We Are Okay - Nina LaCour

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour follows college freshman, Marin, as she grapples with the loss of a guardian. She isolates herself from her old life and decides to remain at college yearlong. She discovers how important having a support system is as well as some shocking discoveries about her history.

Teachers

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Pages: 234

Age Range: 14-18

Lexile: HL660L

Themes: grief, LGBTQ+, trauma, isolation, friendship

Questions for discussion:

1. After learning why Marin ran away, did you understand why she’d made that decision?

2. How does the setting Marin left (Ocean Beach, CA) compare with where she is now (New York)?

3. Rather than following a linear timeline, LaCour switches back and forth between the present and the past throughout the novel. How did this affect the movement of the story? How did it affect your reading experience?

4. On page 37, the following William Morris quote is mentioned: “…everything you own should either be useful or beautiful.” How is this idea evident in Marin’s dorm room? Why is it so sparse, and how is this a metaphor for what she is feeling inside?

5. In the end, do you think Marin and Mabel are “okay”?

6. What are the “many ways of being alone”? As you read, look for the sources of Marin’s loneliness, how she copes with them, and how she eventually begins to overcome this loneliness. Look also for examples of Gramps’s loneliness and how he coped with it. How is Marin’s loneliness different from her grandfather’s?

7. Which characters are experiencing grief in the story? What is the source of their grief, and how are they handling it?

8. What did you think about Marin and Mabel's relationship?

Parents

At some point in life, we inevitably lose somebody close to us. We Are Okay teaches students that grief and sadness is okay, but it also introduces how important it is to have someone close to you to help you through it.

Students

Losing somebody close to you is incredibly difficult. And grieving all while beginning or balancing school is a whole other challenge. Check out We are Okay and learn how Marin handles her grief and learns how to lean on others for support.