Ghosts, loneliness, trauma, and abuse swirl together in this atmospheric and rural look at solitude and healing.

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own*

DNF at ~20%

Honestly the writing style was not for me personally. I didn't get emotionally invested to any of the characters, and I was just bored while reading.

I don't think the book was bad. In fact, a lot of it was beautifully written, but i just wasn't able to read it.

No one writes grief like Nina. I pretty much always know what I’m going to get when I read one of her books, and this was no different.

I particularly loved the overlay of Mila’s memories with the present, and how it all came to head at the end of the book. I was literally holding my breath waiting to see what she chose to do!

I guessed what was going on with the ghosts pretty much right away, so sometimes I was a bit astounded when Mila didn’t figure it out, but then you realize maybe she was trying NOT to figure it out. Because it was some freaky stuff! And it’s hard to face things. But I absolutely loved it. I didn’t even need a reason for why they existed there on that farm; the concept was just so wonderful to me.

loved this title! great plot, amazing characters. This was my first time reading something by thing author, not sure if there are any other titles but I look forward to read more. The flow of the story was easy to follow. The characters were relatable and very very intriguing!

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour is a comfort. You read this book and you can just feel the healing coming through on the pages. As with all of the books I have read by LaCour, I feel moved. I also feel so glad that I picked this one up. It was a great use of my reading time. I honestly still find myself thinking about what I read in this book – what was real and what was not.

Mila is the main character in Watch Over Me. As the book opens, she’s getting ready to transition out of her foster home and into a new job. She is going to be a teacher at this home run by these two adults who take on foster children. As it turns out, she finds family while at this home. She has to confront the ghosts of her pasts — literally. You see, she sees these ghosts dancing in the field, but she is not the only person who can see them. So far, Mila only has one student — Lee. She forms a deep bond with him. And together, they work through their trauma. We get to see what lead to Mila being in foster care and see her process her adverse childhood experiences (ACEs for those who aren’t in the social work/human services field). Eventually Mila begins healing from her trauma.

Watch Over Me is another beautifully written book from Nina LaCour. If I had to determine an aesthetic for this book, it would be cottagecore. You see, Mila stays in a cabin where she has a fireplace for heat and a skylight. There is homeschooling. The characters wear simple clothing. Additionally, they grow food and sell specialty flowers at the farmer’s market. However, this book is not at all obnoxious about being cottagecore. I loved the vibe, I’ll admit.

It was such a comfort to wind down with. I mean, yes, Mila has her ghosts. But, she learns and heals from what has happened to her. She processes and ends up accepting the love she deserves and forgives herself. I think that if you have also been through something, this book can be a balm. Pick up this quiet book for an excellent read that is on the cusp of young adult and new adult.

This is a title that I lived at the time of requesting but lost interest upon reading it. I’ve tried reading it three times now and I just can’t get into it, unfortunately.

I'm a big fan of Nina LaCour, her writing is atmospheric and beautiful, so I was super excited to get a digital ARC of this book. Main character Mia is easily relatable and has great depth, and the plot has enough of a magical realism bent to really engage the reader. The themes of survival and trauma were handled with both grace and a realistic eye- the characters behave in a way that isn't predictable, but is definitely understandable.
LaCour has another brutal and beautiful book in "Watch Over Me".

After aging out of the foster care system, newly graduated Mila finds her self on an isolated farm on the Northern Carolina coast. She accepts a job working as the new school teacher. She loves her student, Lee, but she didn't expect the farm to be full of ghosts that trigger memories of her past.

This was a very quick read, but I found it a bit slow. I think I had high expectations, since so many people on booktube raved about how good it was. Unfortunately, I just found it to be average. I didn't truly connect with any of the characters, and maybe that is because I haven't really experienced a lot of grief in my life, so it was hard to relate to what Mila was feeling. I liked the chapters from Mila's past, I wanted to know more about what happened to her and I was invested in trying to figure out what she felt was so terrible that she did. The big reveal was just a bit underwhelming and I was disappointed, although I do understand why it would make her feel guilty.

I did like the over arching themes of grief, trauma and healing, but like I said, just an average read in my opinion.

This book was really strange, and I know there is a certain audience for it, but unfortunately I am not that audience. I think fans of We Were Liars would enjoy this book! I loved the atmosphere of this book and I could picture the farm perfectly. However, I was hoping for a more haunting book and this book was haunting in a different way. This was not a bad book, by any means, but this is not the type of story I usually gravitate towards. It’s very character driven. I do appreciate that this story was about trauma and grief, but I prefer a more head-on confrontation with those topics, and this was a more poetic way.

