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Watch Over Me
Nina LaCour delivers another emotional knockout with Watch Over Me, the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the Printz Award-winning We Are Okay.
Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below.
But she hadn’t known about the ghosts.
Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she’s offered a job and a place to stay at a farm on an isolated part of the Northern California Coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home, a real home. The farm is a refuge, but also haunted by the past traumas its young residents have come to escape. And Mila’s own terrible memories are starting to rise to the surface.
Watch Over Me is another stunner from Printz Award-Winning author Nina LaCour, whose empathetic, lyrical prose is at the heart of this modern ghost story of resilience and rebirth.
Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below.
But she hadn’t known about the ghosts.
Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she’s offered a job and a place to stay at a farm on an isolated part of the Northern California Coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home, a real home. The farm is a refuge, but also haunted by the past traumas its young residents have come to escape. And Mila’s own terrible memories are starting to rise to the surface.
Watch Over Me is another stunner from Printz Award-Winning author Nina LaCour, whose empathetic, lyrical prose is at the heart of this modern ghost story of resilience and rebirth.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2020
302 people are currently reading
36654 people want to read
About the author
Nina LaCour
24 books6,096 followersNina LaCour is the Michael L. Printz Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of six young adult novels, including Watch Over Me and We Are Okay; the children's book Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle; and Yerba Buena, a novel for adults. She's on faculty at Hamline University's MFA in writing for Children and Young Adults program, and teaches an online class of her own called The Slow Novel Lab. A former indie bookseller and high school English teacher, she lives with her family in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,944 reviews
March 6, 2022
This is my second Nina LaCour book, and I’m finding that her writing has a quiet and sad charm to it that works whenever I pick it up at the right time in my life. Fortunately, this is one of those times. I read this during a depressive episode with a huge chunk of it during a day where I was detoxing, and the simple elegance to the writing just clicked for my brain. The book feels like a little relief with everything else going on in life. It’s interesting how understated her writing is - she gives just enough and doesn’t reveal everything on purpose. Although I would have liked to learn more about the side characters, I still enjoyed the sparse writing and think other YA authors can learn from these techniques, that sometimes less is more. Overall, a very gentle book about healing from grief and trauma that I quietly enjoyed.
Read
January 12, 2022Nobody writes loneliness better than Nina LaCour. I can’t wait to wallow in fiction-induced self-pity. My heart yearns for this book.
July 19, 2022
Sometimes sensitive, delicate, poignant hearted people can see things through with their third eye, connecting with restless souls to resonate with their own loneliness, grief, sadness, abandonment.
Have you ever felt like there is a big rock sit on your chest preventing you to breathe properly and have you ever felt like you are the loneliest person in the world as you stand in the moving crowd, barely restraining yourself not to scream, feeling the hurt of your throat because of sobs that never come out!
This book definitely brings out those feelings and showing you the most painful but effective ways to face your fears, learn to forgive yourself, deal with your demons even though they looked like the ghosts you met in your past!
Intense, heartbreaking, harsh, compelling, dark, depressing but it’s pure, realistic, provocative and rejuvenating!
Mika accepts a job which requires her to live in an isolated farm located in Northern California Coast. Terry and Julia, the guardians of the house seem like understanding, caring people she can easily connect with. Liz and Billy are at the same age with her, look like genuine friends she can form a bond.
She is finally out of foster care, nearly 19 which gives her opportunity to have a fresh start. But she never thinks the place is full of ghosts, triggering the memories of her past.
Once upon a time: She did something soooo bad. Something sooo dangerous. Now her dreams to settle and have a peaceful family life are under threat. She has to face ghosts to move on but is she brave and strong enough to do that?
I cried. I hurt. I sighed. I hurt more. Another brilliant author who directly melt the iced cold hearts and crush our souls with her honest and unique talent.
No more words! My tears still pour down! This book pushed me out from my comfort zone and forced me to meet my own ghosts. It hurt a lot. But eventually I feel better. That’s the magic of great words, remarkable stories, unforgettable characters!
Have you ever felt like there is a big rock sit on your chest preventing you to breathe properly and have you ever felt like you are the loneliest person in the world as you stand in the moving crowd, barely restraining yourself not to scream, feeling the hurt of your throat because of sobs that never come out!
This book definitely brings out those feelings and showing you the most painful but effective ways to face your fears, learn to forgive yourself, deal with your demons even though they looked like the ghosts you met in your past!
Intense, heartbreaking, harsh, compelling, dark, depressing but it’s pure, realistic, provocative and rejuvenating!
Mika accepts a job which requires her to live in an isolated farm located in Northern California Coast. Terry and Julia, the guardians of the house seem like understanding, caring people she can easily connect with. Liz and Billy are at the same age with her, look like genuine friends she can form a bond.
She is finally out of foster care, nearly 19 which gives her opportunity to have a fresh start. But she never thinks the place is full of ghosts, triggering the memories of her past.
Once upon a time: She did something soooo bad. Something sooo dangerous. Now her dreams to settle and have a peaceful family life are under threat. She has to face ghosts to move on but is she brave and strong enough to do that?
I cried. I hurt. I sighed. I hurt more. Another brilliant author who directly melt the iced cold hearts and crush our souls with her honest and unique talent.
No more words! My tears still pour down! This book pushed me out from my comfort zone and forced me to meet my own ghosts. It hurt a lot. But eventually I feel better. That’s the magic of great words, remarkable stories, unforgettable characters!
