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Book Review: We are Okay by Nina LaCour


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Rating: 2.5 stars.

I was really underwhelmed by this book. I think I was expecting a bit too much because the cover for this book is freaking gorgeous. Plus, I read and loved Everything Leads to You, which had a mystery in its plot and romance. 

We are Okay is about Maren, a girl whose life fell apart a few months ago and she is now at college. Everyone has left for Christmas break and she has no home to return to so she is alone in the dorms. But her best friend, Mabel, is coming to visit and she will make Maren think about why she left her hometown. 

I have to say, Nina LaCour did do a great job of portraying mental illness in this book. Maren has anxiety after what happened to her and you could clearly feel and see how much it affects her. I could also see how much Maren has changed since that traumatic event that has given her anxiety. Maren used to be someone who liked ambiguity but now, she likes the cold hard truth. Nina LaCour always does a great job of LGBTQ relationships in her books and definitely doesn't disappoint in this book. But really, this book is more about family than romance. I am always looking for books where the main character is in college, so it was nice to read about that in this book.

I guess my problem with this book was that Maren as a character felt a little bland? I also wasn't a huge fan of the plot, which was basically nonexistent. I liked the flashbacks a lot more than the present day scenes, mostly because Maren had more of a personality. I appreciated that Maren was struggling with her grief, but I was quite bored while reading her perspective in the present.   

I do think this is a good book to read if you are looking for something about mental illness and grief. But if you like your contemporary books with more romance and drama, this book might not be your cup of tea.
My Goodreads review of Everything Leads to You. 
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