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Finding Yvonne
Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.
Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.
Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2018
33 people are currently reading
5093 people want to read
About the author
Brandy Colbert
26 books1,242 followersBrandy Colbert was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks. She lives and writes in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
March 1, 2019
4.5 Stars! Really enjoyed this book! It was somewhat different than what I expected, but I feel it was actually much more complex and satisfying. Brandy Colbert has done it again!
CW: substance use
I went into Finding Yvonne knowing it was about:
1. A girl who loved her violin, but didn't know if that was enough
2. A girl who got pregnant
Those were my only expectations going into this novel, and I was surprised to find that:
1. Both of these themes were explored beautifully
2. I underestimated the depth of the story. There were additional plot lines that were just as developed and actually took more of a prominent role!
I loved Yvonne as a main character. Brandy Colbert does a fantastic job at creating realistic teen protagonists. Yvonne is passionate, independent, and self-aware. Though she makes me mistakes and her decisions sometimes made me want to pull my hair out, she reacts and explores the world as 17/18 year old girls do. She can make her life more complicated than it has to be, but that's something we all do in our youth. Yvonne goes through such a character transformation and it was an absolute pleasure to experience. Especially regarding her violin and the decisions she must make about her past, present, and future, I think Yvonne's story is one teens need to hear.
One plot line I was surprised, yet happy to come across was Yvonne's unique family unit. Her mother left when she was younger and Yvonne is still attempting to cope with the loss and confusion of the unprecedented situation. Though she lives with her father, her relationship with him is immensely distant. As a successful chef, he provides for Yvonne but is unable to connect with her, leaving Yvonne feeling lonely and abandoned. I treasured following Yvonne's perspective as she comes to terms with her relationship with both her mother and her father.
Though this book does have a love triangle, it's refreshing compared to many YA iterations of this trope. It remain infuriating at times, but the way Yvonne's relationships shape her experience and help her make decisions about herself provided a new take on "one girl falls for two boys *gasp*". It was much more personal, making it significantly more satisfying.
I really really loved Finding Yvonne. Brandy Colbert remains a remarkable young adult author in my eyes, unfailing in her ability to capture raw experiences of adolescents and write impactful stories. Would highly recommend!
CW: substance use
I went into Finding Yvonne knowing it was about:
1. A girl who loved her violin, but didn't know if that was enough
2. A girl who got pregnant
Those were my only expectations going into this novel, and I was surprised to find that:
1. Both of these themes were explored beautifully
2. I underestimated the depth of the story. There were additional plot lines that were just as developed and actually took more of a prominent role!
I loved Yvonne as a main character. Brandy Colbert does a fantastic job at creating realistic teen protagonists. Yvonne is passionate, independent, and self-aware. Though she makes me mistakes and her decisions sometimes made me want to pull my hair out, she reacts and explores the world as 17/18 year old girls do. She can make her life more complicated than it has to be, but that's something we all do in our youth. Yvonne goes through such a character transformation and it was an absolute pleasure to experience. Especially regarding her violin and the decisions she must make about her past, present, and future, I think Yvonne's story is one teens need to hear.
One plot line I was surprised, yet happy to come across was Yvonne's unique family unit. Her mother left when she was younger and Yvonne is still attempting to cope with the loss and confusion of the unprecedented situation. Though she lives with her father, her relationship with him is immensely distant. As a successful chef, he provides for Yvonne but is unable to connect with her, leaving Yvonne feeling lonely and abandoned. I treasured following Yvonne's perspective as she comes to terms with her relationship with both her mother and her father.
Though this book does have a love triangle, it's refreshing compared to many YA iterations of this trope. It remain infuriating at times, but the way Yvonne's relationships shape her experience and help her make decisions about herself provided a new take on "one girl falls for two boys *gasp*". It was much more personal, making it significantly more satisfying.
I really really loved Finding Yvonne. Brandy Colbert remains a remarkable young adult author in my eyes, unfailing in her ability to capture raw experiences of adolescents and write impactful stories. Would highly recommend!
February 8, 2019
WOW. This was an absolute roller coaster of emotions for me. I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first because I found a lot of the decisions Yvonne made to be really immature, but then my enjoyment skyrocketed when I took off my Adult™ glasses and realized that all of the things she did were 100% things I would have done as a teen. AND THEN THAT ENDING. I CRIED. I love a book that encourages women of all ages to follow their own path and to do whatever is right for them and their bodies. THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC AND I WANT TO SHOUT ABOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
(Also unrelated side-note: this book takes place in my hometown and it made me so nostalgic for my teen years. Brandy Colbert is THE BEST)
TW: abortion
(Also unrelated side-note: this book takes place in my hometown and it made me so nostalgic for my teen years. Brandy Colbert is THE BEST)
TW: abortion
May 1, 2018
This is such a complicated book, because I kind of like it in hindsight but I also think it's one of the most non-books I've ever read....
but I also love it so much in hindsight??
Can I just reiterate that slice-of-life stories are aggressively not my thing? And that I hate cheating as a plot device so fucking muchoh my god can it just die already? Finding Yvonne is a slice-of-life story about a girl who becomes pregnant, and while some elements - like the unapologetic feminism - stood out to me, other elements - like the aggressive cheating being completely excused - left me less optimistic.
Inherent to Finding Yvonne is a sense of forgiveness for bad deeds, and a great sense of objectivity on the part of the narrator. Colbert clearly does not want to condemn Yvonne for her actions or slut-shame her at all, and this is both the greatest strength and greatest weakness of the book. On one hand, I think the lack of slut-shaming is lovely, and I definitely loved the nuance with which this narrative was crafted. On the other hand, the book does not acknowledge emotional cheating as a wrong. Like, the narrator literally says it:
Yvonne, I appreciate that you don't want to pay forever, and I appreciate that you've taken down slutshaming but um, yes, you did do something wrong. ➽It's no one's business that Yvonne had sex with two people in a week, but pursuing a serious relationship with two people at once is bad, period, and I wish the book could've acknowledged that nuance.
And honestly, ignoring the cheating, I just didn't think the book was all that good? The writing is excellent, and the feminist take is stellar, but due to the slice-of-life nature, the character progression is lackluster at best - and that's what makes a novel for me. Though I think Colbert writes excellent voice, leading me to begin the book really loving Yvonne's character, frankly, she doesn't have a particularly interesting character arc. And since the side characters left me cold, as I think is usual for Colbert books, I just found myself feeling one step removed.
I will give Brandy Colbert a definite check in the activism and being an awesome person box. Themes like the heavily anti-slut-shaming message - though it's marred by the book barely passing the Bechdel test - and the important discussion around race and erasure of mixed-race Warner's blackness all definitely left an impression on me. But with so little attachment to the characters, this just could not progress past a 2.5 for me.
So let's run this down. We have:
AND YET all good things are ruined and we also have:
Just... god. I wish there was more happening here and less weirdness around cheating, because I feel like this could have been really awesome.
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Can I just reiterate that slice-of-life stories are aggressively not my thing? And that I hate cheating as a plot device so fucking much
Inherent to Finding Yvonne is a sense of forgiveness for bad deeds, and a great sense of objectivity on the part of the narrator. Colbert clearly does not want to condemn Yvonne for her actions or slut-shame her at all, and this is both the greatest strength and greatest weakness of the book. On one hand, I think the lack of slut-shaming is lovely, and I definitely loved the nuance with which this narrative was crafted. On the other hand, the book does not acknowledge emotional cheating as a wrong. Like, the narrator literally says it:
"I did nothing wrong."