August 7, 2021
did you feel that?
that was the universe righting itself.
(i'm buddy reading a book i read literally a few months ago with lily)
(rounding down upon reread, still 3.5)
----------------
A book by Nina LaCour featuring ghosts, loneliness, found family, trauma recovery, forgiveness, and friendship?
It's more likely to destroy my life than you think.
I picked this up at the very end of a reading-filled day, when I had already finished a couple of books and was ready to wind down.
Then I accidentally read 85% of it in a sitting.
Nina LaCour has this pretty, clean way of writing that sucks you in, and these characters who suffer so intensely that you can't help but suffer too.
This kind of dragged for me at some points, and I simultaneously wanted more from and less of it, but it was still more than I bargained for.
Bottom line: Nina, you minx!
3.5
that was the universe righting itself.
(i'm buddy reading a book i read literally a few months ago with lily)
(rounding down upon reread, still 3.5)
----------------
A book by Nina LaCour featuring ghosts, loneliness, found family, trauma recovery, forgiveness, and friendship?
It's more likely to destroy my life than you think.
I picked this up at the very end of a reading-filled day, when I had already finished a couple of books and was ready to wind down.
Then I accidentally read 85% of it in a sitting.
Nina LaCour has this pretty, clean way of writing that sucks you in, and these characters who suffer so intensely that you can't help but suffer too.
This kind of dragged for me at some points, and I simultaneously wanted more from and less of it, but it was still more than I bargained for.
Bottom line: Nina, you minx!
3.5
November 22, 2021
Biggest meh of the year.
January 3, 2021
this was just... fine. but sort of a let down after hearing glowing reviews from people i trust.
at its core, this book is about trauma and healing from it. we know from the beginning that our main character Mila has something in her past that she doesn't like talking about, something that she is scared of. and you get the sense that her past is part of what is haunting her, physically, post grad on this remote ranch.
i think my mistake was expecting this story to hit hard. there was no big crescendo here, it was just a slow metaphoric look at grief and trauma. i think had i known going in how quiet this was going to be, i might have enjoyed it more. because the writing was simple yet beautiful and the imagery was pretty fantastic. it just... didn't do much for me.
that being said, i am absolutely not the target audience for this book. had i stumbled across this in middle school or high school from the school library, i think i would have adored it. so it definitely will find an audience, i'm just... old.
at its core, this book is about trauma and healing from it. we know from the beginning that our main character Mila has something in her past that she doesn't like talking about, something that she is scared of. and you get the sense that her past is part of what is haunting her, physically, post grad on this remote ranch.
i think my mistake was expecting this story to hit hard. there was no big crescendo here, it was just a slow metaphoric look at grief and trauma. i think had i known going in how quiet this was going to be, i might have enjoyed it more. because the writing was simple yet beautiful and the imagery was pretty fantastic. it just... didn't do much for me.
that being said, i am absolutely not the target audience for this book. had i stumbled across this in middle school or high school from the school library, i think i would have adored it. so it definitely will find an audience, i'm just... old.
November 24, 2023
"...but it was difficult, when ghosts were everywhere, to figure out what was real and what was imagined." Think twice before opening up this book. Because...you will know the moment you open it up. I haven't been creeped out like that in years!
I took my own sweet time to read this short book. Because it gets disturbing at times. But most part of the book is all about healing and acceptance.
The story is based on a couple adopting kids mostly disturbed, traumatized ones; who has had a tough past. These kids need to be handled with utmost care and on the verge of getting ourselves helpless when they suffer when their disturbing memories surface.
This book would be so apt to choose for Halloween readathons, readalong or just as an October read. It gets spooky at times with all those ghosts dancing and being mean at times and sparking fear, discomfort to the ones they are seemingly low-key haunting.
I like the half-way scary vibes, the half-way crime vibes, the half-way attachments and detachments. The writing is addictive. This is the book that can be finished up in one sitting.
The adult characters, the adoptive parents, are warm and quite experienced in handling these broken, scarred for life ones.
I particularly felt so protective towards Lee, a 9 year-old, who hides in smaller space and keeps rocking back and forth when his ghosts strike.
I totally understand why Mila's the way she's.
She had suffered enough under a stepfather who kept manipulating her mother and made them live in inhuman surroundings.
I like Bill and Liz, the adoptive parents. Their characters are warm and comforting.
The writing is fun and gripping. (I didn't like a particular popular book by the author. But this one did the trick!)
I didn't like how some unnecessary sexual descriptions are placed out of nowhere in between. Some scenes get unnecessarily descriptive. And yes, please complete sentences when important parts happen. And I need proper explanations when the main characters felt betrayed or hurt. Incomplete dialogues with just one word or two with dot dot dot doesn't work for me and yes, my imagination in such scenarios demands a clear cut imagination from the storyteller's side because my imagination could not imagine the reasons why certain get hurt to the point of thinking of thinking about letting a kid die. I mean I need explanations.
I took my own sweet time to read this short book. Because it gets disturbing at times. But most part of the book is all about healing and acceptance.
The story is based on a couple adopting kids mostly disturbed, traumatized ones; who has had a tough past. These kids need to be handled with utmost care and on the verge of getting ourselves helpless when they suffer when their disturbing memories surface.
