Mini-Reviews #1

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5

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. 

I loved this story very much. Marin has finished her first semester of college, but instead of returning home like everyone else, she chooses to remain on campus
following the death of her grandfather. Mabel, her best friend, comes to visit for a few days. However, Marin has been ignoring her for months and there is awkward
tension all around, especially considering the feelings that developed between them the summer before college. As the circumstances of "Gramps" death come to light a
story of grief and secrets begins to unfold.

Perhaps my favorite part of the novel was how the fantastic character development pulled the plot along, keeping the reader hooked on what would happen next. The story
was heartbreakingly beautiful.


The Princess Saves herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
Genre: Poetry
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.8/5
"Ah, life- the thing that happens to us while we're off somewhere else blowing on dandelions & wishing ourselves into the pages of our favorite fairy tales."

A poetry collection divided into four different parts: the princess, the damsel, the queen, & you. the princess, the damsel, & the queen piece together the life of the author in three stages, while you serves as a note to the reader & all of humankind. Explores life & all of its love, loss, grief, healing, empowerment, & inspirations.

As I am just dipping my toes into the expansive sea of poetry, this was a lovely addition to my collection of read poetry.

The collection is divided into four sections: the princess, the damsel, the queen, and you. As suggested, the first three are focused on the authors story, while the
last section is directed at the reader.

I have been seeing this book everywhere for months. The title itself was enough to interest me as it promised an empowering story. I feared that it would be full of cheesy
poetry ready to be marketed to the world who just want something to quote and look cool. I found that I enjoyed most of the poems a lot though and I definitely felt the
emotion behind each word. However, I cannot deny that some of them just were not for me. It was overall quick and enjoyable.

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
Genre: Memoir
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5

This beautifully illustrated and emotional story is an evocative memoir about the search for a better future and a longing for the past. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s, and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves. At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent—the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through. With haunting, poetic writing and breathtaking art, she examines the strength of family, the importance of identity, and the meaning of home. In what Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen calls “a book to break your heart and heal it,” The Best We Could Do brings to life Thi Bui’s journey of understanding, and provides inspiration to all of those who search for a better future while longing for a simpler past

I was completely in love with this story and the art in which it was told through. It was a truly eye opening read that encompassed Bui's family escaping a falling South Vietnam.
It was a completely unique side of the story for me at least too. I read the book in one sitting as I became mesmerized by the incredibly important story told. There are
no better words to explain the story than the actual story itself so I highly highly recommend reading it!