A review by lovelymisanthrope
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I have had this novel on my shelves for a few years now, and finally decided to give it a try because I have heard amazing things about Nina LaCour as an author. I was rather disappointed by this story, and perhaps I was left wanting more because I waited too long to pick this up. "We Are Okay" follows Marin, a college freshman who is running away from her life in California at a school in New York. She has not talked about all of the terrible things that she was forced to face, not even to her best friend, Mabel. When Mabel shows up for winter break to take Marin home, Marin is forced to finally acknowledge everything she has been running from. 
I can see why Nina LaCour is such a beloved author. This book was written beautifully: it perfectly balances poetic language while not being too verbose. This story was just really dull for me, and I struggled to get into it. This story really attempts to explore grief, but I felt like Marin did not truly face the deaths she was running away from. The story ends right where I felt there was a climax and I really wanted to see more character growth from Marin. 
I do think I will give Nina LaCour another try sometime in the future. 
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