Rating: ★★★☆☆
Links: Amazon • TBD • Goodreads
Publication Date: February 14, 2017
Source: Borrowed
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.
One of my goals for this summer was to read more books by Nina LaCour. I really enjoyed You Know Me Well when I read it a couple years ago, but life got in the way and even though at least three of her books have been on my TBR forever, I never got around to actually reading them. I put a library hold on We Are Okay months ago. When the hold finally came in, I promptly forgot that I had the book and realized, as I was packing for my trip to Wisconsin, that the book was going to expire the next day. I read it in the airport and I usually love books that I read in airports, but this one was only… okay.
I think the biggest problem I had was that the book is just super character-driven, to the point that not a lot actually happens. And I get it, I really do. The whole point of the book is that Marin’s grandfather has just died and she’s trying to deal with her grief and all the changes in her life and she’s trying to figure out what everything means for her. I get it. But I wanted something more to happen. Something to keep me interested. Something other than just beautiful writing.
The book was just so sad and I didn’t see much of a point to it other than that. Three stars for the writing alone, but if I’m being honest, I’m pretty disappointed.
#mm18: vacation reads
Goodreads summer reading challenge: take pride
Have you read We Are Okay? Have you read any of Nina LaCour’s other books?
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The Bibliophagist 
Great review! I can definitely understand why this one can be a miss for people. You have to be in the right mood for it.
– Caidyn
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I think that’s the biggest reason that I didn’t love it. I wasn’t in the right mood for a sad book and I kind of made myself read it because it was due back to the library. I’m still very excited to read other books by Nina LaCour! 😊
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I need to read Everything Leads to You! That’s been on my list for ages.
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I agree with bwreviews… you have to be in the mood for it. It’s perfect for a snowy day when you’re not doing anything else. But it’s very different from her other stuff. If you haven’t read Everything Leads To You, it’s more plot-driven and happy.
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Yes! It definitely is a book you should read on a snowy or rainy day. Especially snowy. But, I’ll have to check out Everything Leads to You soon! I’m going to need happy books.
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I hope you like it!! It’s one of my favorite books that I will re-read over and over. It’s like a hug.
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I’ll have to move Everything Leads To You up in my TBR!
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Great review!! I think the reason that I enjoyed it as much as I did is because I definitely related to the way Marin coped with the whole situation, like the whole running away and shutting the world out is a little too relatable. But I think if it weren’t for that I don’t know how I would’ve felt about the book.
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Thank you! I can definitely see how you would like it if you could relate to it! ❤
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I’ve picked up this book SO MANY TIMES because of the cover! I just needed to know a wee bit more about it. I feel comfortable skipping it now. I don’t see myself being in the mood for this anytime soon.
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The cover is so pretty!! Definitely check it out if you feel like you’re in the mood for it, but I definitely was not and so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have.
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I almost purchased this book a few days ago just because the cover was so pretty! I looked it up on goodreads and it seems to have generally mediocre ratings so seems I made the right choice skipping out on it for now 🙂
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Yes, that cover!! And if it doesn’t sound like something that would appeal to you, you probably did make the right decision. It sounds like it’s definitely something you have to be in the mood for and I just was not.
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The thing that’s held me back from this one is that it seems wayyyy to short to form a solid story.
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As usual, you were right about a book!! There isn’t really a story aside from the main character being sad.
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Sigh
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Awww, I wanted to read this. Sad that it didn’t work out for you. Probably not picking this up anytime soon 😅
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If it sounds good to you, definitely read it! It’s really well-written, but I was not in the mood for something sad and character-driven when I picked it up.
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