Ratings16
Average rating4.1
A modern ghost story about trauma and survival, Watch Over Me is the much-anticipated new novel from the Printz Award-winning author of We Are Okay ★ “Gripping; an emotion-packed must-read.” –Kirkus, starred review ★ “A painfully compelling gem from a masterful creator.” –Booklist, starred review ★ “Moving, unsettling, and full of atmospheric beauty.” –SLJ, starred review Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes. Yes to a second chance 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 teaching job and a place to live 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 it’s also haunted by the past. And Mila’s own memories are starting to rise to the surface. Nina LaCour, the Printz Award–winning author of We Are Okay, delivers another emotional knockout with Watch Over Me about trauma and survival, chosen family and rebirth.
Reviews with the most likes.
Summary
After turning 18 years old, Mila goes to live with a family out on a farm, which is obviously in the middle of nowhere. She's there as an intern where she works on the farm, has food and housing, and is responsible for teaching students (the children who live in the house). She gets close to a seven-year-old named Lee, who is also one of her first students. He is also new to the family, and she finds that she relates to him in more than one way. While on the farm, she sees ghosts who gather in the field — that's when she learns this is a nightly thing.
This book dives into themes of abuse, forgiveness, trauma, hardship, and learning to love and trust.
Final Thoughts from my notes:
I loved feeling like I wanted to reread it right after finishing it. This is a book I will be purchasing on hardcover so that I can annotate and read the book through different lens. I also really enjoyed the writing. Between this one and another book I was reading — Watch Over Me had me immediately hooked. I will definitely be reading more from this author. I also love a good slow burn — I love only knowing bits and pieces then seeing how it all comes together in the end. It's always incredible.
anyway i'm sending my next therapy bill to nina lacour
while i was enjoying this book for the subtly supernatural ghost factor and hoping it would be some sort of spooky story with a wicked family, i was humbly surprised to find out it was a story about overcoming childhood trauma, and the ways we may project our traumas unknowingly. i started the healing process of my childhood trauma last year, and reading this book felt like a warm hug with some tears falling on my shoulders. like mila, i found my healing family too, and it's incredible feeling
but y'all lmao idk what i'm going to do until yerba buena drops in paperback... lmao
y a quelque chose dans l'écriture de nina lacour qui m'impacte tellement à chaque fois, c'est horrible. la preuve elle vient de me faire revenir sur ce site.
ici elle traite de choses super lourdes, de traumatismes, de regrets, du deuil, d'erreurs, de solitude, de dépendance émotionnelle, d'imprégnations, de projections... et pourtant tu termines ta lecture, tu fixes le mur et t'as l'impression d'avoir lu un bonbon.
il a pas fait l'unanimité et je pense comprendre pourquoi, mais je suis beaucoup trop sensible à ce qu'elle fait. je l'ai trouvé sublime.
I think I liked this book primarily because of the vibes rather than the actual plot but it's definitely not bad.