This book would be so apt to choose for Halloween readathons, readalong or just as an October read. It gets spooky at times with all those ghosts dancing and being mean at times and sparking fear, discomfort to the ones they are seemingly low-key haunting.
I like the half-way scary vibes, the half-way crime vibes, the half-way attachments and detachments. The writing is addictive. This is the book that can be finished up in one sitting.
The adult characters, the adoptive parents, are warm and quite experienced in handling these broken, scarred for life ones.
I particularly felt so protective towards Lee, a 9 year-old, who hides in smaller space and keeps rocking back and forth when his ghosts strike.
I totally understand why Mila's the way she's.
She had suffered enough under a stepfather who kept manipulating her mother and made them live in inhuman surroundings.
I like Bill and Liz, the adoptive parents. Their characters are warm and comforting.
The writing is fun and gripping. (I didn't like a particular popular book by the author. But this one did the trick!)
I didn't like how some unnecessary sexual descriptions are placed out of nowhere in between. Some scenes get unnecessarily descriptive. And yes, please complete sentences when important parts happen. And I need proper explanations when the main characters felt betrayed or hurt. Incomplete dialogues with just one word or two with dot dot dot doesn't work for me and yes, my imagination in such scenarios demands a clear cut imagination from the storyteller's side because my imagination could not imagine the reasons why certain get hurt to the point of thinking of thinking about letting a kid die. I mean I need explanations.
May 14, 2021
This writing is so atmospheric, I loved it. I love the Northern California beach sad girl ghost vibes.
Reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/VOeMnQfn7lA
Reading vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/VOeMnQfn7lA
October 31, 2020
4.5 stars, rounded up.
Watch Over Me , Nina LaCour's new novel, is gorgeously lyrical and powerfully moving.
Mila has aged out of the foster care system, so she’s excited when she’s chosen for a teaching job on a farm on the Northern California coast. The couple who own the farm have been fostering children for years and are renowned for their efforts, so this is a real opportunity for Mila.
She is immediately blown away by the beauty and the solitude, and quickly connects with her student and the others on the farm. She longs to be part of a family again, to belong, to be wanted. Like anyone who has experienced the foster care system, she is wary of making mistakes, of doing something that might cause someone not to want her or like her any longer.
But the farm is also a haven for ghosts. While the ghosts mean no harm, they do provoke memories, and Mila starts to become increasingly haunted by the memories she has tried to leave behind. There are secrets few if any know, and as much as she tries to help her student deal with his own memories, she isn't ready to confront hers.
Watch Over Me is such a beautiful story of the toll grief can take on us and how it feels to be set free from it. It’s also a story about the family we choose and how powerful it can be to feel we belong, when we connect with others without guise or guile.
LaCour is one of my absolute favorite YA authors. There’s so much emotion and poetry in her writing, and she never fails to move me. Books like Hold Still, We Are Okay , and You Know Me Well , which she wrote with David Levithan (another favorite of mine), demonstrate her immense talent.
This book is a little more fantastical than some of her others, and at times I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I loved it all the same. Read this, and read her.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Watch Over Me , Nina LaCour's new novel, is gorgeously lyrical and powerfully moving.
Mila has aged out of the foster care system, so she’s excited when she’s chosen for a teaching job on a farm on the Northern California coast. The couple who own the farm have been fostering children for years and are renowned for their efforts, so this is a real opportunity for Mila.
She is immediately blown away by the beauty and the solitude, and quickly connects with her student and the others on the farm. She longs to be part of a family again, to belong, to be wanted. Like anyone who has experienced the foster care system, she is wary of making mistakes, of doing something that might cause someone not to want her or like her any longer.
But the farm is also a haven for ghosts. While the ghosts mean no harm, they do provoke memories, and Mila starts to become increasingly haunted by the memories she has tried to leave behind. There are secrets few if any know, and as much as she tries to help her student deal with his own memories, she isn't ready to confront hers.
Watch Over Me is such a beautiful story of the toll grief can take on us and how it feels to be set free from it. It’s also a story about the family we choose and how powerful it can be to feel we belong, when we connect with others without guise or guile.
LaCour is one of my absolute favorite YA authors. There’s so much emotion and poetry in her writing, and she never fails to move me. Books like Hold Still, We Are Okay , and You Know Me Well , which she wrote with David Levithan (another favorite of mine), demonstrate her immense talent.
This book is a little more fantastical than some of her others, and at times I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I loved it all the same. Read this, and read her.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
August 12, 2024
no one captures grief, loneliness, and heart as beautifully as nina lacour.
September 3, 2022
4.5 Stars
This book was magical to me! I’m going to add the hardback to my collection
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
This book was magical to me! I’m going to add the hardback to my collection
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
September 26, 2020
"it was difficult, when ghosts were everywhere, to figure out what was real and what was imagined"
Watch Over Me is the perfect autumnal, slightly spooky read for October. If you are looking for an atmospheric and haunting read, but not a fan of thrillers or horror- I would recommend giving this book a try. The best way I can describe it is quiet, slow and weird. If you enjoy your contemporaries like that, with a hint of magical realism, I think you will enjoy this much more than I did.
This was my first Nina LaCour, but this book definitely proved true her reputation for packing an emotional punch. There was an omnipresent feeling of sadness, loneliness and grief. I think I may just not have been prepared for the tone of the book, which is my fault.
