Mock Printz 2026 discussion

April's discussion book is We Are Okay by Nina LaCour.
Did you enjoy We Are Okay? Do you think it is Printz worthy? Why/why not?

This was my least favorite of LaCour's novels. I have loved all of her others, and this one I was lukewarm about. Maybe I was not as engaged with the characters as I've been with her other characters, and I'm not sure exactly why. I liked the settings. Definitely not enough for me to call it Printz worthy, even though I love this author, and I'm looking forward to hearing other opinions!

I agree. I thought I'd like this one a lot more than I did. It felt like it took too long to get to the point and by the time we got there it felt a little anticlimactic.

I seem to be in the minority regarding this book, but I actually loved it. I was absolutely captivated by LaCour's writing. The way she details Marin's grief and loneliness was very poignant and it put me IN Marin's mind. When Gramp's truth is finally revealed, I was shocked, disturbed, in disbelief, and a myriad of other emotions. I don't to put any spoilers out there for those who may not have read it yet but I didn't see things going down in that direction. It was clear that he was deeply holding onto the past, but that was just bizarre and it worked to push Marin's reactions into reality and make sense (at least for me).

What I loved most, however, was the overall theme of the redemptive power of truth. Marin's loneliness is sometimes frustrating to the reader because we can see how she's isolating herself from her own healing. But isn't that what grief does? It can paralyze our minds to action, and Marin is fighting not only grief, but pretty blatant familial betrayal. Grief and betrayal have a way of multiplying outward, and LaCour captures that in her novel. I also loved the scene in the pottery shop when she's shopping with Mabel and she sees the yellow bowls. The bowls act as a symbol for Marin's rebirth and slow "filling up" of her life again, following Mabel's visit.

Unfortunately, I haven't read any of LaCour's other books so I can't compare this to anything else by her, but I really enjoyed We Are Okay.

I said I was looking forward to hearing other opinions, and I love your thoughts, Elise. You have actually made me appreciate things about this novel that I didn't think of before, which I love. I really do think that for me, it suffered from not being like her other books. I think she's an incredible writer, and she often ruminates about grief (and also love) in a very satisfying way.

That definitely makes sense. Also, reading this book really made me want to try some of her other books! :-)

I loved this one - loved it! Beautifully written and I think would resonate with many teens. Elise captured many of the things that I thought were so powerful about this book.

Elise wrote: "That definitely makes sense. Also, reading this book really made me want to try some of her other books! :-)"'

Would love to hear what you think. :)

I liked this book, but I found it almost too frustrating that she did not accept any of the help offered her. I acknowledge however that I have never experienced grief of this kind, and I am always happy to read a book that shows me a new experience as well as this one does. I think a drawback for me was also how utterly sad and devastated I was for her almost from the very beginning, with no let up until the very end. That made it hard to read for me. Overall a well-written book with lots of feelings that most YA lovers look for. :)

I liked this, but I didn't love it. But I have loved her other books, so I had high expectations. http://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2017/...

Reving wrote: "I liked this, but I didn't love it. But I have loved her other books, so I had high expectations. http://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2017/..."

Great review! Thanks for sharing!

I have conflicted feelings about this book. It is well written but I just have a hard time with the characters and their actions. I find her friends parents actions just too little too late for people who claim to care for her like a daughter. It just has too many discrepancies to add up to an award book for me.

Not sure about this one. It's well written, but I don't think it's award-winningly well written. It's a YA book, but I don't know of any students I would recommend this to. Even the student who comes in asking for a "sad book that will make them cry" - this book doesn't have that culminating tearjerking moment, rather the sadness is heavy and unrelenting. It's very adult in its portrayal of grief.

In some ways too, this book strained credulity. An 18 year old just leaves with her phone, wallet, and picture of her mother flying across the country, and starting school at a small private college with nothing to her name just seems unbelievable.

I'm very meh about this book. It was well-written, sure, but other than that I don't know what else to say about it. I think I know what hypothetical teen I guess I might recommend it to, but really I'm grasping at straws. I think I'm a pretty good reader & I don't understand the grandfather's secret, the ending/resolution felt rushed & incomplete to me. This is a pretty solid nahhhhhh.

I loved everything about this book. The writing. The characters. Beautiful. That interesting line between friendship and romance that so many teens struggle with. The amazing portrayal of grief and loneliness. One of the best YA novels about relationships and/or loss I have read. Was there much of a plot? No. Were there a couple slow parts? Perhaps. Will New Adults or adults connect to this more than teens? Maybe. But I do think this is her best book by far and an absolute Printz front runner.

Gorgeous writing but was a bit slow for me. I reviewed it here.

I loved this book. I cried at the end and I rarely cry for books. The themes of belonging and loneliness, grief and friendship, all came together for a beautiful, beautiful book.

I loved the style, and thought the writing was beautiful. I also thought LaCour's depiction of grief was heart wrenching and pretty spot on. I definitely think this book is a contender and I will be looking into her other books.

I'm so curious to hear what people who are reading LaCour for the first time and love this one think of her other books!

I'm just not sure how wide the audience is for this book. It's a great book in terms of portraying a character who is consumed with grief and loneliness, but I don't think it's Printz worthy. I absolutely love the cover and end papers. Beautiful!

I am sad to say that I personally don't connect with LaCour's writing at all. Every books oh hers I'd tried I found endlessly dull. I couldn't even bring myself to finish We Are Okay. But as far as Printz conversation goes, being boring to some readers doesn't exclude it from the running. With a certain lucky mix of reading tastes in Printz Committee I think this book has a good shot at snagging an Honor.

This one was slightly felt like I was walking through mud to read. Some moments went smoothly (like jumping into a mud puddle) and others felt like I was slogging through knee deep mud.

I felt at times the character development was a bit lacking. Friends other than Mabel are introduced and hinted at having a bigger part of Marin's life, but we only get a glimmer of those relationships. I did like the ambiguity of Marin and her grandfather's relationship, and how people knew Marin's mother, but we are never revealed how they knew her.

I agree with Amanda that the relationship between Marin and Mabel's family was a little awkward. Claim they cared for her but they waited until she completed one semester of school before seeking her out....

I'm leaning towards no on this one.

Now that several months have passed since I read this book I am really struggling to remember much about this book but the barest of outlines. I think award-winners should not only be spectacular plots and well-rounded characters, but they should also be memorable. This one doesn't make the cut in my books.

My major problem with this book is the underdevelopment of the characters.  At one point, Marin says that she didn't really know her grandfather and she listed what she knew.  UM...HELLO, I can say the same thing about Marin-her mother died  when she was three; she likes literature; she likes girls.  I can say the same thing about Mabel-she's Mexican; her mother is a painter; she has an older brother; she goes to school in Cali.  That's literally all you know about most of the characters.  I think I knew more about the grandfather than Marin and Mabel. 

I thought relationship between Marin and Mabel was refreshing- they didn't define anything. But I don't think it did much to the plot.  Maybe that was intentional but if they had just been best friends, I don't think it would have affected the story.

I felt like this book tried too hard.  At first I thought Marin had a mental illness but I don't think she did because if so, she resolved it pretty quickly.

I all just seemed to be resolved too conveniently and too quickly. She was in a dark place and all she needed was a three day visit from Mabel and her parents who should have come two months earlier?

I don't think this will be a Printz honor because of the characters and the voice. I've heard voice before.

Yeah....this book has not stayed with me. I agree with Dawn...this book was trying way too hard. The writing is beautiful, but so many other things fall through the cracks.