Yvonne, I appreciate that you don't want to pay forever, and I appreciate that you've taken down slutshaming but um, yes, you did do something wrong. ➽It's no one's business that Yvonne had sex with two people in a week, but pursuing a serious relationship with two people at once is bad, period, and I wish the book could've acknowledged that nuance.
And honestly, ignoring the cheating, I just didn't think the book was all that good? The writing is excellent, and the feminist take is stellar, but due to the slice-of-life nature, the character progression is lackluster at best - and that's what makes a novel for me. Though I think Colbert writes excellent voice, leading me to begin the book really loving Yvonne's character, frankly, she doesn't have a particularly interesting character arc. And since the side characters left me cold, as I think is usual for Colbert books, I just found myself feeling one step removed.
I will give Brandy Colbert a definite check in the activism and being an awesome person box. Themes like the heavily anti-slut-shaming message - though it's marred by the book barely passing the Bechdel test - and the important discussion around race and erasure of mixed-race Warner's blackness all definitely left an impression on me. But with so little attachment to the characters, this just could not progress past a 2.5 for me.
So let's run this down. We have:
♔ A fairly interesting narrator
♔ Slice-of-life nature and readability
♔ Feminism, primarily black characters, and important conversations
AND YET all good things are ruined and we also have:
♚ A lackluster love triangle involving cheating
♚ Excusal of said cheating
♚ Barely any solid character progression
♚ just... nothing especially interesting.
Just... god. I wish there was more happening here and less weirdness around cheating, because I feel like this could have been really awesome.
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June 10, 2018God, Brandy Colbert is just so good at capturing these seemingly little things that have totally fallen through the cracks in the ways we talk about teens and putting them front and center in can't-miss books. I only barely read blurbs when the author is already an insta-buy for me, so I thought this was about a violin prodigy whose life gets thrown off kilter when she gets pregnant, but in truth, it's the spaces in between that - it's what happens when you aren't a prodigy and you've just lost your love and maybe the future isn't going to look how you thought, so now what? And it's finding other ways to use what's already in your life and build off that, but also maybe learn what else and who else you can be. And that applies to skills, to love, to existing relationships, to questions from the past...it's all just wrapped up in this Very Real Girl, and all along the while is the question of "How complex would these questions be for me if I weren't a Black girl?" and all the different ways working twice as hard for half as much presents itself.
So, yeah, I guess you can say I liked it ;)
Also, for anyone who specifically avoids pregnancy storylines, it's actually a much briefer portion of the book when I was expecting; please don't skip this one for it.
So, yeah, I guess you can say I liked it ;)
Also, for anyone who specifically avoids pregnancy storylines, it's actually a much briefer portion of the book when I was expecting; please don't skip this one for it.
October 24, 2018
😭 ALL THE FEELS ❤️
.
I was up and down and up and down during parts of this contemporary YA novel, but oh my goodness, the last quarter of the book just blew me away. Colbert pulls no punches in her portrayal of a lonely teen who is (rightfully) not at all apologetic about her sexual experiences…….but Yvonne is still a teen and she doesn’t have any idea where she wants to go in life and how she wants to use her many talents (music and baking). Yvonne’s relationship with her father is such a welcome change from most YA novels, and honestly, this aspect of the book is just one of many things that is refreshingly different that the typical “senior year of high school finding myself” trope. There were many things that surprised me about the story, which is why I’m being purposefully vague in my description - I want YOU to be surprised too!
.
Finding Yvonne is a rich story with mature, controversial topics that will surely stick with readers for a long, long time. It brought tears to my eyes and it’s a book so many high schoolers (and adults!) should read.
.
I was up and down and up and down during parts of this contemporary YA novel, but oh my goodness, the last quarter of the book just blew me away. Colbert pulls no punches in her portrayal of a lonely teen who is (rightfully) not at all apologetic about her sexual experiences…….but Yvonne is still a teen and she doesn’t have any idea where she wants to go in life and how she wants to use her many talents (music and baking). Yvonne’s relationship with her father is such a welcome change from most YA novels, and honestly, this aspect of the book is just one of many things that is refreshingly different that the typical “senior year of high school finding myself” trope. There were many things that surprised me about the story, which is why I’m being purposefully vague in my description - I want YOU to be surprised too!
.
Finding Yvonne is a rich story with mature, controversial topics that will surely stick with readers for a long, long time. It brought tears to my eyes and it’s a book so many high schoolers (and adults!) should read.
October 17, 2018
A messy yet wonderful book that unexpectedly but profoundly explores the uncertainty of the future, family, and the choices we make.
- Centers on Yvonne, a Black teen who, although has dedicated 11 years of her life to the violin, now feels like she has lost her passion. This book follows the grief she feels, the decisions she makes, and the unexpected intersection of her life.
- Yvonne was such a brilliantly written character. She makes mistakes, she is unapologetic about her choices, and though some of her choices may be some readers may not agree with, you'll love the fresh and real narrative.
- Loved the family relationships, particularly daughter-father (this made me cry), and the loss and grief Yvonne still feels after her mother left when she was six.
- This book has a 'love triangle', but I actually liked it - though it was unpleasant to read due to the events that unfolded, the love triangle depicted felt realistic and was meaningful to Yvonne's character development - specifically, how sometimes we do make mistakes, how we can be victims of manipulation because we believe in the best in others, and how our actions affect other people.
- This book has sex positivity, portrays safe sex (though ), and has a good discussion about continuing pregnancy versus abortion.
All in all, I recommend this book, especially for those who enjoyed Little & Lion.
Trigger/content warnings:
- Centers on Yvonne, a Black teen who, although has dedicated 11 years of her life to the violin, now feels like she has lost her passion. This book follows the grief she feels, the decisions she makes, and the unexpected intersection of her life.
- Yvonne was such a brilliantly written character. She makes mistakes, she is unapologetic about her choices, and though some of her choices may be some readers may not agree with, you'll love the fresh and real narrative.
- Loved the family relationships, particularly daughter-father (this made me cry), and the loss and grief Yvonne still feels after her mother left when she was six.
- This book has a 'love triangle', but I actually liked it - though it was unpleasant to read due to the events that unfolded, the love triangle depicted felt realistic and was meaningful to Yvonne's character development - specifically, how sometimes we do make mistakes, how we can be victims of manipulation because we believe in the best in others, and how our actions affect other people.
- This book has sex positivity, portrays safe sex (though ), and has a good discussion about continuing pregnancy versus abortion.
All in all, I recommend this book, especially for those who enjoyed Little & Lion.
Trigger/content warnings:
February 5, 2021
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Yvonne (mc) Black; Warren (li) Black & biracial; Omar (li) Black; Sabine (sc) Black & has two mums.
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▷ Representation: Yvonne (mc) Black; Warren (li) Black & biracial; Omar (li) Black; Sabine (sc) Black & has two mums.
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September 4, 2018Really enjoyed this!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com! Check out my Bookstagram! Or check out my Jen In Ten reviews on Youtube - get the lowdown on current books in 10-30 seconds!
January 9, 2019
disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a review. This is no way impacted my opinions.
note: I am aware this review is late - I had some issues with getting reviews of a few August ARCs I received last August that I am currently catching up on.
actual rating: 3.5 stars (rounded down)
Finding Yvonne is a yound-adult contemporary about an eighteen-year-old, Yvonne, who has grown up her entire life as a violin player, but is now questioning whether that is the right choice for her and, along the way, winds up getting pregnant.
