We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

This book is beautiful, absoloutly worth the read and I cried, which is rare. I’ve not quite figured out why it hit me so hard, but here’s what it’s about –

Synopsis

Marin leaves her old life behind without telling anyone. She’s already chosen her college for fall, so she leaves early and stays at a run down motel until it opens. The book starts with Marin staying behind at the college dorm as everyone leaves for winter break. She’s anxiously awaiting the visit from her “old” friend Mabel and that her lives, which she’s managed to keep seperated until now, are going to clash.

My thoughts

 

This book portrays loneliness in a very realistic way, which I didn’t expect. I somehow forget how real LaCour is in her books, along with those beautiful leasbian romances. The changes in Marin from her old life to the new and the way you gradually learn about them and how she used to be was incredible. *MINOR SPOILER* I really liked the relationship between Marin and Mabel, how they had history, both fucked up and now have no idea how to talk to each other. There’s this whole mystery about why Marin left her old life so abruptly, which it’s obvious Mabel is trying to figure out too. It slowly unfolds until it both doesn’t matter and you kind of understand it. It’s a weird feeling, but I adored it.

“I was okay just a moment ago. I will learn how to be okay again.” 

I didn’t like the ending, it made the whole book feel less special. I even reread the book the minute I turned the last page, desperately seeing if the magic was gone. And it kind of was. The mystery is the essens of the book, not in “solve this riddle/crime”, but in the way it’s written and the story is built up. There’s always unanswered questions and tension between Marin and Mabel. While I normally like clear answers, it doesn’t match the rest of this book. Somehow I wish it didn’t have an ending or explanation, it perhaps would’ve been a weird novel, but more suitable. So enjoy it on your first read, because most of the magic disappears along with the mystery. 

Some reasons to read this book:

• Dealing with serious issues like loss and how (not) to run away from them
• Lesbians
• How to repair friendships, and is it worth it?
• Accurate descriptions of loneliness
• Nice interpertation of my favourite Frida Kahlo painting is The Two Fridas and other cute and interesting details like it
• Beautiful execution and writing