complexity of 13-year-old girls and their friendships and social lives. Set in the 80s in an affluent San Francisco/Marin town, Eulabee and Maria Fabiola are essentially frenemies whose relationship suffers the highs and lows of young adolescence. Some of the dramas faced are juvenile, while others are very much adult with real consequences, and we see how the two girls navigate the situations differently. While a little slow to build up, by the end you want to know more about the girls and the reality/imagination they live in.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. It just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure why I just couldnt get into it.

This is such an accurate coming-of-age story about 13 year old girls growing up in the very atmospheric upper class neighborhood of San Francisco. The author did such a great job portraying the girls that it took me right back to third grade. The story is really about Ulabee navigating her difficult teenage life and struggling to maintain friendships while watching them lose their innocence. It all came together and bundled into a deeply powerful story that was exquisite in its telling.

this gave me the push vibes. a little suspense and mystery mixed with regular ass people living their regular ass lives. short chapters, short book. loved the prose!

themes of teenage girl friendships and the complicated nature of them. the danger of lying, along with the losses that come when you won’t participate in the lies. the changing nature of cities and impacts on residents when the changes come. coming of age.

it’s not perfect but i really liked it! curious to read Vendela Vida’s other novels.

I always love a good coming of age novel and We Run the Tides did not disappoint!

I think the author did an excellent job of keeping the character well rounded in both dramatic and not over the top. I felt as if readers could really connect with the character because of that.

A gripping and insightful coming of age story complete with mystery, intrigue, and all the aches and pains of puberty. What I particularly loved about this book was the voice of the main character as she navigates the highs and lows of middle school life in an all girls school. The perspective on female friendship, truthfulness, deceit, and the complexity of being a twelve year old girl was on full display in this book. I resonated with this main character in a big way, and when a book can make you feel seen it is a gift.

We run the tides is an interesting coming of age tale documenting friendship, feuds, and tragedy - or is it tragedy. The author fully encapsulates female friendships - while I do not know much about boarding school life, I saw my childhood friends and I in these characters.

This novel was soooo beautifully written, authentic to the time and place (80s San Francisco/Marin). The cast of characters were absolutely vibrant, and our narrator is hilariously precocious, snide, yet prematurely jaded. I think creating such a strong, genuine voice for Yullabee was difficult but the author pulled it off quite well. I don't think the book accomplished any social commentary but it was a wonderful escapist novel, and I loved the dichotomy of clueless adults and precocious children. Maria Fabiola and Yullabee are among my favorites, and the development of the plot was fantastic, but even better were Yullabee's thoughts on it all. I highly recommend this as a beach read

This was a good story about coming of age and how things can change over a small incident. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the 80s references.

While one could describe this book as a mystery, I'd rather summarize it as a book about female bonds. Friendship. I loved reading about the friendship between Eulabee and Maria. There was such a sense of warmth and camaraderie between them. They were what every girl should have. The best of friends. Definitely recommended.

“We Run the Tides” is a phenomenal coming of age story that doesn’t shy away from the less than glamorous everyday yet dramatic lives of 8th grade girls. The story is told entirely through the eyes of Eulabee, a tremendously smart, astute, awkward and humorous girl. She grows up Sea Cliff, San Fransisco attending an exclusive all-girls private school alongside her 3 best friends.

All is well until it isn’t. When Eulabee decides not to go with the flow and fabricate a story, she finds out quickly how fast friends can turn against you. Vendela Vida does a brilliant job giving the reader a realistic view of what 8th grade can look like. It isn’t always perfect; it can be messy, ugly and all around horrible. She doesn’t sugar coat anything and especially doesn’t make the protagonist perfect. Instead Eulabee makes mistakes along the way, learning hard lessons at every step. “The clarity of truth is invigorating.”

Because I appreciate beautiful writing, I especially got lost in Vida’s descriptions of places, relationships, reactions and especially Eulabee’s thoughts. She brings in 80s pop culture (always a favorite), San Francisco’s notable historical events and people, as well as tying in literature to major storylines. It was like a dream come true picking up all the symbolism, metaphors and foreshadowing. I was totally book geeking out.

If you can’t do awkward or abhor flawed characters, this may not be for you, but if you’re like me and love richly character driven plots with beautiful writing, give this shorter book (272 pages) a read. I listened to the audiobook and as always with Marin Ireland, she was fantastic and the perfect Eulabee voice in my head. The six hours flew by because I wanted to know more.

Thank you Ecco, Vendela Vida and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.5/5 ⭐️

This book took me by surprise. In a good way! I did the audio of it for our long car ride home and Marin Ireland narrates which was delightful. This book starts off and I was thinking how it felt like a young adult book. But I did not mind a bit. I was invested to see where it was going and how the characters would all play out.

It also reminds me how in teaching middle school, I see the cruelty of the kids sometimes and how kids this age internalize everything without feeling the need to communicate their thoughts to anyone. I hate that because some probably truly need help. I also loved how you got through that 8th grade year (the disaster it is) and we got a glimpse of the future lives of characters.

Sometimes those girls everyone sees as beautiful, sparkly, and maybe too perfect are the very ones who harbor a troubling life or mindset and no one is seeking help for them. Sad really. I did really enjoy this one and highly recommend the audio. And of course the 80s time frame was great too.

Posted on Instagram @carolinehoppereads and Goodreads

The description of this initially really pulled me in. Unfortunately the description was a lot more engaging than the actual book. There was just no depth to the characters or story which kept me from connecting to the book. It just was not for me.

We run the tides is a coming of a age story and friendship set in the sea cliff neighborhood; an affluent town where an all girls school serves as the backdrop for mystery, betrayal and all the angst that comes with being a teenager in the pre-internet era.

Eulabee and Maria Fabiola; the friend that world seems to revolve around, are walking to school one day when an incident they both experience seems to set them on very different courses; one that leads to a mysterious disappearance and the other to a life of being an outcast and shunned by the rest of her classmates.

The book was interesting enough and it had a few twists but it just wasn’t for me; I thought overall it was a good read but maybe just not my style

I moved this title to the top of my TBR pile after reading a favourable review in The Guardian. But either it wasn't as good as The Guardian claimed or I just didn't get it. I didn't find any of the characters captivating and I only finished it because I wanted to be able to fully write this review. My favourite part of the story was the 2019 section where Eulabee runs into Maria Fabiola in Italy, but it was a lot of pages to get to the end.

The narrator of this story has a clever, cutting voice that kept me engaged throughout the story. The jumps in subject from chapter to chapter might have felt disorienting if executed by another author but were incredibly interesting in the context of Vida's writing. I also enjoyed the characterization of the main character's family in this book. The description of San Francisco felt masterfully immersive as well. Lastly, the title of this book is so fitting! Read this book to be engulfed for a little while in another time, another life!