I am honestly conflicted on this novel - Brandy Colbert wrote one of my favorite novels of 2017 and she is an author who I admire and love with my whole heart; however, this one definitely fell...a bit flat for me.
First, in terms of the writing. The writing itself was brilliant, the narration was brilliant and I was so enraptured in Yvonne’s story. On the other hand, the pacing was a bit off. I understand the traditional structure of novels, but I felt that the climax was a bit too late in the novel and there was so much build-up to an ending that just...happened.
Then, in terms of the character and the plot.
There were many things this novel did brilliantly:
- the complicated familial dynamics (the focus on family was such an incredible part of this novel and I adored it)
- the lack-of-decisiveness on Yvonne’s future and her exploration of violing playing and baking
- the dicussion of race
- the feminism and lack of slut-shaming (a strong female friendship? yes please)
- the respect of different stances on sex
- the love triangle (to an extent)
But the real issue I had was:
- the cheating.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having sex with multiple people and dating more than one person when there is proper communication and consent on all parts.
Yvonne knew she needed to be more honest about her dating habits and yet, she wasn’t, and that could have been a great learning/teaching moment OR it could’ve been represented better in the novel, but one of those needed to happen for Yvonne’s treatment of the two love interests to be okay.
At end of the day, I still love Colbert. I definitely see so much good in this novel. But it definitely fell flat for me.
note: I am aware this review is late - I had some issues with getting reviews of a few August ARCs I received last August that I am currently catching up on.
actual rating: 3.5 stars (rounded down)
Finding Yvonne is a yound-adult contemporary about an eighteen-year-old, Yvonne, who has grown up her entire life as a violin player, but is now questioning whether that is the right choice for her and, along the way, winds up getting pregnant.
I am honestly conflicted on this novel - Brandy Colbert wrote one of my favorite novels of 2017 and she is an author who I admire and love with my whole heart; however, this one definitely fell...a bit flat for me.
First, in terms of the writing. The writing itself was brilliant, the narration was brilliant and I was so enraptured in Yvonne’s story. On the other hand, the pacing was a bit off. I understand the traditional structure of novels, but I felt that the climax was a bit too late in the novel and there was so much build-up to an ending that just...happened.
Then, in terms of the character and the plot.
There were many things this novel did brilliantly:
- the complicated familial dynamics (the focus on family was such an incredible part of this novel and I adored it)
- the lack-of-decisiveness on Yvonne’s future and her exploration of violing playing and baking
- the dicussion of race
- the feminism and lack of slut-shaming (a strong female friendship? yes please)
- the respect of different stances on sex
- the love triangle (to an extent)
But the real issue I had was:
- the cheating.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having sex with multiple people and dating more than one person when there is proper communication and consent on all parts.
Yvonne knew she needed to be more honest about her dating habits and yet, she wasn’t, and that could have been a great learning/teaching moment OR it could’ve been represented better in the novel, but one of those needed to happen for Yvonne’s treatment of the two love interests to be okay.
At end of the day, I still love Colbert. I definitely see so much good in this novel. But it definitely fell flat for me.
September 15, 2018
I devoured this on audiobook in two days. The synopsis was misleading as the pregnancy isn't a central part of the book (it only happens around two thirds in) but didn't take away from my enjoyment. Yvonne is an amazing, complex character and I loved following her, her journey and her character growth as well as relationship growth with different people in her life.
July 9, 2018
Read this in two sittings. Yet another Brandy Colbert book I am absolutely obsessed with.
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January 1, 2018Yvonne's been playing violin for many years, but now that her senior year is here, she's facing the reality that playing violin might not be her future. She's been fine at school, but she doesn't want to attend a school to simply attend school. Right now, she's concerned about figuring out what to do with her passion for music and how to temper that with the impending reality of high school ending. Then there's the rocky relationship she has with her dad and the desire she's unable to shake relating to finding out more about the mother who left her many years ago.
And then there's Warren, her father's sous chef who is a few years older than her. Are they an item or not? And when Omar comes into the picture, where do they stand? How does that impact the non-relationship relationship between her and Warren?
But just as things begin to shake out a bit and Yvonne finds herself finding an interest and strong talent in baking and she begins toying with the idea of music therapy as a career, she finds out she's pregnant. She's not sure who the father is, and she's certainly not sure what to do. .
Colbert weaves in a lot of smart exploration of race and class here, particularly when it comes to the fear always linger at the back of Yvonne's mind about how her choices and decisions look because she's black. She knows she has to work twice as hard to do half as well as her white peers, but she also is spot on about the challenge of then always feeling she's feeding into some statistic, which removes her from being a fully-realized, complex human.
Fans of Colbert's previous works will love this. It has a VERY Nina LaCour feel to it, too, so readers who love LaCour and haven't read Colbert would do great starting here.
And then there's Warren, her father's sous chef who is a few years older than her. Are they an item or not? And when Omar comes into the picture, where do they stand? How does that impact the non-relationship relationship between her and Warren?
But just as things begin to shake out a bit and Yvonne finds herself finding an interest and strong talent in baking and she begins toying with the idea of music therapy as a career, she finds out she's pregnant. She's not sure who the father is, and she's certainly not sure what to do. .
Colbert weaves in a lot of smart exploration of race and class here, particularly when it comes to the fear always linger at the back of Yvonne's mind about how her choices and decisions look because she's black. She knows she has to work twice as hard to do half as well as her white peers, but she also is spot on about the challenge of then always feeling she's feeding into some statistic, which removes her from being a fully-realized, complex human.
Fans of Colbert's previous works will love this. It has a VERY Nina LaCour feel to it, too, so readers who love LaCour and haven't read Colbert would do great starting here.
February 15, 2020
3.5 - I feel like this book bit off a little bit more than it could chew. There are a lot of interesting challenges that the main character Yvonne faces. However, because the book was so short I don’t think any of these different plot points are given the time that they needed to be fully explored.
Yvonne was a unique character. She’s figuring out that maybe she’s not as passionate about playing the violin as she used to be. Now she has to decide if she’s going to give that up to follow a different career path. All while having relationship, friendship, and family struggles.
Something gets introduced in the last third of the story that I did think was a great thing to cover in a YA book. But because it was squeezed in at the end it didn’t get the coverage that it deserved. That plot point could have been its own entire book.
I think this is a nice YA contemporary, I definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it. Just know that some of it can feel a little bit rushed.
Yvonne was a unique character. She’s figuring out that maybe she’s not as passionate about playing the violin as she used to be. Now she has to decide if she’s going to give that up to follow a different career path. All while having relationship, friendship, and family struggles.
Something gets introduced in the last third of the story that I did think was a great thing to cover in a YA book. But because it was squeezed in at the end it didn’t get the coverage that it deserved. That plot point could have been its own entire book.
I think this is a nice YA contemporary, I definitely wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it. Just know that some of it can feel a little bit rushed.
December 30, 2022
it was an alright story, a bit flat most of the time.
I do have one big issue though- the age gap relationships were never explained. I love age gaps when both parties are adults. I don't want to read about two men who love this 17 year old girl and who mention "you are so mature for your age" "i'm scared because youre so young..."
This stuff happens irl but when it's fictional the author should at least explain that this is wrong and is not something you should be doing but she didn't.
I do have one big issue though- the age gap relationships were never explained. I love age gaps when both parties are adults. I don't want to read about two men who love this 17 year old girl and who mention "you are so mature for your age" "i'm scared because youre so young..."