The writing was well done, and the descriptions were vivid. However, I felt like that didn't translate to the characters. I felt like I never got to see into the characters' true personalities, only how they presented themselves. As a result, I wasn't particularly connected to them (with the exception Lee) and therefore the story as a whole. Most of the side characters felt 2D and interchangeable in my mind, which was disappointing considering how the premise meant they had potential to have interesting backstories and lives.
I also felt like I didn't get it. It felt like one of those artsy indie books or films that are filled with so many metaphors that you are left wondering if the whole thing was one metaphor and end up more confused than going in. I have seen a few early reviews of people really loving this book- and I am glad for them- but I just don't get it. I finished this and felt like I was missing something, or had read a different book to everyone else. I think upon reread I would enjoy it more, but I cannot foresee that happening anytime soon.
I'm not going to completely write off Nina LaCour, but I might just hold off and wait until a premise sounds more interesting to me. Overall, I found this book to be disappointing considering my pretty high expectations and mainly wanted more out of the story. However, if you like more emotional, ambiguous and quiet contemporaries- I would still recommend it!
★★☆☆☆.75 stars
Thank you to Text Publishing for this ARC
Release Date: 29 September 2020
Watch Over Me is the perfect autumnal, slightly spooky read for October. If you are looking for an atmospheric and haunting read, but not a fan of thrillers or horror- I would recommend giving this book a try. The best way I can describe it is quiet, slow and weird. If you enjoy your contemporaries like that, with a hint of magical realism, I think you will enjoy this much more than I did.
This was my first Nina LaCour, but this book definitely proved true her reputation for packing an emotional punch. There was an omnipresent feeling of sadness, loneliness and grief. I think I may just not have been prepared for the tone of the book, which is my fault.
The writing was well done, and the descriptions were vivid. However, I felt like that didn't translate to the characters. I felt like I never got to see into the characters' true personalities, only how they presented themselves. As a result, I wasn't particularly connected to them (with the exception Lee) and therefore the story as a whole. Most of the side characters felt 2D and interchangeable in my mind, which was disappointing considering how the premise meant they had potential to have interesting backstories and lives.
I also felt like I didn't get it. It felt like one of those artsy indie books or films that are filled with so many metaphors that you are left wondering if the whole thing was one metaphor and end up more confused than going in. I have seen a few early reviews of people really loving this book- and I am glad for them- but I just don't get it. I finished this and felt like I was missing something, or had read a different book to everyone else. I think upon reread I would enjoy it more, but I cannot foresee that happening anytime soon.
I'm not going to completely write off Nina LaCour, but I might just hold off and wait until a premise sounds more interesting to me. Overall, I found this book to be disappointing considering my pretty high expectations and mainly wanted more out of the story. However, if you like more emotional, ambiguous and quiet contemporaries- I would still recommend it!
★★☆☆☆.75 stars
Thank you to Text Publishing for this ARC
Release Date: 29 September 2020
July 17, 2022
Audiobook….read by Jorjeana Marie
….5 hours and 36 minutes
While waiting my turn from the library to read Nina LaCour’s first adult novel - “Yerba Buena” — I discovered
“Watch Over Me”, a YA novel, was readily available.
I had read a couple of other YA books by Nina LaCour —
“We Are Okay”, and “Hold Still”, awhile ago.
Both good!!!
It’s very easy to get pulled into Nina’s stories….always with meaningful sensitive issues to contemplate.
I continue to be impressed with her books — her lyrical writing —and her compassionate heart.
I also appreciate that her books are around 300 pages or less. Poignant without being overly bloated.
What always stands when reading Nina LaCour’s books is how graciously she deals with the emotions of her characters; Incredibly real!
I loved the sweetness and innocence of a little boy Lee.
Priceless.
In “Watch Over Me”….
Mila, had just aged out of her own Foster Care program.
Her grades were definitely more than high enough to go directly into college — but it wasn’t what she wanted to do. (perhaps later)
Instead of applying for college, she applied and was accepted to join another -more highly developed Foster Care community….
as in intern/teacher.
The Mendocino Farm in Northern California was run by a couple named Terry and Julia. They took grade school kids through high school.
We don’t get to know much about Terry and Julia — more about what their purpose in running the farm was about—
Their intention was to give the kids - (kindergarten through high school) who came from undesirable raw-deal environments,
a safe, secure, happy, healthy, positive family type nourishing experience.
It’s exactly what Mila was craving for —
A healthy family environment— a place where she felt wanted, belonged.
Everyone on ‘The Farm’ shared the ‘daily living’ responsibilities: cooking-cleaning- washing -teaching… (age appropriate jobs).
Mila’s main job was to teach the little children. She started with one little boy named Lee.
Their bonding was precious and healing for both of them.
We get to know both Mila and Lee well —
There were also ‘ghosts’ ….(but not in the normal sense)….. the ghosts were symbolically an image, taping into memories—that aided in healing past abusive trauma.
It may sound silly or awkward- but it’s not.
I’m not a ghost- type reading woman. But, this was different—a gentle way to confront hardships for supportive purposes.
The atmosphere of the climate—the coastal fog— gray and damp days — added the beauty of the storytelling— hot inland temperatures some days — cool temperatures and wind other days.
Mendocino is a beautiful setting for a story - for ‘this’ story!
