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.
Pages: 234
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: February 14th, 2017
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Review:
I have previously read one of Nina LaCour's other novels, The Disenchantments, but I barely remember anything about it. However, I do remember that I felt so-so about the novel overall. I have been interested in reading other novels by Nina LaCour, but We Are Okay is the first one I have picked up since The Disenchantments in early 2014. I did enjoy We Are Okay, it was a compelling and intriguing read; however, it did not make it onto my favorites list. It was an enjoyable read, but I would not reread it.
We Are Okay follows college freshman Marin as she attempts to overcome the death of her grandfather and shocking secrets she discovered about him after his death. She has no family to return to during holiday break and cannot force herself to return to San Francisco so she decides to stay on campus for break. She is confronted by her past when her former best friend visits her for a few days during her isolated holiday break and she is forced to relive a time in her life she never wants to revisit. The novel was an emotional journey that constantly has the reader guessing.
The novel was primarily character based; however, the characters fell flat. The relationships between the characters and their overall personalities never developed as deeply as a novel this character-based should have been. The mystery of the novel kept me addicted to the story even though the characters seemed rather two-dimensional. Nothing about the characters really stood out to me or made me open a part of my heart to them. The journey the main character takes is emotionally exhausting to the character, but I never felt as emotionally attached to the story and her journey as I should have been. The mystery and suspense of the novel kept me turning the pages, not the characters.
We Are Okay is an interesting and compelling read that kept me guessing. Overall, the story was character driven; however, I never felt a strong attachment to the characters throughout their journey. I hope other readers were able to attach themselves to the characters. It was a promising novel that I was slightly disappointed in. If you have read it or plan to, please let me know what you think, I would love to hear what you have to say about We Are Okay. I do plan on reading Nina's other novels in the future even though the two novels I have read from her are not my favorites. If you have read any of other her other novels, please let me know in the comments below which novel by her I should check out next.
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