This stuff happens irl but when it's fictional the author should at least explain that this is wrong and is not something you should be doing but she didn't.
August 7, 2018
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed reading Colbert's Little and Lion when I read it last year, and Finding Yvonne was in a lot of ways different, but also the same.
It's Colbert's voice or something, but it has that same heavy feeling while you read that makes it seem like every single thing that's going on has a lot more meaning than what's on the page. As if the simplest acts--baking a cake--are so much more.
I love this about Colbert's writing and I think she's a fantastic novelist with a really strong hold on her character's voices.
But somewhere along the way, Finding Yvonne just fell kind of flat for me.
Positive things first:
I loved all the sex positivity! I think the way Colbert had her characters talk about this felt very natural and positive and not forced. Sometimes when authors talk about subjects, it feels like they're just parroting what other people have said about race or religion or some other topic. But Colbert made the discussion feel very real life--like something you could say too--and I really loved that.
Plus, we really do get to learn a bunch about Yvonne and her thoughts and feelings and motivations. I might not have always supported her decisions (*cough*Omar*cough*), but I think she was definitely someone who we got to learn a lot about and she felt very real and genuine.
That being said, one of my biggest issues with this book was that it felt like nothing was really resolved.
I felt like some of the endings (i.e. Yvonne & Omar) was kind of a cop out for Colbert to tie up that storyline, and other (i.e. relationship with her father) could have had a little more closure in my opinion.
I wanted more relationships during the story between Yvonne and her best friend, Yvonne and her father, Yvonne and her absent mother. I just wanted more out of this--specifically more development of the side characters (Warren was bland.)
There was one relationship I wanted less of, and that's the whole Yvonne-Omar-Warren love triangle. I'm just kind of frustrated at the cheating because whyyy? Even though Yvonne and Warren weren't labeled as exclusive, it's still a bad thing to just emotionally & physically cheat on him.
I felt like despite how bland Warren was and despite his faults, he didn't really deserve what Yvonne did to him. I wouldn't recommend this if you don't like reading about cheaters.
What I did love was Yvonne's relationship with her violin--something that I felt we really got to see a lot of--and how she found a new passion in baking.
Overall, I have positive feelings about this because I love Colbert's writing and I love her main characters and their voices, but I was definitively left a little frustrated and unsatisfied after I finished reading.
I would recommend this if you're looking for a book with a really genuine and real main character, if you like more serious, slice of life contemporaries, or if you've loved Colbert's work in the past!
Thank you so much to The NOVL @ BookCon (and Aitana Reads for switching with me) for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
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I really enjoyed reading Colbert's Little and Lion when I read it last year, and Finding Yvonne was in a lot of ways different, but also the same.
It's Colbert's voice or something, but it has that same heavy feeling while you read that makes it seem like every single thing that's going on has a lot more meaning than what's on the page. As if the simplest acts--baking a cake--are so much more.
I love this about Colbert's writing and I think she's a fantastic novelist with a really strong hold on her character's voices.
But somewhere along the way, Finding Yvonne just fell kind of flat for me.
Positive things first:
I loved all the sex positivity! I think the way Colbert had her characters talk about this felt very natural and positive and not forced. Sometimes when authors talk about subjects, it feels like they're just parroting what other people have said about race or religion or some other topic. But Colbert made the discussion feel very real life--like something you could say too--and I really loved that.
Plus, we really do get to learn a bunch about Yvonne and her thoughts and feelings and motivations. I might not have always supported her decisions (*cough*Omar*cough*), but I think she was definitely someone who we got to learn a lot about and she felt very real and genuine.
That being said, one of my biggest issues with this book was that it felt like nothing was really resolved.
I felt like some of the endings (i.e. Yvonne & Omar) was kind of a cop out for Colbert to tie up that storyline, and other (i.e. relationship with her father) could have had a little more closure in my opinion.
I wanted more relationships during the story between Yvonne and her best friend, Yvonne and her father, Yvonne and her absent mother. I just wanted more out of this--specifically more development of the side characters (Warren was bland.)
There was one relationship I wanted less of, and that's the whole Yvonne-Omar-Warren love triangle. I'm just kind of frustrated at the cheating because whyyy? Even though Yvonne and Warren weren't labeled as exclusive, it's still a bad thing to just emotionally & physically cheat on him.
I felt like despite how bland Warren was and despite his faults, he didn't really deserve what Yvonne did to him. I wouldn't recommend this if you don't like reading about cheaters.
What I did love was Yvonne's relationship with her violin--something that I felt we really got to see a lot of--and how she found a new passion in baking.
Overall, I have positive feelings about this because I love Colbert's writing and I love her main characters and their voices, but I was definitively left a little frustrated and unsatisfied after I finished reading.
I would recommend this if you're looking for a book with a really genuine and real main character, if you like more serious, slice of life contemporaries, or if you've loved Colbert's work in the past!
Thank you so much to The NOVL @ BookCon (and Aitana Reads for switching with me) for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
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March 12, 2019
I’m always excited to read a Brandy Colbert story. She always writes her characters in a way that feels very realistic. She allows her characters to be messy and make mistakes because people don’t always make great decisions. The thing that sets her stories apart is that her characters always have a logical reason for why they do the things they do. They never get caught in the trope of “character makes a bad decision/ acts stupid for no reason in order to further the plot.” When these characters make a bad decision, you fully understand why they would make that decision. It’s a subtle dynamic and I need more of it in contemporaries.
In Finding Yvonne we do exactly that: we follow Yvonne as she finds herself. Yvonne is at her core a very lonely person and a lot of her bad decisions stem from that. Her mother ran out on her and her dad is a brilliant chef but incredibly emotionally distant. Her only solace she had for a long time was playing the violin. Now, she’s starting to realize that she has little to no passion for playing anymore which leaves her at a loss. Throughout the story we see Yvonne trying to fill the empty space in her soul caused by her loneliness. She doesn’t always go about assuaging her loneliness in productive ways because she ends up pregnant and she doesn’t know who the father is.
Essentially, this is a story of Yvonne finding herself and growing into the woman she’s meant to be. Yvonne makes mistakes and is messy and that’s ok. Not everything needs to be perfect or figured out that far in advance. Sometimes you need to go through it by trial and error… emphasis on the error part. While I don’t always agree with the choices Yvonne makes, I always understood where she was coming from which helped this story resonate with me.
In Finding Yvonne we do exactly that: we follow Yvonne as she finds herself. Yvonne is at her core a very lonely person and a lot of her bad decisions stem from that. Her mother ran out on her and her dad is a brilliant chef but incredibly emotionally distant. Her only solace she had for a long time was playing the violin. Now, she’s starting to realize that she has little to no passion for playing anymore which leaves her at a loss. Throughout the story we see Yvonne trying to fill the empty space in her soul caused by her loneliness. She doesn’t always go about assuaging her loneliness in productive ways because she ends up pregnant and she doesn’t know who the father is.
Essentially, this is a story of Yvonne finding herself and growing into the woman she’s meant to be. Yvonne makes mistakes and is messy and that’s ok. Not everything needs to be perfect or figured out that far in advance. Sometimes you need to go through it by trial and error… emphasis on the error part. While I don’t always agree with the choices Yvonne makes, I always understood where she was coming from which helped this story resonate with me.