Nina LaCour captures the spirit of the area — and offers a unifying kinship feeling for those in need of foster care —decreasing feelings of loneliness- fitting in fears -
removing feelings of blame, shame, guilt from situations that were not their fault….
Building love and trust in a peaceful environment works wonders (even if the ghosts remind kids of past pain )….
The ghosts have their jobs to do too: healing pain!!!
B E A U T I F U L story!
I’m loving Nina LaCour once again.
4.5 rating up
….5 hours and 36 minutes
While waiting my turn from the library to read Nina LaCour’s first adult novel - “Yerba Buena” — I discovered
“Watch Over Me”, a YA novel, was readily available.
I had read a couple of other YA books by Nina LaCour —
“We Are Okay”, and “Hold Still”, awhile ago.
Both good!!!
It’s very easy to get pulled into Nina’s stories….always with meaningful sensitive issues to contemplate.
I continue to be impressed with her books — her lyrical writing —and her compassionate heart.
I also appreciate that her books are around 300 pages or less. Poignant without being overly bloated.
What always stands when reading Nina LaCour’s books is how graciously she deals with the emotions of her characters; Incredibly real!
I loved the sweetness and innocence of a little boy Lee.
Priceless.
In “Watch Over Me”….
Mila, had just aged out of her own Foster Care program.
Her grades were definitely more than high enough to go directly into college — but it wasn’t what she wanted to do. (perhaps later)
Instead of applying for college, she applied and was accepted to join another -more highly developed Foster Care community….
as in intern/teacher.
The Mendocino Farm in Northern California was run by a couple named Terry and Julia. They took grade school kids through high school.
We don’t get to know much about Terry and Julia — more about what their purpose in running the farm was about—
Their intention was to give the kids - (kindergarten through high school) who came from undesirable raw-deal environments,
a safe, secure, happy, healthy, positive family type nourishing experience.
It’s exactly what Mila was craving for —
A healthy family environment— a place where she felt wanted, belonged.
Everyone on ‘The Farm’ shared the ‘daily living’ responsibilities: cooking-cleaning- washing -teaching… (age appropriate jobs).
Mila’s main job was to teach the little children. She started with one little boy named Lee.
Their bonding was precious and healing for both of them.
We get to know both Mila and Lee well —
There were also ‘ghosts’ ….(but not in the normal sense)….. the ghosts were symbolically an image, taping into memories—that aided in healing past abusive trauma.
It may sound silly or awkward- but it’s not.
I’m not a ghost- type reading woman. But, this was different—a gentle way to confront hardships for supportive purposes.
The atmosphere of the climate—the coastal fog— gray and damp days — added the beauty of the storytelling— hot inland temperatures some days — cool temperatures and wind other days.
Mendocino is a beautiful setting for a story - for ‘this’ story!
Nina LaCour captures the spirit of the area — and offers a unifying kinship feeling for those in need of foster care —decreasing feelings of loneliness- fitting in fears -
removing feelings of blame, shame, guilt from situations that were not their fault….
Building love and trust in a peaceful environment works wonders (even if the ghosts remind kids of past pain )….
The ghosts have their jobs to do too: healing pain!!!
B E A U T I F U L story!
I’m loving Nina LaCour once again.
4.5 rating up
July 5, 2021
this cover is SO beautiful.
i will read anything and everything nina lacour writes
i will read anything and everything nina lacour writes
Want to read
September 13, 2020ah yes, cannot wait to cry over another Nina LaCour book,
October 6, 2021
But nothing happens. Like for real. Nothing...
October 8, 2020
Q:
“The ghosts only come out when it’s dark.” (c)
Q:
They were wondrous and I was unafraid. Under the steady moon, the fog moving across the sky like a living thing, I watched for a long time, astonished by how lucky I was to have been chosen. How incredible it was to be there in that strange, incomprehensible place. (c)
A story of ghosts, twisted destinies, pain and growing out of your skin, fears and perceptions. Whoever had the privilege of watching ghosts frolic? Mila. Who has the born teacher's intuition and skills? Mila. Who's lucky? Well, that's not Mila, her life has been full of loss and pain and stilted development. She has no chance of getting back the things she's lost but maybe, just maybe there's something else to be found?
Rural scenery, relaxed interaction, new surroundings, Mila's memories of gaslighting, her struggle for self-acceptance and need to be accepted - all this background makes Mila's ghost-seeing excursions into the realm of the unseen even more fascinating.
Quite a lot of the philosophy/plot here felt a bit forced, made to fit this particular story, so it's 1 star off.
These kids have the most heart-rending life stories (as they get retold):
Q:
“Once there was a girl who was raised without a father, until her mother fell in love with a wolf.” (c)
Q:
“Once upon a time there was a boy and he was scared,” he said, talking fast. “He was scared because his mother turned into a monster. And he wanted to tell his dad about it, but his dad was a monster, too. So he hid for a long time. It was dark. No one found him and he fell asleep.” (c)
Q:
“I was raised by wolves.” She turned to me and smiled.
