We Are Okay

Starred review from December 5, 2016
Over the winter holidays, college freshman Marin opts to remain in an empty dorm in New York rather than go home to California. The reasons she decides to stay gently unfold one layer at a time, in an introspective novel that powerfully explores her solitude and conflicted emotions against the backdrop of a stormy, icy winter. Marin’s temptation to burrow under the covers and “stay in bed all day” has to be put on hold when an old friend, Mabel, comes for a visit. As Mabel attempts to persuade Marin to return to San Francisco (at least for a while), Marin is forced to confront the past she is trying to forget, namely the summer that began with Marin and Mabel taking their friendship into thrilling new territory and ended with the death of Marin’s caretaker grandfather and the exposure of disturbing secrets. Through Marin’s memories and cautious conversations with Mabel, LaCour (Hold Still) conjures a moving portrait of a girl struggling to rebound after everything she’s known has been thrown into disarray. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

Narrator Jorjeana Marie's depiction of Marin has a haunted quality--for reasons that become evident as this story unfolds. Marie quickly conveys Marin's total adoration of her beloved grandfather, who has been her sole caregiver since the age of three. Marie also transitions smoothly between Marin's memories and her lonely winter break after her first semester of college. Over break, Marin has ignored countless calls and texts from Mabel, her best friend from her youth, who recently became her lover. Marie represents equally well the complex feelings of angry, undaunted Mabel, who refuses these rejections and is determined to understand Marin's grief. As the author gradually reveals Marin's heartache and the secrets that emerged after her grandfather's death, Marie skillfully portrays the deep emotions of both heroines--and, finally, the resilience of enduring love. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine