We Are Okay
Memorable story of friendship, loss, and family secrets.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nina LaCour's We Are Okay won the 2018 Michael L. Printz Award is the story of a college freshman named Marin who has left behind everything and everyone from her old life after the sudden death of her grandfather. Her best friend, Mabel, is determined to reconnect with her and arrives for a visit as Marin is spending the winter break alone in her dorm. The reason for Marin's sudden departure from her home in San Francisco is slowly revealed in flashbacks. While modest in length, the novel sensitively addresses big issues such as loneliness, lost love, grief, and family secrets. LaCour is a noted LGBTQ novelist, and the characters of Marin and Mabel have a past sexual relationship that is discreetly described. Her novel Hold Still was named a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association in 2010.
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What's the Story?
As WE ARE OKAY begins, Marin is a freshman in college, about to spend the winter holidays as the lone resident of her dorm. The only break in the solitude will be a three-day visit from her best friend, Mabel. She has conflicting emotions about the visit, as Marin has cut herself off from everyone she knew and loved since leaving for college in New York. As the novel moves back and forth between Mabel's visit and Marin's old life in San Francisco, she confronts heartrending truths about herself and the people she left behind. She'd had a loving home with a grandfather who raised her since her mother's death and a best friend whose parents became a second family to her. But her grandfather's sudden death only weeks before she began college threw her life into turmoil as she uncovered a startling family secret.
Is It Any Good?
An exquisitely crafted gem of a novel, this is a grab-your-heart story of loneliness, grief, the power of friendship, and a secret sure to take readers by surprise. While the characters of Marin and Mabel are college age, they have storylines with which many teens can relate: being raised by a single parent, getting over a broken heart, finding your way in a new place or school, helping a friend overwhelmed by sadness. Simply and quietly told, it's certain to bring more than a few tears to readers' eyes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the secrets characters keep in We Are Okay. How difficult would it be for someone in your family to keep a life-altering secret?
If friends communicate primarily by texting and social media, do you think it would be easier or harder to support a friend going through a tough time?
Why do you think some people want to be alone in their grief while others want to be surrounded by family and friends?
Book Details
- Author: Nina LaCour
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Topics: Book Characters, Friendship, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Dutton Books
- Publication date: February 14, 2017
- Number of pages: 234
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: February 26, 2020
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