I’m a huge young adult literature fan. I think part of that stems from not knowing when to switch from children’s lit to the teen section at the library, thus missing out a little. My mom, a librarian, never restricted what I read but definitely made suggestions or comments on what I was reading. If she didn’t “approve” of a book, she explained why she thought I should hold off on reading it. At the time, it made me upset but now I am grateful that she took the time to explain her reasoning. Besides, if I was that interested in something, I wrote it down and picked it up in a couple years (or later that week and kept it hidden).
The growth of YA lit has been fun to experience. I feel like YA of the past tends to deal with similar topics but now it can be just as heavy or challenging as adult literature. Even children’s literature has grown leaps and bounds. It’s been cool to see.
I went through a myriad of thoughts while reading We Are Okay. I definitely thought it was a graphic novel at first due to the cover art and was a little perplexed to see no pictures. But Nina LaCour writes some beautiful imagery. I loved picturing Marin and Gramps sitting at the small table where their knees touched underneath and the paintings that her best friend’s mom created. I appreciated when a book can describe the scene with so much detail without it being semi-boring to read.
I also appreciated that Marin was a freshman in college. It might not seem that far removed from high school but there’s definitely a big jump in development there. It felt more realistic for her to be in college, figuring out how to be independent after experiencing tragedy. LaCour notes Marin’s struggles with money and housing instead of making certain things easier. Sometimes authors have a way of age-ing up their characters but even the flashbacks of Marin’s senior year in high school felt realistic. The drinking, being forced to change party outfits by strict parents, sneaking out, getting caught… It seemed accurate to me!
Even though one chapter would be the present and the next set in the past, the story didn’t seem disjointed. As all the pieces fell together, the reader understands Marin’s changes, her reactions, and her wants. I cried when she realized what she wanted/needed and finally allowed herself to accept that. It felt natural, even though the story in the present only took place over three days.
I wish I had had this book earlier in my life. College probably would have been a good time. Even though I can’t fully relate to Marin’s experiences, I think it would have resonated more if I were closer to her age in the book. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel better for having read it. Fortunately, I know LaCour has other books!
Music: No music this time as I read most of the book on my phone during slow periods at work!
Linnea Books It 