August 25, 2020
4.5 stars
Before I picked up Finding Yvonne, I'd only ever read one book by Brandy Colbert—Pointe—which had been recommended to me by someone in my book club. I found that book compulsively readable, and perhaps if there hadn't been a delay between when it came out in 2014 and when her next novel released, I might've been more likely to pick up her next and subsequent books. While the tone of Finding Yvonne is very different from what I remember of Pointe's tone, keeping in mind that I read that novel six years ago, I still found this book very enjoyable over all.
With this novel, I switched back and forth between picking up the actual ARC I had—I was reading this for ARC August after all—and the audiobook that I borrowed from the Toronto Public Library, so I can speak to both experiences to an extent. The audiobook starts with a Classical music interlude on piano and finally with some string instruments, like what Yvonne plays in the book, incorporated, and then, Maya Barton begins narrating whose voice was one that I really liked. She does speak a little on the quick side at times, even if, like me you listen to your audiobooks on 1x speed, so I'm not sure how that will feel for those of you who listen to books at a faster rate. If you pick up the audiobook and like her tone of voice and inflection, then you might want to pick up more books which she narrates. (At least I've heard that some people seek out other books read by the same people. I've only listened to two books narrated by one of the same narrators, and it was purely coincidental.) However, unless things change by the time you read this review at a time far off into the future, I wouldn't count on being able to read more books narrated by her. Why? Well, so far, this seems to be the only audiobook she's narrated.
Finding Yvonne tells the story of a 17-year-old, turning 18-year-old, Black girl named Yvonne who has trusted her violin to keep her company since she was seven, especially in the lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. Now, as a senior in high school, she's forced to face the truth that she just might not be good enough to earn a conservatory spot after graduation. Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated with the strained relationship she has with her successful but emotionally distant father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who seems to understand her struggle. He's mysterious, charming, and so much different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. However, when Yvonne becomes pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision about her future that she's ever faced.
Now, clearly from the description, this book has a bit of a love triangle aspect to it, so if you really can't stand them, this book may not be for you. However, if you're like me, who doesn't mind them, especially when they're well done, then definitely check out Finding Yvonne. Yvonne may not know what she wants to do with her life if playing the violin professionally in an orchestra is off the table, but in other ways, she knows herself and who she wants to be in a very real way. At the beginning of the novel, she only has eyes for Warren, a biracial guy who identifies himself as a Black man because he grew up without his white father and his father's family. However, they didn't have a very defined relationship, in part because they wanted to wait until she turned 18 for anything serious to happen between them. After all, he is an adult and the sous chef at her father's successful restaurant, so he wants to keep things on the up and up with Yvonne and maintain a positive relationship with her father and his boss. Moreover, as the novel progresses, Brandy Colbert writes Yvonne as a young woman who is sure of herself and what she wants with guys, and thus, she creates a book that is very sex positive overall. Finding Yvonne does include some sex scenes, which are not closed door or fade to black moments. While it is not as explicit as many an adult romance novel, this is a book where the main character demonstrates enthusiastic consent in the sexual moments she experiences in the novel.
While initially everything seems great with Warren, Yvonne is really hurt by him when his birthday surprise for her doesn't turn out the way they expected, and this moment starts her on another trajectory. It is while she's hurt that she reaches out to Omar, the mysterious violin player she met a few times at Venice Beach, who she thinks understands her in a way that Warren never could. Not only does Omar play the violin, though in a contemporary style, but also he once attended and then dropped out of the Berklee College of Music when he stopped feeling passionate about classical music. She feels an immediate chemistry with him, and even when things with his living situation seem a little odd, she starts seeing him when still in a fight with Warren. Things will become more complicated on the relationship front before the novel ends, especially when she ends up pregnant despite having used protection. And yet, unlike a lot of tv shows directed at teens, there is never a moment when her pregnancy is considered a punishment for having sex. In fact, she literally has a conversation about this with her best friend Sabina, who assures Yvonne that this isn't the case.
Beyond the relationship, pregnancy, and what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life-if-I'm-not-good-enough-for-conservatory-or-music-schools drama in the book, Finding Yvonne deals a lot with friendship, race, and growing up in a single parent household. As I mentioned above, Yvonne has a best friend named Sabina, who is a lot different than her. First, she has two moms who are really on her to apply to college early decision and maintain more close attention on what Sabina does and where she's going than Yvonne's father does because of the long hours he works at the restaurant. Second, Sabina has not had sex with anyone at the beginning of the novel and later vocalizes her interest in waiting for marriage, although she considers herself different from the type of girls at their school who wear purity rings. While Yvonne would never judge Sabina for her choices even though she knows saving herself for marriage was never something that she could see herself doing, this kind of respect doesn't always go the other way around which causes some friendship tension.
As the cover makes clear, Yvonne is a Black teen who wears her hair naturally in braids in case you didn't catch any of those details earlier in this review. However, she's not the only Black character in the book; rather, it is packed full of diverse characters, including, but not limited, to both Warren and Omar. Warren is a light-skinned guy, who could easily pass as white. However, because he grew up solely with his Black mom and his Black extended family in his life, he identifies as Black. However, when his rising star in the restaurant world leads to him being interviewed for a magazine cover story, his white father tries to come back into his life, complete with his Black wife and Black kids. These details and other moments lead to some mature conversations about race as it pertains to identity, between Warren and Yvonne.
Finally, while you already know that Yvonne's mother walked out on her family, she's not the only one in a single parent household. As I mentioned above, Warren also grew up in a single parent household, but in his case, Warren was only two at the time, so he has no memories of his father. By contrast, Yvonne does have some memories and she has a box of her mother's things that she left behind. For Yvonne, there is a lot of mystery around her mother precisely because while she does have some memories, they are hazy.
In keeping with the sex positive nature of the novel, when Yvonne gets pregnant, Brandy Colbert puts her main character through a lot. She realistically portrays what it's like taking a home pregnancy test, going a sexual health clinic to double check on the pregnancy, ask questions, and get STI testing completed, and grappling with the tough choice that a pregnancy hoists on a young woman. What I particularly liked was that while Yvonne was being pressured from multiple sources to get an abortion, including her father and her BFF, she ultimately makes the decision that's right for her about the baby and her life in general.
If you're looking for a sex positive book featuring a Black lead female character, then give Finding Yvonne a try!
Before I picked up Finding Yvonne, I'd only ever read one book by Brandy Colbert—Pointe—which had been recommended to me by someone in my book club. I found that book compulsively readable, and perhaps if there hadn't been a delay between when it came out in 2014 and when her next novel released, I might've been more likely to pick up her next and subsequent books. While the tone of Finding Yvonne is very different from what I remember of Pointe's tone, keeping in mind that I read that novel six years ago, I still found this book very enjoyable over all.
With this novel, I switched back and forth between picking up the actual ARC I had—I was reading this for ARC August after all—and the audiobook that I borrowed from the Toronto Public Library, so I can speak to both experiences to an extent. The audiobook starts with a Classical music interlude on piano and finally with some string instruments, like what Yvonne plays in the book, incorporated, and then, Maya Barton begins narrating whose voice was one that I really liked. She does speak a little on the quick side at times, even if, like me you listen to your audiobooks on 1x speed, so I'm not sure how that will feel for those of you who listen to books at a faster rate. If you pick up the audiobook and like her tone of voice and inflection, then you might want to pick up more books which she narrates. (At least I've heard that some people seek out other books read by the same people. I've only listened to two books narrated by one of the same narrators, and it was purely coincidental.) However, unless things change by the time you read this review at a time far off into the future, I wouldn't count on being able to read more books narrated by her. Why? Well, so far, this seems to be the only audiobook she's narrated.
