My Thoughts On… We Are Not Okay by Natália Gomes

My Thoughts On… We Are Not Okay by Natália Gomes

Hi All!
Today is my stop on the blog tour for We Are Not Okay and I am here today with a review of this intense book.

**A copy of this book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review**

Title: We Are Not Okay
Author: Natália Gomes
Publisher: HQ Stories
Published: 2nd May 2019
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source:: Review Copy from Publisher
Add It: Amazon UK Goodreads.
Summary: If only they could have spoken out.
Lucy thinks she’s better than the other girls.
Maybe if she’s pointing fingers at everyone else, no one will see the secret she’s hiding.

Ulana comes from a conservative Muslim family where reputation is everything. One rumour –
true or false – can destroy futures.

Trina likes to party. She’s kissed a lot of boys. She’s even shown her red bra to one. But she didn’t consent to that
night at Lucy’s party. So why doesn’t anyone believe
her?

Sophia loved her boyfriend. She did anything for him, even send him photos of herself. So why is she the one being pointed at in the hallways, laughed at, spat at when it was him who betrayed her trust?

My Thoughts

Trigger Warnings: Slut shaming, Sexting, Depression, Suicide, Rape, Abortion, Bullying

You may be able to tell from the above but this was a heavy book. It is due to this that it took me longer to read this book than expected as I had to keep pausing to readjust emotionally. It is also why this review has taken a while. But despite that, it is important that I also mention that these heavy topics are ALL dealt with in a respectable way. In all honesty, this book is an incredibly powerful read but it just hits quite hard too.

We Are Not Okay is a very interesting read. It is full of secrets and follows four different girls during a period of their life which is significant to them. It follows the story of how their lives start to intertwine as their secrets are slowly revealed to the world. It is, as mentioned above, an intense read but also one that I would recommend. I do not think enjoy is the right word for this book but it is a book that definitely has you reflecting on the world we live in. It is a book that can definitely teach empathy and one that might just leave an emotional scar.

I did go into this book thinking it would be a feminist read and while there is a strength to the book towards the end between the characters, a lot of the book is more about how difficult it is to live in this world as a female. If nothing else, I feel this would be a very strong book to have in teen libraries to extend empathy to male teenagers but also to let teenage women, and any woman, know that they are not alone.

Will you be reading this book?