Awards
Winner 2018 Michael L. Printz Award
From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
Nina LaCour’s We Are Okay breaks the heart, and then gently repairs it. Admittedly, I was drawn to this book because of its cover. What I discovered was a tender and authentic illustration of the human condition during love, loss, and loneliness — how grief dictates altruism, how the heart distorts rationality and logic. So absorbing, so artfully crafted, my words won’t do it justice. Recommended By Ronnie C., Powells.com
We Are Okay has such beautiful, riveting prose that I read it in a single day. The story of Marin’s life unfolds from living with her caring grandfather on the California coast to a lonely winter break at a snow-filled New York college campus. Nina Lacour, author of Hold Still and Everything Leads to You, crafts this gorgeous young adult novel about family tragedy, grief, love, and healing that will leave you feeling hopeful for these well-crafted characters. Recommended By Kim T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
You go through life thinking there’s so much you need.... Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.
Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.
An intimate whisper that packs an indelible punch, We Are Okay is Nina LaCour at her finest. This gorgeously crafted and achingly honest portrayal of grief will leave you urgent to reach across any distance to reconnect with the people you love.
"So lonely and beautiful that I could hardly breathe. This is a perfect book." – Stephanie Perkins, bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss
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"A moving portrait of a girl struggling to rebound after everything she’s known has been thrown into disarray." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
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"Beautifully crafted.... A quietly moving, potent novel." School Library Journal (Starred Review)
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"LaCour paints a captivating depiction of loss, bewilderment, and emotional paralysis... raw and beautiful." Booklist (Starred Review)
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"Nina LaCour treats her emotions so beautifully and with such empathy. Of course, we’d expect nothing less from the stunning LaCour." Bustle
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"A beautiful, devastating piece of art…. The title hints at a happy ending, but the journey toward it passes through some of the darkest corners of the heart. Be prepared to be gutted — and grateful. We Are Okay is an extraordinary work by an author who keeps redefining and elevating her genre." Bookpage
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"You can feel every peak and valley of Marin’s emotional journey on your skin, in your gut. Beautifully written, heartfelt, and deeply real." Adi Alsaid, author of Never Always Sometimes and Let’s Get Lost
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"As beautiful as the best memories, as sad as the best songs, as hopeful as your best dreams." Siobhan Vivian, bestselling author of The Last Boy and Girl in the World
About the Author
Nina LaCour is the author of the award-winning Hold Still and widely acclaimed The Disenchantments. Formerly a bookseller and high school English teacher, she now writes and parents full time. A San Francisco Bay Area native, Nina lives with her family in Richmond, California.