TITLE: We Are Okay
AUTHOR: Nina LaCour
PUBLISHER: Dutton Books for Young Readers
PUBLISHED DATE: February 14, 2017
ISBN: 0525425896
PAGES: 240
So beautifully written, so heartbreaking... it is so unfortunate that I was nearly bored to death.
I kept reading this even though I almost quit. We Are Okay is Mock Printz's book of the month, so I was determined to finish it. LaCour's writing is packed with emotion, and every tender detail of Marin's descent into loneliness and grief is described in great detail.
Marin is going through a lot, and the book painstakingly unravels the sources of Marin's troubles. The unrequited love of her best friend, the death of her beloved grandfather and grappling with his undiagnosed mental illness, as well as her extreme poverty while attending university creates an insurmountable amount of tension. The buildup was almost too much. When LaCour describes Marin's eyes as feral when she returns to campus and the overwhelming gratitude she experiences when her roommate's mom extends kindness to her - I could feel that, and it's a highly memorable moment. Unfortunately, the book didn't really pick up for me until chapter 16. I still felt like I was waiting for the book to start. The first 15 chapters felt like scaffolding.
LaCour's wins at placing the reader both in New York City, sunny California, and in the dark depths of Marin's depression. The complicated relationship between Marin and Mabel was captured poignantly. I think that this is a book that will either make you cry your eyes out or bore you to death.
Recommmendation: Read it. The writing is gorgeous.
Audience: Young Adults and Up
*This audiobook was purchased on Audible.