This book would be categorized as women's fiction which would be a good read for any couple with young children still at home.
The story shows just how difficult it can be to balance marriage, work, friends, family, and not completely wear yourself down and/or kill yourself and those around you in the process. It also makes the reader aware that no matter how close you are to friends or family members, you do not always know what goes on behind closed doors or realize the lies they may be telling. Then when the truth comes out, it can be a shock and devastating!
In all, a good story.

This book was everywhere it seemed, at least in my little corner of the internet. I hadn’t planned to read it but when I received a copy, I put it right on my life. Everyone was talking about it and yet I still went into this book blind.

I really enjoyed I’m Fine and Neither Are You. I flew through it; it had the type of structure that encouraged you to keep reading because you needed to know what happened next. I’m also all for stories about women and the societal standards we face.

I know Pagan was inspired by the opioid crisis happening in the United States right now. I think this is an important topic to tackle and though there were pieces of story I found unnecessary, on the whole I recommend this book. It has fantastic representation: a Latinx woman married to a man of Indian descent. Representation MATTERS in literature and a great way to encourage diverse literature as a white person is to read and support authors who are POC.

Penelope Ruiz-Karr is completely, totally overwhelmed in her life. She’s a mother, wife, and full time bread winner for her family. The pressure is getting to her and yet she won’t ask for help, because women can do it all right? When a shocking death puts life into perspective, Penny launches a project to save her marriage and more importantly, herself. But when that project begins to reveal more than she bargained for, will it end up destroying the life she worked so hard to build?

I’m Fine and Neither Are You is a book a lot of women can sadly relate to. I’m not a wife or mother yet and I already feel societal pressure to do and have it all. There are some days I don’t know how to keep up. I think this is just as important of a read for young women as it is for women Penelope’s age. I learned a lot and it showed me the important of checking in with myself, my goals, and what I want my future to look like.

Have you read this book? I’m really glad I didn’t pass on it!

Great book! Fast-paced, engaging, relevant, and with really well-developed characters. The protagonist is a wife and mother who is dealing with the loss of her best friend. That sets her down a path to rethinking her marriage, career, motherhood, and life. This is my second book by this author, and it is just as well done as the other novel of hers that I read. Now I’m going to go back and read her first book, which I missed and heard is going to be adapted to screen.

I loved this book and the message that it told. probably one of the better YA novels I have read this year

Y’all I had to take a week or two in order to digest I’m Fine and Neither Are You. Even after finishing it a few weeks ago, this book’s message has stayed with me. I have to thank Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Camille Pagán for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You tells the story of Penelope Ruiz-Kar. She’s a wife, a mother, a friend, the financial backbone of her family, and she’s barely keeping it together. To make matters worse, Penelope feels her life pales in comparison to her best friend, Jenny, who appears to juggle it all. After an unexpected tragedy occurs, Penelope realizes that her best friend’s life was not what it seemed. Determined to take control of her own life, Penelope vows to commit to total honesty in her own marriage. What she doesn’t realize is that total honesty will either save her marriage or tear it apart.

You might like this book if:

you enjoy books that are driven by character development
you are interested in books that cause you to become introspective upon reading
you are interested in the multi-faceted roles adults often play (partner, parent, friend)

You might not like this book if:

you prefer plot-driven novels
you dislike lengthy inner monologues
you prefer linear storytelling (this novel has flashback memories)

The reason I put off writing this review for so long is because I just wasn’t sure what I thought. There were elements that I loved and there were some that I hated. So, let’s break it down. I loved the title and the message that it conveys. How often do we say “oh, I’m fine” when it is far from the truth? Sometimes I’m just not fine (and neither are you.)

Second to the title, I loved the way this book made me feel. After reading, I couldn’t help but look and question my own life. Was I happy? Was I being honest? Am I fine or am I actually fine? Any book that forces me to become introspective is one that I’m interested in.

On the other hand, there were elements I just did not enjoy. While I generally go for plot-driven stories, I can appreciate well-written character-driven stories. With that being said, this character-driven piece had so much inner monologue. So much! I felt like I was being told a story the entire time without being shown. So much of the story seemed to take place in the Penelope’s thoughts/consciousness instead of the actual world. While I understand this may lend itself to character-driven stories, I thought it was too heavy handed.

