Review: We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Review: We Are Okay by Nina Lacour

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in 5-star, contemporary, Nina Lacour, review, YA,

Author: Nina Lacour

Release date: February 14th 2017

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Series: N/A

Age Group:Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary 
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository 

Add to your library: Goodreads

"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.  (via Goodreads)

Review

         We Are Okay took my breath away. Right from the beginning, I was so hooked. I didn't stop reading until the last page. It was that consuming.

           How do I even tell you about Marin's story without giving away too much? I'm afraid I'll spoil it when I say even the tiniest details. If I say anything, it'll make it less of a mystery.  I'll do my best not to spoil anything!

         From the synopsis itself, the story surrounding Marin screamed mystery. I was curious as to what happened to her. As I read through the book, my heart ached for her and the people around her. She was fragile, so vulnerable. How she ended up in New York was the mystery but within that mystery was another mystery. It was all about her family and the secrets she grew up knowing and not knowing. Add to that her relationship with her best friend, Mabel. I think it all made Marin a little overwhelmed that she just ended up in New York a little early for school.

          Marin's relationship with Mabel was a bit tense and complicated, and yet I love how Mabel was with Marin. When Mabel visited Marin at her dormitory, She tried her best for Marin. Sometimes, we think we don't need anyone so we try to push them off no matter how close we are to them. That's how Marin was to Mabel. She dreaded Mabel's visit. She counted the days of her visit. Yet as they spend time together, memories of the past haunted them and made them vulnerable for each other. What happened between the two of them during that visit made them both stronger for themselves and for each other. After learning what happened to Marin, I'm just happy she has a Mabel in her life. I hope each and every one of us has our own Mabel.

         Towards the end of the story, I was nervous. Mabel's visit wasn't just a visit anyway. It was a chance to convince Marin to go back home with her. Did she go home? That's for you to find out. All I can say is that the ending didn't disappoint. 

        This story is a little close to my heart as it holds secrets. Maybe I'm biased but hey, Nina Lacour's writing was definitely something I can always come back to. There was this rawness as if the story was real, as if it was alive.

            We Are Okay definitely lived up to its title. That no matter what we go through, we are okay. That yes, we have to deal with our struggles and our shortcomings, but we end up okay. That we don't have to be alone. That life can be messy sometimes but we have to go on. Because in the end, we are
okay.
           

      About the Author

Nina LaCour is the author of three critically acclaimed young adult novels published by Dutton Books: Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You. You Know Me Well, a novel written in collaboration with David Levithan, is forthcoming from St. Martin's Griffin in June, 2016.

She has tutored, taught, and guest lectured in various places, including Berkeley City College, Maybeck High School, Stanford University, and Mills College, where she received an MFA in Creative Writing in 2006. Her novels have been Junior Library Guild selections, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, and have appeared on many state and regional lists. Nina won the 2009 Northern California Book Award for Children’s Literature, was featured in Publishers Weekly as a Flying Starts Author, and was a finalist for the William C. Morris award. She loves teaching, reading work by emerging and established writers, and talking about the craft of fiction.

She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife, photographer Kristyn Stroble, and their daughter.

Website | Goodreads |  Twitter

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Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in 5-star, contemporary, Jasmine Warga, mental health, review, YA,

Author: Jasmine Warga

Release date: February 10th 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray

Series: N/A

Age Group:Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary / Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository 

Add to your library: Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.  (via Goodreads)

Review

          My Heart and Other Black Holes made me cry more than I can ever count. There were moments when I had to stop reading, look at the ceiling and just cry. Oh, the power of Jasmine's words. 

           The story of Aysel and Roman was sad, happy, heartbreaking, funny, stressful, hopeful, and realistic. It surely was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Because in the real world, that's how it is.  They have different pasts and yet they want one future: to die. So they looked for a suicide partner, found each other, and decided to do it together. 

          Aysel and Roman were the opposites. The only thing that connects them is their goal. It sounds scary, cruel and even sadistic. Who would want to encourage someone to die? To end his/her own life with you? But the truth is, you wouldn't know. We wouldn't know. Unless we're in that situation. Unless we have depression. Unless we have suicidal tendencies. Yet Jasmine made sure that the story will make readers understand more about the topic without losing the idea that the characters are in fact, just two teenagers. Just regular teenagers who happen to have it. 

           Aysel was such a Physics nerd and a classical music lover. I really enjoyed all of her existential questions about her potential energy, her gravity, her black holes and everything about Physics. On the other hand, Roman was definitely that cute guy you just have a crush on, an athlete and has a turtle pet! See? Total opposites, right?

           I love this novel. Every bit of it. Its representation of depression, how things are affected, what happens when someone has it, everything surrounding it. It clearly gave the readers a look at the inside. In the end, it wasn't just love that triumphed. It was hope, faith, and trust as well. 

          I'm so thankful to Jasmine for being brave enough to write this novel that tackles the issue of mental health. It's not everyday that you come across a book that depicts such real-life issues. Her writing style definitely made the story even more beautiful.

          My Heart and Other Black Holes is a great eye-opener for everyone. It is cringe-worthy, but in a good way. Ready your heart when you decide to read this, and I do hope you read this one.

         About the Author

Jasmine Warga is an author from Cincinnati, Ohio. Her first novel, My Heart and Other Black Holes, was an international bestseller and has been translated into over twenty languages. Her second novel, Here We Are Now, was released in November of 2017. Jasmine lives with her husband, two tiny daughters, large dog, and mischievous cat. 
 

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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[RECAP] Jasmine Warga and Jennifer E. Smith's Book Signing Event at Manila

[RECAP] Jasmine Warga and Jennifer E. Smith's Book Signing Event at Manila

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in book signing, Jasmine Warga, Jennifer E. Smith, recap,

#JenAndJasInPH

              Meet Jasmine Warga and Jennifer E. Smith, everyone! They visited the Philippines for a 2-day signing, last November 11 in Cebu and  the other one last November 12 in Manila. It was Jasmine's 1st time to visit while it was the second time for Jennifer. Hopefully not the last one! All thanks to National Bookstore for bringing them here and giving the Filipino readers an opportunity to meet and greet these two best-selling authors. 

           We all know how lovely and awesome these two, right? But seriously, they were both wonderful to chat with. National Bookstore was kind enough to allow some bloggers to have a Q&A portion with them. They answered the questions eagerly. Below are some of the things they shared with us and some photos I took with them. Enjoy!

1. When Jasmine started to write My Heart and Other Black Holes, she unexpectedly lost someone really close to her which made her think of big existential questions. Those questions that we don't often let ourselves think that much about. These periods of raw shock and deep grief made her question our own mortality, what it means to die. The story was born out of that.
2. Jen is drawn to themes like fate, serendipity, timing, and chance. She once saw a young man buying a lot of lottery tickets. She thought of writing about it, a kid who's 18 still hasn't quite figured out who he is yet wins this incredible huge amount of money. There goes the start of Windfall.
3. Both Jennifer and Jasmine prefer writing contemporary novels. They are both drawn to reading contemporary. Jen once wrote a  middle-grade book that's fantasy in genre. She had fun writing it as an experiment but her heart is into contemporary. She might write another middle-grade book, or an adult one, both as contemporary in the future.  On the other hand, Jas is interested in experimental styles, different ways to format a novel and various age groups.

              

                  Also featured on this event was the soft opening of Powerbooks in The Podium located in  Ortigas. It looks so classy, you guys. I can't wait for it to expand its opening. Don't forget to visit the store and discover new titles.

                  That's it for the recap! Let's all wait for another author to visit us. Happy Reading!

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