Book Details

Title: We Are Okay

Author: Nina LaCour

Date Published: February 14, 2017

Number of Pages: 236 pages

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

“If only I had something to take the edge off the loneliness. If only lonely were a more accurate word. It should sound much less pretty.”

📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: YA Contemporary & LGBT+.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: Dealing with death.
⚠ Read if: you would want to read elegant and intimate prose that can give you lots of feelings.

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Book Depository | Amazon

Book Blurb from Goodreads

You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…

Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.

About the Author

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Author Bio from GR:

Nina LaCour grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her first job was at fourteen in an independent bookstore, and she has since worked in two others. She has tutored and taught in various places, from a juvenile hall to a private college. She now teaches English at an independent high school.

My Review

We Are Okay is my first read from Nina LaCour. As is my usual reading behavior, I did not read the blurb nor research about this before picking it up. So I think you can imagine my surprise when this book is actually filled with sadness and loneliness in its purest form.

Though this book has a slow start that will might be harder for easily bored readers, you will earn a reward for pushing through and holding on. I read this book as an audiobook, so I did not really feel the boredom, as the narrator’s voice was mesmerizing and the writing style also drew me in.

We Are Okay does not come with a fast-paced read neither does it offer an in-your-face approach. But, it offers a great message regarding loss, knowing one self, and letting go. It feels like reading a diary, as Marin’s innermost thoughts are shared to the reader. Sometimes, I feel like I am invading her privacy with how intimate everything goes.

Technicality wise, the book is a quick read and will not take up too much of your time. It barely has a plot as it is mainly a character-driven story.

I can say that this book, in its totality is a 4-star read because the last 25% was amazing, but the journey up to it is just okay.

My Book Rating Breakdown

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