We Are Okay (Book Review)

Hey y’all! So I ended up reading this because Kat @ Life and Other Disasters really loves Nina LaCour and she suggested I read this one. It was definitely outside my comfort zone but an interesting read for sure. Today’s review will be pretty short.

StoryGraph Synopsis

“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.

Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent, loss of a grandparent, depression, grief

Representation: Latinx supporting character, sapphic relationship

The Good

There’s a really nice exploration of grief throughout the story. I feel like it’s done in such a raw and honest way. You really get to know how Marin’s feeling and what she’s going through.

The writing style was so descriptive and absolutely beautiful. I’m sure there was a lot of symbolism going on throughout it but my last two brain cells had trouble keeping up with it. Still beautiful though.

I liked how we learned more about Marin and Mabel as the story progressed. It was like peeling back an onion as more and more layers to the story came up.

The Not so Good

It’s a very slow paced story and as I’ve learned from my StoryGraph charts, I don’t usually go for slow paced stories. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s definitely not my vibe, for the most part. I like a lot of movement in my books and there would be whole paragraphs describing things on a table or something along those lines.

All in All

I enjoyed it overall but I don’t think it was really for me. The pacing was just a little too slow for me and I struggled to stay invested. I think this would be a great story for people who love slow paced and introspective books.

3.5/5 Stars

Have you read We Are Okay?

What were your thoughts?

What do you look for in a book?

Let me know in the comments below, let’s chat!

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