Finding Yvonne tells the story of a 17-year-old, turning 18-year-old, Black girl named Yvonne who has trusted her violin to keep her company since she was seven, especially in the lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. Now, as a senior in high school, she's forced to face the truth that she just might not be good enough to earn a conservatory spot after graduation. Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated with the strained relationship she has with her successful but emotionally distant father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who seems to understand her struggle. He's mysterious, charming, and so much different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. However, when Yvonne becomes pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision about her future that she's ever faced.
Now, clearly from the description, this book has a bit of a love triangle aspect to it, so if you really can't stand them, this book may not be for you. However, if you're like me, who doesn't mind them, especially when they're well done, then definitely check out Finding Yvonne. Yvonne may not know what she wants to do with her life if playing the violin professionally in an orchestra is off the table, but in other ways, she knows herself and who she wants to be in a very real way. At the beginning of the novel, she only has eyes for Warren, a biracial guy who identifies himself as a Black man because he grew up without his white father and his father's family. However, they didn't have a very defined relationship, in part because they wanted to wait until she turned 18 for anything serious to happen between them. After all, he is an adult and the sous chef at her father's successful restaurant, so he wants to keep things on the up and up with Yvonne and maintain a positive relationship with her father and his boss. Moreover, as the novel progresses, Brandy Colbert writes Yvonne as a young woman who is sure of herself and what she wants with guys, and thus, she creates a book that is very sex positive overall. Finding Yvonne does include some sex scenes, which are not closed door or fade to black moments. While it is not as explicit as many an adult romance novel, this is a book where the main character demonstrates enthusiastic consent in the sexual moments she experiences in the novel.
While initially everything seems great with Warren, Yvonne is really hurt by him when his birthday surprise for her doesn't turn out the way they expected, and this moment starts her on another trajectory. It is while she's hurt that she reaches out to Omar, the mysterious violin player she met a few times at Venice Beach, who she thinks understands her in a way that Warren never could. Not only does Omar play the violin, though in a contemporary style, but also he once attended and then dropped out of the Berklee College of Music when he stopped feeling passionate about classical music. She feels an immediate chemistry with him, and even when things with his living situation seem a little odd, she starts seeing him when still in a fight with Warren. Things will become more complicated on the relationship front before the novel ends, especially when she ends up pregnant despite having used protection. And yet, unlike a lot of tv shows directed at teens, there is never a moment when her pregnancy is considered a punishment for having sex. In fact, she literally has a conversation about this with her best friend Sabina, who assures Yvonne that this isn't the case.
Beyond the relationship, pregnancy, and what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life-if-I'm-not-good-enough-for-conservatory-or-music-schools drama in the book, Finding Yvonne deals a lot with friendship, race, and growing up in a single parent household. As I mentioned above, Yvonne has a best friend named Sabina, who is a lot different than her. First, she has two moms who are really on her to apply to college early decision and maintain more close attention on what Sabina does and where she's going than Yvonne's father does because of the long hours he works at the restaurant. Second, Sabina has not had sex with anyone at the beginning of the novel and later vocalizes her interest in waiting for marriage, although she considers herself different from the type of girls at their school who wear purity rings. While Yvonne would never judge Sabina for her choices even though she knows saving herself for marriage was never something that she could see herself doing, this kind of respect doesn't always go the other way around which causes some friendship tension.
As the cover makes clear, Yvonne is a Black teen who wears her hair naturally in braids in case you didn't catch any of those details earlier in this review. However, she's not the only Black character in the book; rather, it is packed full of diverse characters, including, but not limited, to both Warren and Omar. Warren is a light-skinned guy, who could easily pass as white. However, because he grew up solely with his Black mom and his Black extended family in his life, he identifies as Black. However, when his rising star in the restaurant world leads to him being interviewed for a magazine cover story, his white father tries to come back into his life, complete with his Black wife and Black kids. These details and other moments lead to some mature conversations about race as it pertains to identity, between Warren and Yvonne.
Finally, while you already know that Yvonne's mother walked out on her family, she's not the only one in a single parent household. As I mentioned above, Warren also grew up in a single parent household, but in his case, Warren was only two at the time, so he has no memories of his father. By contrast, Yvonne does have some memories and she has a box of her mother's things that she left behind. For Yvonne, there is a lot of mystery around her mother precisely because while she does have some memories, they are hazy.
In keeping with the sex positive nature of the novel, when Yvonne gets pregnant, Brandy Colbert puts her main character through a lot. She realistically portrays what it's like taking a home pregnancy test, going a sexual health clinic to double check on the pregnancy, ask questions, and get STI testing completed, and grappling with the tough choice that a pregnancy hoists on a young woman. What I particularly liked was that while Yvonne was being pressured from multiple sources to get an abortion, including her father and her BFF, she ultimately makes the decision that's right for her about the baby and her life in general.
If you're looking for a sex positive book featuring a Black lead female character, then give Finding Yvonne a try!
February 6, 2021
As a contemporary young adult book, you really have to take off your adult glasses and read this through the perspective of an 18-year-old girl trying to find her way through life.
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way... WOW, I adored this book - What a beautiful rollercoaster of a story this is! This book will give you all the feels and is ultimately about a teenager trying to find her way, making, not necessarily wrong decisions, but making decisions based on the uncertainty of what she wants ...and knowing that it’s okay to not have everything figured out...
Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.
Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.
I highly recommend this book as it was one of the easiest fly-through enjoyable reads I have ever read! I need to find more books by this author!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way... WOW, I adored this book - What a beautiful rollercoaster of a story this is! This book will give you all the feels and is ultimately about a teenager trying to find her way, making, not necessarily wrong decisions, but making decisions based on the uncertainty of what she wants ...and knowing that it’s okay to not have everything figured out...
Since she was seven years old, Yvonne has had her trusted violin to keep her company, especially in those lonely days after her mother walked out on their family. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she just might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school.
Full of doubt about her future, and increasingly frustrated by her strained relationship with her successful but emotionally closed-off father, Yvonne meets a street musician and fellow violinist who understands her struggle. He’s mysterious, charming, and different from Warren, the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when Yvonne becomes unexpectedly pregnant, she has to make the most difficult decision yet about her future.
I highly recommend this book as it was one of the easiest fly-through enjoyable reads I have ever read! I need to find more books by this author!
July 15, 2020
This book really was named appropriately, because it's about Yvonne exploring who she is and what she wants now and in the future, while also trying to come to terms with her abandonment issues. I struggle a little with some of Yvonne's choices, but I thought they were important for her to experience and see the outcomes of. I especially adored her stepfather, and loved how he nurtured that little spark in her, giving her another possibility for her future right when she was doubting so many things about herself.
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September 5, 2020
Brandy Colbert is such a gifted writer. Her work is full of nuance, honesty and authenticity. Her characters are believable and three-dimensional. I loved Yvonne and I appreciate how Colbert presented a female character who enjoys her sexuality, and does not allow societal convention to shame her for it. Colbert also depicts other viewpoints with equal respect. Loved this book.
July 26, 2018
Crosspost: TheReadingBelle.com
Perhaps, I am getting older because it is hard for me to find a good contemporary YA book that pleases me in this day and age. Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert was a choice. The synopsis was intriguing, the plot did seem something out of the CW, so I took a chance on the book. I did receive Finding Yvonne in Yallwest, but opinions are all my own. So, this is a unpopular opinion. Considering the reviews I have seen for the book, there aren't much negative reviews. This book was an experience, and I was left shaking my head due to certain events that played out. That being said, this will be a rant review with spoilers.