“Funny,” I said, smiling back. “So was I.” (c)
Other:
Q:
“I told him that after ... you returned to school and made honor roll, and continued to make it every semester. They were clearly looking for exceptional people, so I told them the truth: that you are exceptional, you are resilient, you are amazing.” (c)
Q:
When you get scared in your chest and your stomach, you could try to invite what scares you in. Pay attention to it. Let it play back in your memory. I’m only now understanding it myself, but I think we have to face the things that scare us in order to move on from them. It might be the only way to stop being afraid. (c)
Q:
The next time Blake’s friends came to drink and talk by the fire, I chose to stay away. I lay up the hill in my sleeping bag, with a novel and a flashlight. I was lost in the world of my book, so I didn’t notice when Blake went to bed, too drunk to socialize any longer. Didn’t notice when Peggy tried to stand but fell forward, rose again to find her sweater in flames. I didn’t see her tear off the sweater or hurl it away, into some brush. (c)
“The ghosts only come out when it’s dark.” (c)
Q:
They were wondrous and I was unafraid. Under the steady moon, the fog moving across the sky like a living thing, I watched for a long time, astonished by how lucky I was to have been chosen. How incredible it was to be there in that strange, incomprehensible place. (c)
A story of ghosts, twisted destinies, pain and growing out of your skin, fears and perceptions. Whoever had the privilege of watching ghosts frolic? Mila. Who has the born teacher's intuition and skills? Mila. Who's lucky? Well, that's not Mila, her life has been full of loss and pain and stilted development. She has no chance of getting back the things she's lost but maybe, just maybe there's something else to be found?
Rural scenery, relaxed interaction, new surroundings, Mila's memories of gaslighting, her struggle for self-acceptance and need to be accepted - all this background makes Mila's ghost-seeing excursions into the realm of the unseen even more fascinating.
Quite a lot of the philosophy/plot here felt a bit forced, made to fit this particular story, so it's 1 star off.
These kids have the most heart-rending life stories (as they get retold):
Q:
“Once there was a girl who was raised without a father, until her mother fell in love with a wolf.” (c)
Q:
“Once upon a time there was a boy and he was scared,” he said, talking fast. “He was scared because his mother turned into a monster. And he wanted to tell his dad about it, but his dad was a monster, too. So he hid for a long time. It was dark. No one found him and he fell asleep.” (c)
Q:
“I was raised by wolves.” She turned to me and smiled.
“Funny,” I said, smiling back. “So was I.” (c)
Other:
Q:
“I told him that after ... you returned to school and made honor roll, and continued to make it every semester. They were clearly looking for exceptional people, so I told them the truth: that you are exceptional, you are resilient, you are amazing.” (c)
Q:
When you get scared in your chest and your stomach, you could try to invite what scares you in. Pay attention to it. Let it play back in your memory. I’m only now understanding it myself, but I think we have to face the things that scare us in order to move on from them. It might be the only way to stop being afraid. (c)
Q:
The next time Blake’s friends came to drink and talk by the fire, I chose to stay away. I lay up the hill in my sleeping bag, with a novel and a flashlight. I was lost in the world of my book, so I didn’t notice when Blake went to bed, too drunk to socialize any longer. Didn’t notice when Peggy tried to stand but fell forward, rose again to find her sweater in flames. I didn’t see her tear off the sweater or hurl it away, into some brush. (c)
January 24, 2022
This is for when you are intrigued by the idea of those “ghosts” that follow you in your grief… taken quite literally while incorporating heartwarming character dynamics. Especially one that takes the usually-creepy supernatural elements and turns it into a touching story that makes you want to hug the next ghost you come across.
This was probably one of the most relatable explorations on grief i have ever read in a contemporary/magical realism setting. It’s not the lightest of reads for obvious reasons but not too heavy since it leans more towards more hopeful discussions between the characters. It’s poignant but with beautiful prose that makes the ghosts in this haunted farm far less scarier than we ought they’d be.
I loved the big family dynamic that was put into play with the themes on belonging and mental health. The main character is also a sapphic queen if anyone was wondering.
This is my first time reading a Nina LaCour book and I’m definitely going to be watching out for more books from her in the future~
— 4.0 —
⇢ content warnings// Abandonment, Death of grandparent, Depression, Drug addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental abuse, Neglect, Physical abuse
This was probably one of the most relatable explorations on grief i have ever read in a contemporary/magical realism setting. It’s not the lightest of reads for obvious reasons but not too heavy since it leans more towards more hopeful discussions between the characters. It’s poignant but with beautiful prose that makes the ghosts in this haunted farm far less scarier than we ought they’d be.
I loved the big family dynamic that was put into play with the themes on belonging and mental health. The main character is also a sapphic queen if anyone was wondering.
“The thing is, I’m learning that it’s good to think about what scares you, to bring it into the light, if you can. And feel how it can’t hurt you anymore. To think of it and say: I am not afraid.
It takes away it’s power, to think of it that way”
This is my first time reading a Nina LaCour book and I’m definitely going to be watching out for more books from her in the future~
— 4.0 —
⇢ content warnings// Abandonment, Death of grandparent, Depression, Drug addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental abuse, Neglect, Physical abuse
October 16, 2020
Nina LaCour never fails to make me cry. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of such a gorgeous cover than her.
December 3, 2021
Rating: 5/5 stars
"Had we been telling the truth, he would have said, “the place where I’m sending you – it looks beautiful, but it’s haunted”.
“Okay” I would have said.
“It will bring everything back. All that you tried to bury”.
I’m not even sure what to say about why I loved Watch Over Me the way I did. All I know is that Nina LaCour does something to me… Reading her work brings up this storm of feelings in me, all of which belong in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, making the struggle to communicate my thoughts in a review immense.
