Nina Is Not Ok

NINA IS NOT OKAY – Shappi Khorsandi

Originality ♥♥♥♥

Quality of Writing  ♥♥♥♥♥

Plot ♥♥♥♥♥

Setting ♥♥♥♥

Character ♥♥♥♥♥

Overall ♥♥♥♥♥

This is one of the most tear-jerking books I’ve read in a while. Enough to reduce me to tears on the train home from work, NINA IS NOT OKAY is a touching journey about alcoholism and self-control.

17 year old Nina is an alcoholic. One night she is so drunk she comes home from a night club with her panties in her hand – and no memory of what happened to her in the moments before she was bundled into a taxi by a man who later starts dating her close friend Zoe. The rest of the novel focuses on her discovering that she has a problem that needs to be sorted in order for her to stop sleeping around with men. In her toxic state, Nina tries to fill the gap in her life by spending her nights with strangers – but it never works. All the lives of those closest to her is threatened by her abuse of alcohol and to move on, everyone has to learn that Nina really is not OK. Trying to puzzle together the pieces of that night, Nina is has a lot to learn about herself and others.

The best thing about this book was that whilst it was graphic at times, it was so real and gritty – I felt for all of the characters as they all have issues of their own, however small or big. At times I couldn’t stop crying at bits when Nina began to turn over a new leaf and understand how her relationships with other people had been teetering on the edge. This book talks about the importance of family and friendship, and about how some people need the right support to heal again.

This book very much made me think of Holly Bourne’s AM I NORMAL YET? It explores the ‘fallen teenager’ narrative and both are just as eye-opening as each other. So if you liked Holly Bourne’s book, then I think NINA IS NOT OKAY is that next heart-breaking read for you. 5 stars.