We Are Okay

I like this book. It gets across a lot of feeling. But somehow I don't get it. I get that the big secret is something that hurts Marin. But I don't really get the other effects it has on her. That's fine, I can accept it in a "it's never possible to really understand other people, and everyone's so different, that also goes for fictional characters" way, but it produces a lot of distance for me. I also don't really get why that thing gets connected to insanity, it just... doesn't seem that much out of the ordinary to me somehow.

read for pride month reading challenge

The one thing that bothered me the most was the lack of emotional impact about "the reveal." It felt like the main character barely had a reaction, even if she actually did have quite a big reaction externally. But maybe that's intentional. I often numb up myself but I didn't feel like that was conveyed properly enough.

I sympathized with the characters a lot, though. I felt sympathy for Mabel, dealing with the sudden disappearance of someone close to her. I felt sympathy for Marin, dealing with isolation and heartbreak.

Ending was a little unsatisfying. I felt like the book could have been pushed a little further. It did squeeze a few tears out of me though.

I speed-read the last few pages so I could finish this book during my break, and deeply regret that choice, because I'm all crumply-hearted and puffy-faced at the circulation desk.