Further, there was a lack of tension that made me feel a little…bored. While this book did tackle huge, emotional issues, it just lacked tension. Penelope’s life never seemed like it was at risk of ~actually~ changing. I normally need tension/conflict to make me afraid for my characters or nervous to see how it’s going to turn out in the end. I just didn’t feel that here. Although there was character growth – the story lacked tension. It was just a bit boring for me in that regard.

Overall, I have to say that I’m happy I read this one. I thought about this book long after I finished it. It made me think about what I can do in my life to change. Am I fine or am I fine? It was also refreshing to see a woman character that fulfilled so many roles (friend, employee, mother, spouse) and how she struggled to meet the requirements that each roll required. I’m here for any book that shows women in a complex, realistic way. I gave this one a 3/5.

This book was enjoyable, insomuch as a sad book can be. What I can say is that it does cause introspection, which is the hallmark of good writing. It made me think about my own family and marriage, and overwhelmingly made me think of people I have lost. As I've often said, themes of death/loss/regret often deter me from books as I avoid thinking about such things, which is no fault of the author.

(tw) usually books only only prioritize a certain subject, in this case it was addiction, mental health, trauma, & just life in general. & when i noticed this i did become a bit nervous because 9 times out of 10 the content becomes really dense, & there's way too much going on for the reader to process properly. but, i can honestly say i see a lot of myself & my own struggles within penny's character & her life, which is surprising since camille pagán did not make her journey an easy road, & she still managed to make her relatable in one way or another. i loved the depth of penny's character, her struggles were far from surface level & they were exposed & worked on piece by piece which brought a sense of comfort to me in a way. although, i would have wanted more depth for characters such as jenny as well because i think it would help strengthen more characters as well as the storyline as a whole.

the main lesson i learned from this is that sometimes a lot of our fears are subconsciously present, & we unintentionally act based on these fears & what we think is right for us without even knowing. it takes growth & taking that next step to work towards what we think is wrong & it reveals hidden truths about other things that we aren't necessarily 100% aware of.

everything i suspected would eventually happen within this book didn't end up happening & i was actually relieved because there was no giving up, & although everyone has a different process life sometimes feels like it's spinning out of control, it's okay to take a step back & feel whatever you need to feel, to get to that next step, it's part of the process.

i think this piece of work really showcased that our lives are complex & sometimes our everyday lives can build up & catch up to us making us feel certain ways.

overall, having a strong female lead, juggling multiple themes/subjects in a somewhat simplistic yet complex way, & revealing life lessons definitely made this one enjoyable for me.

I flew through reading this book almost as compulsively as Forever Is The Worst Long Time. I liked that this book started with something that could have turned into more of a mystery or a novel all about what happened to Jenny, but rather the crisis that starts the novel is the impetus for all of Penelope's soul searching and eventual realizations.

This book definitely wasn't what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it. I couldn't exactly relate to the characters or their situation, but it felt realistic and like a slice of life.

I would definitely recommend this novel and anything written by Camille Pagan now. Thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for this review.

I really enjoyed this book! I can’t wait to check out some of the other books by Camille Pagán . I felt like I was living through Penny as she navigated motherhood and the loss of her friend. This book inspired me to get more real with my friends instead of just saying that everything is great. Penny's journey was a witty and funny tale and I am looking forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for the copy!

Love the title!! The author did a great job of tackling some not so easy subject matter. This book revolved around Penelope (Penny) and her struggles with... life. She is a very relatable character that as many of us do, probably thinks that life is hard at times. She is feeling down and frustrated with her husband and a bit green eyed jealous of her friend Jenny's perfect life.

As life has it, we will find out that Jenny's life was not so perfect and in fact Penny doesn't have it all that bad. The author dealt with some very serious issues of society today, being opioid addiction and overdose. I am a nurse and believe me, this is an everyday issue that touches on more lives than you might think. It gives you an insight of what the friends and family have to deal with in the aftermath. The grief and the guilt they have thinking they could have done more to prevent it.

All in all this was a well thought out book. I struggled a bit with it because it was not what I expected. After admiring the cute cover and reading the blurb I thought I was in for a fun rom com book. It was much more serious than I had set me sights on so it was more of a " it is me not you" with this book. As you can see it is getting plenty of rave reviews so there are a people loving this book! I liked it, but it was just a little too serious for me.