Starting on a positive note, I did enjoy how Yvonne was unapologetic about herself and her sexuality. I have no issues with a character's sexuality. Yvonne was confident about her body and her choices. That being said, she made a lot of questionable decisions. I will say that the pregnancy aspect of the book did not play a major role as I had anticipated. The pregnancy revelation was placed near the last third of the book. The synopsis presents a story of how a pregnant Yvonne has to chose the right path due to her circumstances...but, the reality was not the case.
It is hard for me to comprehend the actions of Yvonne, especially when it came to her relationships. So, Yvonne was seeing her father's sous chef, Warren, but it was not an exclusive relationship. The relationship between Warren and Yvonne was secretive because of the age difference between the two. Warren was protective of Yvonne, and did not want to be sexually engaged with her until she was officially 18. It seemed like Yvonne wanted her relationship with Warren to move at a faster pace. I felt myself siding with Warren because she was underage. Though the age difference was not extreme, it seemed that Yvonne disregarded it for the sake of love. I rolled my eyes...but this was not as bad as The Beau and The Belle by R.S. Grey, a book that I had several issues with...
Yvonne was happy in her relationship despite not being official. When she and Warren hang out in Venice Beach, she finds herself completely and utterly drawn by a street musician named Omar. Despite being in a complicated relationship with Warren, she falls completely head over heels for Omar. A major issue I had with this book was the cheating aspect. Yvonne does get into a major fight with Warren because he chose to work on her birthday, and she reacts by destroying the birthday cake that Warren bought her. Yvonne also seeks out Omar, and considers hanging out with him...DESPITE NOT KNOWING THE GUY!
The story tried to establish a love triangle, but it was lame. I felt uncomfortable with how Yvonne was seeing Omar, while she had her fight with Warren. Yvonne lies about her relationship status to both men. Instead of being rational and calling her relationship off with Warren, she peruses each man. I fully did not trust Omar, he seemed a bit shady...but instead of getting to know Omar, she has sex with him on her first official date with him. It does not help that she continues seeing Warren, and has sex with him a week after she has had sex with Omar. I assumed that she was going to get pregnant by Omar, but I was surprised. As mentioned previously, her pregnancy does not play a major role in this book. NOR WILL YOU FIND OUT WHO THE REAL FATHER IS!
Literally, this book was about Finding Yvonne, and how she was going to deal with her relationships, ambitions, and career choices. I was not the biggest fan of Yvonne because she did have several immature moments. In my opinion, she manipulated both guys. I knew Omar was shady, which did end up being true. Yvonne goes through minimal growth. It seems that she is used to getting praises all the time. For example, growing up she received praises for her violin skills, and then as a teen, she thrived off praises for her baking skills. I really wanted Yvonne to be an awesome character. The only character that I liked by far was her best friend Sabine. Sabine was looking out for her friend, and even warned Yvonne that she could be potentially used. Sabine was supportive, and dealt with Yvonne's unnecessary drama and antics. Kudos to Sabine for being the true MVP of this book.
Final Rating: 2
Perhaps, I am getting older because it is hard for me to find a good contemporary YA book that pleases me in this day and age. Finding Yvonne by Brandy Colbert was a choice. The synopsis was intriguing, the plot did seem something out of the CW, so I took a chance on the book. I did receive Finding Yvonne in Yallwest, but opinions are all my own. So, this is a unpopular opinion. Considering the reviews I have seen for the book, there aren't much negative reviews. This book was an experience, and I was left shaking my head due to certain events that played out. That being said, this will be a rant review with spoilers.
Starting on a positive note, I did enjoy how Yvonne was unapologetic about herself and her sexuality. I have no issues with a character's sexuality. Yvonne was confident about her body and her choices. That being said, she made a lot of questionable decisions. I will say that the pregnancy aspect of the book did not play a major role as I had anticipated. The pregnancy revelation was placed near the last third of the book. The synopsis presents a story of how a pregnant Yvonne has to chose the right path due to her circumstances...but, the reality was not the case.
It is hard for me to comprehend the actions of Yvonne, especially when it came to her relationships. So, Yvonne was seeing her father's sous chef, Warren, but it was not an exclusive relationship. The relationship between Warren and Yvonne was secretive because of the age difference between the two. Warren was protective of Yvonne, and did not want to be sexually engaged with her until she was officially 18. It seemed like Yvonne wanted her relationship with Warren to move at a faster pace. I felt myself siding with Warren because she was underage. Though the age difference was not extreme, it seemed that Yvonne disregarded it for the sake of love. I rolled my eyes...but this was not as bad as The Beau and The Belle by R.S. Grey, a book that I had several issues with...
Yvonne was happy in her relationship despite not being official. When she and Warren hang out in Venice Beach, she finds herself completely and utterly drawn by a street musician named Omar. Despite being in a complicated relationship with Warren, she falls completely head over heels for Omar. A major issue I had with this book was the cheating aspect. Yvonne does get into a major fight with Warren because he chose to work on her birthday, and she reacts by destroying the birthday cake that Warren bought her. Yvonne also seeks out Omar, and considers hanging out with him...DESPITE NOT KNOWING THE GUY!
The story tried to establish a love triangle, but it was lame. I felt uncomfortable with how Yvonne was seeing Omar, while she had her fight with Warren. Yvonne lies about her relationship status to both men. Instead of being rational and calling her relationship off with Warren, she peruses each man. I fully did not trust Omar, he seemed a bit shady...but instead of getting to know Omar, she has sex with him on her first official date with him. It does not help that she continues seeing Warren, and has sex with him a week after she has had sex with Omar. I assumed that she was going to get pregnant by Omar, but I was surprised. As mentioned previously, her pregnancy does not play a major role in this book. NOR WILL YOU FIND OUT WHO THE REAL FATHER IS!
Literally, this book was about Finding Yvonne, and how she was going to deal with her relationships, ambitions, and career choices. I was not the biggest fan of Yvonne because she did have several immature moments. In my opinion, she manipulated both guys. I knew Omar was shady, which did end up being true. Yvonne goes through minimal growth. It seems that she is used to getting praises all the time. For example, growing up she received praises for her violin skills, and then as a teen, she thrived off praises for her baking skills. I really wanted Yvonne to be an awesome character. The only character that I liked by far was her best friend Sabine. Sabine was looking out for her friend, and even warned Yvonne that she could be potentially used. Sabine was supportive, and dealt with Yvonne's unnecessary drama and antics. Kudos to Sabine for being the true MVP of this book.
Final Rating: 2
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
Everything Brandy Colbert writes is just stellar.
July 3, 2020
my third book by brandy colbert and i really enjoyed it. yvonne was such an authentic character that felt very real. i found her struggle in finding her calling and what she was meant to do in the world very relatable. even though i did like this book i had a problem with the two love interests being grown men (20+ year olds) when the main character just turned 18 and is still in high school. it felt very yuck to me but that’s just my opinion
September 11, 2019
This was such a great story. First time reading a book By Brandy Colbert. I will have to check out more from her.
September 10, 2018
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up but I love Yvonne and the relationships she has. Highly recommend
February 14, 2019
Trigger warnings: estranged family, slutshaming, sex, weed use and mention, alcohol, underage drinking, abortion (nothing descriptive...just conversation around the emotions of it), racist microaggressions (more in conversation than actually happening), weird love triangle that toes the line of cheating, slightly underaged relationship (she’s a couple months off from 18 in the beginning)
I didn’t realise this while reading but now in retrospect it’s an all black cast of characters! Nice!!!!! I trust Brandy Colbert to write some ordinary yet incredibly introspective novels about teenage Journey of Self with an emotionally tense conclusion. And all that ends on such a painfully heart warming high note!!!! Love that shit!!!!!
