One of our most anticipated reads this month is We Are Okay by Nina LaCour – a heartbreaking, beautiful book about grief, family and hope. And we’re not alone: early readers say it’s “gut wrenching,” “soul shattering,” and that each of Nina Lacour’s novels are “thought provoking and artistically rich” and that “she writes like no one else in Young Adult does.”

We know exactly what they mean. Nina LaCour novels bring out the feels in a special way. Like, you want to cry a lot but you also feel like life is really, really beautiful and you forgot about it until you read this book. So If you somehow missed Nina’s books until now, read on to find out why readers fell in love with some of our favorites and peek inside each one at the bottom of this post!

First, we fell in love with Hold Still

Hold Still is about starting over after a friend’s suicide and how you can’t always see what the people closest to you are feeling. It’s touching and hopeful and complex and – well, we’ll let the readers tell you what they think:

What readers said:

Nina LaCour’s Hold Still made me feel so much. This book and my melancholic music on a quiet Sunday. Perfect. 5/5 pic.twitter.com/kMLFX594mx

— kace c (@kacecabali) September 25, 2016

@sarreuhh every book by Nina LaCour is phenomenal but my personal favorite is Hold Still.

— triggered snowflake (@captainfroot) August 23, 2015

i’m gonna go re-read hold still by nina lacour bc it’s lovely, ache-filled portrait of depression, loss, and grief +overcoming the latter 2

— fiel (@fielestrella) July 25, 2015

Day 6: Emotional roller-coaster: Hold Still – Nina LaCour. I love this book so much, oh my goodness. It is probably my favourite book ever and I’ve re-read it too many times to count. I have some other cute photos of this book coming up, probably tomorrow #bookstagram #booksandcupcakes #bookchallenge #holdstill #ninalacour #yalovin #flowers

A photo posted by Stacey (@staceysreads) on Jan 5, 2015 at 5:40pm PST

Then we went on a trip with The Disenchantments

Following a band’s trip playing through the Pacific Northwest on the brink of the rest of their lives, The Disenchantments is a brilliant look at growing up and following your own path.

What readers say:

I know I’m years late to this party, but @nina_lacour ‘s The Disenchantments found me at just the right time and I love it fiercely.

— Lenore Appelhans (@lenoreva) November 21, 2015

Sitting on this diner on the verge of tears because The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour is SO freaking good and so beautiful.

— Gabriela Escobar (@gabiiescobar) July 16, 2012

Artistic, hopeful, and mf-ing relatable. #thedisenchantments #done

A photo posted by Deanne (@dnnvln) on May 6, 2013 at 3:47pm PDT

And then we gave our hearts to Everything Leads to You

Emi is a wunderkind young set designer, and Ava is unlike anyone she’s ever met. And when they collide, she’ll expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

What readers said:

I remember saying one last chapter but then four hours later I was still reading the book. #EverythingLeadsToYou

— • Hannah • (@ItsHannahRJP) July 15, 2016

I can’t thank @nina_lacour enough for such an achingly romantic and moving book. It was the stuff dreams are made of #EverythingLeadsToYou

— Kori (@YAMavenThoughts) July 2, 2015

There is something so crucial about reading the right book at the right time in your life. When I read “Everything Leads To You” I was on my trip in Boston. I couldn’t have read the book at a better time in my life. All the words spoke to me and I teared up in some spots. There are some tremendous quotes from that book- about films and about love and how movies make you feel emotion- and I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this book and there is no doubt in my mind that that was exactly the book I needed to read at that point in my life. (And now it has become one of my favorites.) #yalovin #everythingleadstoyou #Boston #bookstagram

A photo posted by – ̗̀ h a i l e e ̖́- (@thesebooklions) on Apr 22, 2016 at 2:34pm PDT

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour — *immediately buys every other book written by Nina LaCour*

A photo posted by Angélica (@angxelica) on Dec 30, 2016 at 6:32pm PST

And look out for We Are Okay on February 14th!

About We Are Okay: 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.

Preorder your copy of We Are Okay!

Start reading all of these books in the sampler below!