Thank you so much to Goodreads, Netgalley and Camille Pagan for my ARC!

This is a tale of the emotional labor that comes with womanhood. I felt the stress of the situations experienced by Penny as if I were living them with her. The struggles of communication expressed in Penny's marriage and secondary relationships was achingly real. I'm Fine was a really enjoyable read.

This is a refreshing, honest insight into the problems we all face as wives/husbands/parents/friends. The characters are brought to life and have real depth, they become almost like friends as the struggles are so true to life. The heartbreak of real life and the struggle of parenting in a tough world are handled brilliantly by the author, who definitely made me feel like I'm not doing too badly at all in this thing called life.

I was attracted by the catchy title and intriguing premise. I liked the overall theme of honesty and how too much of it can also damage human relationships. The novel reminds us that not everything is always how they seem, even with our closest friends and loved ones. Sometimes the seemingly happiest and most collected people are the ones who need our help. That is why we also shouldn’t believe all that we see from social media influencers because it’s not real life, it’s just a careful curation of the good and the pretty parts of it.

So yes, there is definitely a lot of good things going on for this book. Unfortunately, it’s just so hard to like the main character Penny. She complains all the time and thinks badly of everyone. It’s almost as if she is making the whole death of Jenny all about her and her problems. I just kept in mind that grief from losing a loved one can really drive someone mad.

I also didn’t feel that the author was in control of the writing. It’s like the characters are just moving forward on their own. It’s much like watching a badly edited reality show. Just that feeling that I don’t really need to see everything—I’m really only after the entertaining parts. It certainly fell short of the promised “deeper secrets” and “radical proposal” and things that “spirals out of control”.

It’s still a worthy read if you are into domestic drama and novels about marriage and motherhood. Big thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A modern day story about living your real truth and not the life others think you should live. It touches on the pressures of living up to the limited view of friends in social media and in opioid addiction, grief and friendship. Overall. It was written in such an honest voice that it spoke to my experience and yet from a different perspective. A short but worthwhile read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the free copy!

The writing was good and I found the subject to be timely and important, but I just didn’t love it. And I really wanted to.

Three and a half stars for “I’m Fine and Neither Are You.”

I loved Camille Pagan’s “Forever is the Worst Long Time,” and while this novel did not have the same impact, it was a perfectly easy book to get me through a long plane flight.

The story of a woman who, in the face of tragedy, is fighting for happiness in her marriage, career, and family, “I’m Fine and Neither Are You” is probably all-too relatable for its target audience. As the main character, Penny, struggles through how to maintain happiness in a suburban life that is far from what she envisioned, she encounters real emotions and realizations about her own contributions to the state of her unhappiness.

Where I struggled at times was in supporting some of the decisions that Penny makes. In particular, she often appears a bit self-righteous in her poor handling of situations. While Penny is supposed to be relatable, she’s not always likable.

Ultimately, a good way to pass an afternoon, but a forgettable read.