To start with the easy part; the story:
After having aged out of the foster system, 18- year old Mila accepts an opportunity to work at a teaching job at an isolated farm on the North Californian Coast. During the daytime she finds connection and friendship in her colleagues and the foster children she tutors, yet during the night the lingering sea mist is filled with ghosts. Ghosts of Mila’s past, and that of the others, that won’t let her leave her what’s happened behind.
At its core, Watch Over Me, like almost all of Nina LaCours books, is a story about grief. From the moment I knew that, Watch Over Me jumped to the top of my Most Anticipated list for 2020, as I not only think it’s what she does best, I also think few authors do it better than her. Mila’s journey, similar to that of Marin in We Are Okay, took me on an emotional rollercoaster in under 300 pages. Not the kind of laugh-or-sob-out-loud-rollercoaster, but the more powerful understated one that makes you sit in silence with the book in your hands; throat clenched and feeling like you’ve been punched in the gut in the best way possible. Where it differed from We Are Okay for me was the strength of the gut punch. (if this was a forceful fist blow, than We Are Okay was a wrecking ball). What they have in common is what makes both of them masterful: they are filled with pain ánd beauty, loneliness ánd connection, grief and a strange sort of katharsis.
I suspect Watch Over Me will have less of a mass-appeal as We Are Okay did, as its themes are less universal, and I can see how the magical realism element might not be for everybody. That being said, I truly hope this book finds its audience that will adore it as much as I did, and I hope as always to see more like this from Nina in the future.
"Had we been telling the truth, he would have said, “the place where I’m sending you – it looks beautiful, but it’s haunted”.
“Okay” I would have said.
“It will bring everything back. All that you tried to bury”.
I’m not even sure what to say about why I loved Watch Over Me the way I did. All I know is that Nina LaCour does something to me… Reading her work brings up this storm of feelings in me, all of which belong in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, making the struggle to communicate my thoughts in a review immense.
To start with the easy part; the story:
After having aged out of the foster system, 18- year old Mila accepts an opportunity to work at a teaching job at an isolated farm on the North Californian Coast. During the daytime she finds connection and friendship in her colleagues and the foster children she tutors, yet during the night the lingering sea mist is filled with ghosts. Ghosts of Mila’s past, and that of the others, that won’t let her leave her what’s happened behind.
At its core, Watch Over Me, like almost all of Nina LaCours books, is a story about grief. From the moment I knew that, Watch Over Me jumped to the top of my Most Anticipated list for 2020, as I not only think it’s what she does best, I also think few authors do it better than her. Mila’s journey, similar to that of Marin in We Are Okay, took me on an emotional rollercoaster in under 300 pages. Not the kind of laugh-or-sob-out-loud-rollercoaster, but the more powerful understated one that makes you sit in silence with the book in your hands; throat clenched and feeling like you’ve been punched in the gut in the best way possible. Where it differed from We Are Okay for me was the strength of the gut punch. (if this was a forceful fist blow, than We Are Okay was a wrecking ball). What they have in common is what makes both of them masterful: they are filled with pain ánd beauty, loneliness ánd connection, grief and a strange sort of katharsis.
I suspect Watch Over Me will have less of a mass-appeal as We Are Okay did, as its themes are less universal, and I can see how the magical realism element might not be for everybody. That being said, I truly hope this book finds its audience that will adore it as much as I did, and I hope as always to see more like this from Nina in the future.
September 18, 2020
"I was surprised, at first, by her sadness. I had thought she felt only delight - but sadness, of course, was a feeling all of us have always known. Was a feeling I had known, even before everything else."
Screw Nina LaCour and her stupid word magic.
Much like We Are Okay, this novel is leaving me behind speechless. And I think that's fine, because I strongly believe that you should go into it as blind as possible, just like I did, since the synopsis doesn't really give anything away. All I will say that this is a haunting tale of love, abandonment, hurting, healing, and ghosts. It wanders the line that separates contemporary from magical realism. It is atmospheric and strange and follows its own rules. And it's yet another book that resonated with me so deeply that I almost wish I had been the one to write it. The emotional layers that are continuously being revealed up until the very end are unbelievable. You definitely have to embrace it and do some work as the reader to see the meaning in what can sometimes come across as obscure. But oh, how it pays off. This will haunt me for a while to come.
* * *
This is no big deal, just one of my top 5 anticipated releases of 2020 by one of my favourite authors who has written one of my all time favourite books. :)
Screw Nina LaCour and her stupid word magic.
Much like We Are Okay, this novel is leaving me behind speechless. And I think that's fine, because I strongly believe that you should go into it as blind as possible, just like I did, since the synopsis doesn't really give anything away. All I will say that this is a haunting tale of love, abandonment, hurting, healing, and ghosts. It wanders the line that separates contemporary from magical realism. It is atmospheric and strange and follows its own rules. And it's yet another book that resonated with me so deeply that I almost wish I had been the one to write it. The emotional layers that are continuously being revealed up until the very end are unbelievable. You definitely have to embrace it and do some work as the reader to see the meaning in what can sometimes come across as obscure. But oh, how it pays off. This will haunt me for a while to come.
* * *
This is no big deal, just one of my top 5 anticipated releases of 2020 by one of my favourite authors who has written one of my all time favourite books. :)
March 11, 2021
☆ Major Cover Love ☆
WATCH OVER ME is a unique ghost story mixed with magical realism that's easy to get lost in.