Some good conversations around being black in all its ambiguity and specificity. There’s a whole lot on being biracial and white passing, on being rich and black, on being rich BUT black (oh that’s a distinction I knew of but didn’t think to separate from the rich and black aspect....it’s a whole other conversation damn), etc etc. Won’t say much else because I shouldn’t say much; it’s not my place to do so.
I’m not sure if the comparatively underdeveloped secondary characters (they were developed, just not to the level of Yvonne) was a direct result of the “being alone” part that Yvonne talks about but when that line popped up, shit made so much sense. There’s a nuance to the writing I didn’t expect. It was so great.
Ok last note: if the trigger warnings turn you off this book for reasons like “gross and inappropriate” and you find yourself wanting to scream bloody murder over some technically that you claim isn’t race related but Most Definitely Is, I’m gonna need you to sit and have a chat with your racism. Yes these are understandable triggers. No they are not turn offs based on your weird, arbitrary system of “I only read problematic white books.” And it’s not a problematic book.
I didn’t realise this while reading but now in retrospect it’s an all black cast of characters! Nice!!!!! I trust Brandy Colbert to write some ordinary yet incredibly introspective novels about teenage Journey of Self with an emotionally tense conclusion. And all that ends on such a painfully heart warming high note!!!! Love that shit!!!!!
Some good conversations around being black in all its ambiguity and specificity. There’s a whole lot on being biracial and white passing, on being rich and black, on being rich BUT black (oh that’s a distinction I knew of but didn’t think to separate from the rich and black aspect....it’s a whole other conversation damn), etc etc. Won’t say much else because I shouldn’t say much; it’s not my place to do so.
I’m not sure if the comparatively underdeveloped secondary characters (they were developed, just not to the level of Yvonne) was a direct result of the “being alone” part that Yvonne talks about but when that line popped up, shit made so much sense. There’s a nuance to the writing I didn’t expect. It was so great.
Ok last note: if the trigger warnings turn you off this book for reasons like “gross and inappropriate” and you find yourself wanting to scream bloody murder over some technically that you claim isn’t race related but Most Definitely Is, I’m gonna need you to sit and have a chat with your racism. Yes these are understandable triggers. No they are not turn offs based on your weird, arbitrary system of “I only read problematic white books.” And it’s not a problematic book.
August 27, 2018
DNF @ pg 80 - this makes me sad. Little & Lion is an absolutely excellent contemporary, but Finding Yvonne is unable to capture any of what made L&L a success. The writing here is lifeless, the plot is aimless, the main character uninteresting. This story desperately needed...something, though I can't quite put my figure on what. It just wasn't holding my interest in the slightest...
June 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this book but I'm starting off with the main thing I didn't like so much.
Yvonne cheated on Warren and this was just not properly acknowledged all the way through- she knew she was cheating, Warren knew she was cheating and they never had a real conversation about it apart from Yvonne claiming that it didn't count as cheating for some far fetched reason. I'm not suggesting it's wrong to be sleeping with several people if that's what you want but Warren thought they were in an exclusive relationship and Yvonne avoided telling him the truth literally for as long as she could. I was half surprised when she actually told him about Omar when she revealed the pregnancy.
Other than that, all of the characters felt very realistic, I enjoyed that there were some petty arguments, a good amount of teenage drama (with Sabina and Omar/Keely) and real issues with parents- not just an angsty teen but real problems that so many people face. I also enjoyed the commentary on race and found family and think that both are so important and need discussing more in YA generally (although this does seem to be improving year on year)
I liked the writing style and Yvonne's commentary on the world around her. All of her struggles (other than the cheating) were reasonable and realistic for her age and I loved the crossroads she was stuck at about what she wanted to do with her life.
I also LOVE that That's not necessary for me and I loved that Yvonne was just supported and not judged by her friends and family for the decision she made.
Yvonne cheated on Warren and this was just not properly acknowledged all the way through- she knew she was cheating, Warren knew she was cheating and they never had a real conversation about it apart from Yvonne claiming that it didn't count as cheating for some far fetched reason. I'm not suggesting it's wrong to be sleeping with several people if that's what you want but Warren thought they were in an exclusive relationship and Yvonne avoided telling him the truth literally for as long as she could. I was half surprised when she actually told him about Omar when she revealed the pregnancy.
Other than that, all of the characters felt very realistic, I enjoyed that there were some petty arguments, a good amount of teenage drama (with Sabina and Omar/Keely) and real issues with parents- not just an angsty teen but real problems that so many people face. I also enjoyed the commentary on race and found family and think that both are so important and need discussing more in YA generally (although this does seem to be improving year on year)
I liked the writing style and Yvonne's commentary on the world around her. All of her struggles (other than the cheating) were reasonable and realistic for her age and I loved the crossroads she was stuck at about what she wanted to do with her life.
I also LOVE that That's not necessary for me and I loved that Yvonne was just supported and not judged by her friends and family for the decision she made.
March 28, 2022
I enjoyed this book a little more than I thought I would, seeing as it had been put on my “did not finish” shelf multiple times. The storyline was average, the characters were surface-level, and I really can’t say I felt any sort of connection to it at all. Yvonne was a nice main character, strong, good, but I really didn’t feel anything special from her. The love interests were boring. They really just were not fleshed out enough, I couldn’t root for either of them because they both bored the hell out of me, even Omar, who was pushed as this sort of “out there”, quirky character. The storyline was so unresolved at the end, I really struggled figuring out what was the actual message of the book. Firstly, the storyline with her mother ended so abruptly. The author pushed it so that Yvonne might end up meeting her mother, or even make some sort of revelation, and sure her and her father start to build a more meaningful relationship towards the end, but otherwise the plot of her mother felt so badly done. The love interests plot wasn’t even resolved, and THAT WAS THE MAIN PLOT OF THE BOOK. Sure we realised that Omar was definitely not a good guy, but we didn’t get any sort of ending (good or bad) with Warren, that it simply felt unresolved. The book finished with her getting an abortion, and when I realised I was reading the acknowledgments I was very confused. I think this book had potential to be more than it turned out to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2023
This was fine. It was an extremely fast read which was nice. I honestly didn’t know what this was about and it’s mostly just about a girl finding herself and working through things about herself as well as her family. I did not really like her I fault like she was really immature and self centered. Like warren made a mistake one time and she flipped out on him. Also she got made at her friend for stating her own opinion about sex and I felt like she wasn’t even judging the main character and was just concerned. She also cheated and I don’t care if the author tried to justify it. They seemed like they were in a relationship and were semi serious and she lied to him so if it wasn’t a big deal why did you lie? I just hated that. As for the pregnancy I thought it was handled well and the discussions on options and abortion was good. I also like how the father daughter relationship grew and I thought that was super sweet. Oh I forgot when she told her “boyfriend”(they weren’t official) he asked if she used protection and if the guy had any STDs and she got mad at him for asking? Like he’s worried about his safety as well as yours like before you guys had sex he told you he got tested for STDs like I feel like she had no right to be mad at him for that. That reminds me I like the testing was talked about in this and normalized because people should get tested. Honestly I would probably skip this one because it’s not anything amazing but it’s not terrible either and it’s a fast read so if it sounds interesting pick it up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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