""Life," he said, meeting my gaze. " How ridiculously short it is, even if everything goes right.""
Life isn't always easy and it's definitely not always fair. It can change in an instant and leave you questioning where you are and the way you got there. This book is about Penny and her life that is suddenly changed in the loss of her best friend, Jenny. It's a totally unexpected loss and the cause is so unbelievable to Penny that she questions how could her best friend have hidden so much from her and kept up the appearances she did. Penny saw Jenny living the perfect fairy tale life until the devastation reveals what Jenny was hiding.
Ms. Pagan takes on a very epidemic subject in our society today....opioid addiction. She does this in her story through a friend and family that struggles to find any kind of answers as to why and digging for something they might have missed that would have prevented such a tragedy. It also causes Penny to reevaluate her life and the unsatisfying routine her marriage and life have become. As I turned the pages hoping for Penny and Sanjay, her husband, to reconnect and rekindle their marriage, I felt the pain and struggles. There are lighthearted and witty passages that bring just enough to the story as to keep it from being too dark and hopeless.
So many people are affected by the results of opioid addiction. I could relate to this loss in a very personal way. The path an addict takes isn't always obvious, as this book is evidence of. Ms. Pagan took those thoughts and feelings that a family and friends go through and wrote a book that touched me. The answers might not ever come out about why or what took a person to that point of becoming addicted.... Penny speaking, "....I racked my brain trying to remember what I had missed. It was a fool's errand; you can't hit a rewind button in your head and suddenly spot all the things you had overlooked in the first place."
This book takes on the consequences of secrets and honesty. The scenarios that Penny finds herself in and whether to be totally honest or keep her inner thoughts to herself were real. I could relate to her dilemma. That's a good question to think about. Being totally honest or keep things inside to protect yourself. Penny..."I had done the right thing by being honest and direct. And now I had to live with the consequences."
I appreciate the message this book shares. It is painful when you've experienced it. I felt for Penny and Sanjay. I know things happen for a reason and the loss of Jenny also gave Penny and Sanjay a reality check. They had to come face to face with their relationship and make some changes.
I want to thank Ms. Pagan and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. It made my heart hurt but it also gave me pause to reflect on a person I loved dearly and know that his life was valuable and that he will always have a special place in my heart. I write this review in honor of Brian who loved life and gave it his all.
This is my honest and my own freely written review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I am giving this book 4 stars. I found it very easy to read and to relate to. The story follows Penelope, a mother of two, who has a busy career and is the breadwinner for her family. She needs a break from holding the family together and the novel follows her journey to delegate, be brutally honest, and to work through the hard times occurring in her life. I loved how her and her husband worked through their difficulties together- it was a testament to their strong foundation as a couple. I thought Pagan wrote this relationship beautifully and truthfully.

This was a very thought provoking story. It was very well written and will make you feel like you are in Penny’s shoes at time. It’s a story that needed to be told and was done so in a way that makes you feel the pain of families and friends. The pain the character may have been in keeping such a secret from her best friend. Or maybe it was shame. Shame at feeling weak for someone who others thought was very strong.

Penny has been married to Sanjay for almost two decades. They have two beautiful children, a girl Stevie and a boy Miles. They are Penny’s life even though she thinks she may want to leave Sanjay. She confides almost everything to her best friend Jenny. They have been friends since Penny and Sanjay moved there. But to be so close Jenny kept a few secrets from Penny.

Sanjay was basically a stay at home dad for most of him and Penny’s marriage. For a long time I didn’t like him very much. I thought he was a bit cold and uncaring and a tad self centered and just not a good husband. He didn’t do much to make things easier on Penny, who worked a full time job with lots of overtime. She had lots of stress to deal with and he was not pulling his weight.

After a tragedy hits to close to home, Penny and Sanjay re-evaluate their marriage and decide to be completely honest with each other about what they want from each other. While I personally thing that married couples should always be completely honest with each other I admit that in lots of cases that may not be a reality. I could cause some unnecessary problems in a marriage if they have not been honest from the beginning. That is just my personal opinion though. I believe in honesty from my marriage.

This book touches on some subjects that are thought provoking and heartbreaking. One being opioid abuse. That hit me in a hard way. In 2010 I lost a brother who was 11 months older than me to opioid abuse. He went into a coma and never woke back up. It was very hard to deal with. So many questions arise from that and you can’t really get the answers you want. It’s horrible to deal with whether it’s a family member or friend. I’m glad someone wrote a story with this in it and it looks like Ms Pagan did lots of research before writing this wonderful book. It made me laugh in parts and weep in others. It was both sad and heartwarming. It’s a story of honesty, loss, love, marriage, children and lots of hard work to keep yourself going. I think it was an excellent book. Well written.

There were several sentences that I thought were worthy of posting here but have decided to not do that. I don’t really want to write the book again or give away anything. Just know it’s a great story and I recommend it highly to everyone that I know.

I gave it a 5 star rating for everything about it. It’s a great story. Thank you to Camille Pagan for writing this book from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for the ARC in exchange for my complete and honest review.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You was a huge surprise to me. Based on the cover, and the title, I assumed I was going to be reading a comedy. In fact, this book has a few laughs, but many more dramatic, emotional scenes.Surprise or not, the story worked for the most part. Highlighting the ups and downs of marriage, motherhood and friendship, the book took on a lot. And although the main character occasionally annoyed me as being a little too whiny or negative, overall I enjoyed the story and am definitely glad I read it.