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We Are Okay | February 24, 2017

by Nina LaCour (Penguin Young Readers / Dutton, February 2017)

Stephanie Perkins called We Are Okay “a perfect book,” so obviously, I had to read it as soon as I possibly could. And wow—this truly feels like the book Nina LaCour has been working towards all along. The absolutely heartrending story of Marin and her emotional journey will absolutely keep you captive until you turn the last page, and probably even well after.

If you’re a plot geek, you may think there isn’t much for you here—after all, the bulk of the story takes place on Marin’s empty college campus, as she contemplates the event of the summer before that have led her to this place of loneliness and grief. But I promise: the way LaCour lovingly, painfully explores Marin’s emotions is breathtaking, and packs as much of a punch as any twisting action scene.

Though there is a healthy dose of angst here, and some metaphors may err on the side of tortured, the prose is beautiful enough to more than atone for any of the book’s sins. The relationship between Marin and her best friend Mabel—specifically, how the focus stays on their broken friendship, in spite of everything else that’s happened—is the epitome of authentic. This is a short read, but a potent one.  

(And a bonus A+ for the stunning endpapers that complement that gorgeous cover so well!)

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