I enjoyed this haunting and dreamy book. The writing was beautiful without being overly flowery to the point where you get lose the story in the wordiness. I liked that this ghost story wasn't the typical scary story, but it certainly is haunting. This binger of a book also is just asethetically gorgeous!

This wasn't a bad book, but I don't think it was the one for me.

Watch Over Me is an emotionally powerful story about Mila, a teenage girl haunted by the demons of her past after moving to a remote farm. The farm is a refuge, but it's also haunted by trauma.

This was book was deeply emotional and made me cry quite a few times, to be honest. Nina LaCour has a beautiful writing style, unlike anything I've read before. This was my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her published titles after seeing how fantastic her writing truly is.

That being said, the writing was probably my favorite aspect of this story. It was lush, emotional, and perfectly captured the haunted atmosphere of the story. It was chilling without being terrifying, and that struck the perfect balance.

The reason I gave this book a three star rating was because I struggled to connect to the story. I don't know if it was because of format (I half read it through an ebook and half audio book) or if it was the story. But either way, I didn't emotionally connect to the characters in a way that kept me gripped into the story. It was enjoyable, but not something I was invested in. That being said, I do want to read more from this author in the future because of how beautiful her writing is, and I'm looking forward to that very much!

Although this book wasn't for me, I'd still recommend it to anyone who likes emotional stories with some demons. I feel like a lot of people could really really love this book, and if it sounds interesting to you, than I'd highly suggest giving it a chance!

At its core this book is about trauma and healing and although it tried to pull you in to feeling for these characters I never quite did. I think she writes the healing well and makes you feel the loneliness but I didn’t quite connect the way I was hoping to. As a quiet exploration of the issues it does it well, it just doesn’t have a big hard hitting moment I could grasp onto.

Going into this book I did not really know what to expect. I have never read anything by this author before but I have seen her books. As I started this book it took me a minute to get into the story because I wasn’t sure where it was going. I must say that I am glad I stuck with it to the end. At the heart of everything this is a story of trauma, loneliness, and finding yourself. I think by the end of this book you may need to have some tissues handy. The characters are wonderful as you get to know them. The adoptive parents, Bill and Liz like to adopt children that need special care because of their traumatic past. They let the children explore and take their time to get use to the place. They live on a rural and quiet piece of land. That is also haunted. The writing is so atmospheric and gripping. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher Dutton Books for Young Readers for letting me read this book in advance.

I was given a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mila is aging out of the foster care system, so when she's offered a slot at a farm community she gladly accepts the position and gains a place to live. The family she joines has fostered many kids. Nina and the rest of them see ghosts, but she soon learns that she'll need to confront her ghost to have a fulfilling life. Loved it. #Netgalley #WatchOverMe #NinaLaCour #fostercare

Nina LaCour is the YA author you go to for a beautifully written story that deals with some hard issues. A little slow for me but I see a lot of people loving this one.

This moving YA novel follows high school graduate Mila as she moves to a farm run by two foster parents. She settles into her role as a teacher, and soon finds herself coming face-to-face with her past. Nina LaCour’s quiet and powerful stories always pack a strong emotional punch and this book was no different. I was particularly captivated by the characters’ relationships with the ghosts of their pasts and Mila’s understanding that recovering from trauma may be a slow road but one made easier to bear with support from those who care about her. Nina LaCour never disappoints and her latest is sure to be a winner for readers both new to her work and those familiar with it.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this book up. It was full of sadness and the pain that comes from dealing with grief. Beautifully written!

Nina can do no wrong. I love her sad, haunting, melancholic writing and her characters are always diverse, well-rounded, and hit you in the heart. This book discusses grief, pain, loss, and in such a beautiful and lyrical way. While not my favorite LaCour book, I will always love her books and writing and definitely flew through this!

This was a beautifully written book that told a very quirky story. It begins normally enough, but all of a sudden it talks bout ghosts being seen dancing and playing out in the field at the school as a matter of fact. At first it surprised me, but then I got comfortable with the ghosts. And then as the story progresses, step by step, the realization of who the teachers and children are at the school along with Mila's realization and even that tends to seem normal as the reader gets caught up in the story. If you as the reader like something quite different from the normal realistic book, this is one to read.

Another lovely story by Nina LaCour. She's just such a wonderful writer and my high school students love to read her books. This one is a ghost story about trauma, healing, and acceptance. I often have students ask me for a "sad book" and this one fits the bill -- it is a sad book but it is so much more.