After spending a few years in foster care, Mila has finally aged out of the system. She accepts a teaching job for a homeschool on an isolated farm in Northern California. The farm is a special place, home to foster kids of all ages dealing with a traumatic past. Mila is hoping this is a peaceful place where she will finally fit in, but nobody told her about the ghosts.
Though it's a short novel, WATCH OVER ME packs an emotional punch. Beautiful prose. Melancholy and heartwarming at the same time. This is a lovey introspective and haunting YA novel about grief, loss, guilt, and healing.
WATCH OVER ME is a unique ghost story mixed with magical realism that's easy to get lost in.
After spending a few years in foster care, Mila has finally aged out of the system. She accepts a teaching job for a homeschool on an isolated farm in Northern California. The farm is a special place, home to foster kids of all ages dealing with a traumatic past. Mila is hoping this is a peaceful place where she will finally fit in, but nobody told her about the ghosts.
Though it's a short novel, WATCH OVER ME packs an emotional punch. Beautiful prose. Melancholy and heartwarming at the same time. This is a lovey introspective and haunting YA novel about grief, loss, guilt, and healing.
January 9, 2021
so so beautiful.
I should probably write this review soon /// RTC
I should probably write this review soon /// RTC
August 15, 2021
it was fine, there is nothing that i actively dislike about it. but there is also nothing i can say i loved about it.
August 9, 2020
Thank you Penguin Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Watch Over Me is a haunting book full of grief and overcoming that trauma and learning to love others and be loved back. Nina LaCour knows how to write a very atmospheric book, that had you so immersed with the characters it was like you were experiencing everything too. I really loved how this book was written with the sad and eerie flashbacks and how real the main character seemed. Mila had raw emotion and was filled with such utter loneliness that was written so beautifully. Mila just wants to overcome her grief and be wanted and loved. Seeing her growth was such a heart wrenching thing and I really loved this book.
While I enjoyed this book and loved the memory flashbacks and the point of this story, I didn’t end this book feeling any type of way. I really loved reading it and it was a powerful story, but it didn’t linger with me and I don’t feel the need to think about it. Other than that, I devoured this book and absolutely loved the magical writing style, descriptions, and characters.
Watch Over Me is a haunting book full of grief and overcoming that trauma and learning to love others and be loved back. Nina LaCour knows how to write a very atmospheric book, that had you so immersed with the characters it was like you were experiencing everything too. I really loved how this book was written with the sad and eerie flashbacks and how real the main character seemed. Mila had raw emotion and was filled with such utter loneliness that was written so beautifully. Mila just wants to overcome her grief and be wanted and loved. Seeing her growth was such a heart wrenching thing and I really loved this book.
While I enjoyed this book and loved the memory flashbacks and the point of this story, I didn’t end this book feeling any type of way. I really loved reading it and it was a powerful story, but it didn’t linger with me and I don’t feel the need to think about it. Other than that, I devoured this book and absolutely loved the magical writing style, descriptions, and characters.
September 18, 2020
I’m really not sure how this got such high ratings. This was very weird and not even close to being a good book. I guess I missed something but I didn’t get the feeling of hope or learning to live with your past or any of what this was probably trying to be. It was just flat and had odd pacing and dull characters.
April 10, 2021
Right off the bat, I have to say : if you're longing to fill a hole left by The Haunting of Bly Manor, I think you should absolutely pick this book up.
This story is less about jump scares and actual ghosts, though, and is more about being haunted by your own past, your own memories, and the grief we all carry around that follows us throughout our lives. It might actually be the perfect kind of fall/spooky read for those who really can't handle big spooks, scares, or horror. This is more melancholy than anything else.
I feel the length of the read, which was short, both worked for it and against it. You want to know so much more, want some clarity (or at least I did..), and yet I wonder if more explanation, more time, would've ruined some of the magic of it all. It's obviously hard to say.
This is not a new favourite read, though it is my first by this author and definitely won't be my last, but it did satisfy that craving for more Bly Manor as well as leave me feeling a whole bunch of things. I don't know if I can quite parse all said feelings but I felt them anyway.
If you want something haunting and heartbreaking, lovely and lonely, strange and sad, with a found family dynamic for those who have been cast adrift, look no further.
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
This story is less about jump scares and actual ghosts, though, and is more about being haunted by your own past, your own memories, and the grief we all carry around that follows us throughout our lives. It might actually be the perfect kind of fall/spooky read for those who really can't handle big spooks, scares, or horror. This is more melancholy than anything else.
I feel the length of the read, which was short, both worked for it and against it. You want to know so much more, want some clarity (or at least I did..), and yet I wonder if more explanation, more time, would've ruined some of the magic of it all. It's obviously hard to say.
This is not a new favourite read, though it is my first by this author and definitely won't be my last, but it did satisfy that craving for more Bly Manor as well as leave me feeling a whole bunch of things. I don't know if I can quite parse all said feelings but I felt them anyway.
If you want something haunting and heartbreaking, lovely and lonely, strange and sad, with a found family dynamic for those who have been cast adrift, look no further.
----
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
June 12, 2024
A gothic ghost story with the twist of damaged foster children finding a home and healing if they can integrate back into themselves the ghosts haunting them. Bravo! Beautifully done.
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