Nina LaCour’s writing is hauntingly beautiful in this book. It’s a fairly short, sometimes very odd tale about loneliness and wanting to belong. This will not be everyone’s cup of tea but I really loved it.

Nobody destroys my feels quite like Ms. LaCour. Another book that shatter me and hit me right in my emotions. LaCour's latest novel was full of hard hitting emotions, tough topics, grief, learning how to love and what it means to be loved. This was not an easy read but my goodness it was powerful and gave me a lot to think about. Some of the topics covered (certainly not all): foster care, abuse, child abandonment, and trauma,

Mila was an outstanding protagonist. She was very well developed and had a wonderful character arc. I wanted nothing more than to reach into the story and give her a hug. This poor girl went through more than any one person should ever have to endure. The setting was lush and hauntingly beautiful. I felt like I was completely immersed in all parts of this book. The eerie flashbacks were very well done and added an extra layer to the story, as well as the ghostly hauntings. It felt masterfully done.

I devoured this book in one day, I could not get enough of it. I believe this is already on your TBR but add it if it isn't already.

I simply LOVED this eerie, atmospheric novel - it is perfect for the fall season! I read this in under 24 hours and I’m so glad I did! Mila’s story was poignant and haunting. The cast of characters burrowed their way into my heart and made a home there. I have enjoyed Nina LaCour’s other novels but none have hit me so hard as this one. What a beautiful story of loss, hard choices, and healing!

This is haunting story about loneliness, grief and despair. It is easy to lose yourself in this story because you want to figure out what is going on . Also it' s eerie ,yet alluring setting draws you in
An atmospheric, magical ghost story . Although there are actual ghosts this is actually more about what really haunts us and the effects of trauma. Not for everyone but I imagine it will have appeal with people that have experienced depression, trama, and loss.

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour brings a lot to the table in terms of grief, trauma, and love. However, it didn’t really hook me.

I felt as if Mila’s character was so hard to feel connected to. It always felt as if she were something on the outside. Now, this may have been the intention of LaCour, but I personally didn’t like that. However, Mila’s backstory slowly being revealed through the story is so heartbreaking.

I adored the foster parents and the children in the story, finding myself to love them more than Mila.

This book is a perfect fall read as it deals with ghosts as well!

Overall, this book brings so much to the table, but it was a miss for me.

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

☆4/5☆ (SPOILER FREE REVIEW)

First of all, thank you so much Penguinteen/NetGallery for providing me with this arc. I usually don't gravitate towards paranormal or even contemporary books, but 'Watch Over Me' by Nina LaCour surpassed all my hesitations and preexisting biases.

SHORT SUMMARY:
Mila's story begins with her leaving her foster family and moving to a secluded farm in the Northern California coast where she will begin her new adulthood as a school tutor for the fostered children who live there. What she didn't expect, however, were the ghosts that roam the property, specifically the ghost who dances alone in the field and attracts her attention. As Mila starts to adjust to her new life, her traumatic past begins to come back in pieces to haunt her.

FINAL THOUGHTS (still spoiler free)
I genuinely adored this book. It's less about actual ghosts and more about the memories and pain from the past that haunt one's present.. I loved everything, from how it was written, to the family Mila made, to the way LaCour was able to write Mila's growth and experiences with a realistic tone. The story is set on a farm, and I loved reading about the nature and the flowers and crops. The trips to the farmers' market and how wonderfully LaCour described them also really added a unique quality to the book I hadn't seen before. I also enjoyed the characters, but I didn't feel as strongly connected to them as much as I did to Mila. And finally, I was amazed at how LaCour wrote Mila's story in a series of flashbacks and connections to Mila's reality. The last few chapters were breathtaking, and I will admit I did share a tear for the guilt and pain Mila lived with. Mila is a strong young woman, a protector and a teacher, but also a character who is flawed, and who needed to be there for herself to move forward.

WHO DO I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO:
I recommend this to any reader/person who is struggling with the secrets and pain of their past, and who might blame themselves for something they did and live with that guilt all the time. This book sends the clearest message that no one else can fix you but yourself, and I would recommend it to any reader who needs to hear and understand that.
☆☆☆☆
TW: parental neglect, emotionally/mentally/psychologically abusive relationship
Ages: 14/15+
☆☆☆☆
"Follow my lead, oh, how I need someone to watch over me." -Etta James, 'Someone to Watch Over Me'

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour; Dutton Books for Young Readers, 272 pages ($17.99) Ages 14 to 18.

.Nina LaCour, the Michael Printz Award-winning author of "We Are Okay," offers a mesmerizing tale of a girl suffocating in loneliness and haunted by the ghosts of her past in this powerful, well-crafted novel.

Mila has finished high school and graduated out of foster care when she is offered a teaching job and a place to live in a remote farm on the North California coast run by an interracial couple who take in foster children.

Mila is haunted by trauma in her past she can't talk about, and is disturbed to find the farm is haunted by ghosts. She bonds with the little boy who is her only student, but he, too, is haunted by his past, with scars even Mila may be powerless to heal.

Mila is used to being alone, and accepting friendship and support from others isn't easy for her. There seem to be sinister aspects to her new home. Why did her predecessor leave? Why do the foster children "graduate" to gold jewelry? Is something threatening afoot, in what seems such a peaceful place?

The shadows and questions give this story the feel of a thriller, as LaCour waits to reveal the betrayal, horrifying abuse and abandonment of Mila's past, terrible things which explain her reluctance to trust the people around her. The novel is richly atmospheric, evoking the isolation of the farm with its fields of flowers and vegetables, its rough cabins, the dangerous beauty of the pounding ocean waves.

I’m convinced that Nina La Cour writes books with the sole intention of making me cry, because Watch Over Me is another one of her books that made me ugly sob.

La Cour’s latest novel follows Mila, a recent high school graduate who also just aged out of the foster care system. With nowhere to go, she agrees to live on a farm in a remote area of California which is run by a couple who have hosted many foster kids over the years. Mila soon finds refuge in working on the farm, but soon she learns that it’s haunted by ghosts who hold past traumas, which complicates things.

As Mila attempts to piece together the traumas that the young women and men that came before her attempted to escape on the farm, memories of her own traumas begin to resurface. With her memories about her neglectful mom and the death of her beloved grandparents, it’s so clear just how broken Mila is, and it’s heartbreaking. More beautiful still, though, is Mila’s resilience as she finds her place among the other young residents of the farm. I loved seeing her beginning to forge tentative friendships and take on the role of teacher and mentor for some of the younger children. Watch Over Me is a haunting read not in that it will keep you up at night (it won’t) but in that it will stay with you for a long time.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen for the advanced copy*

I’ve never read a Nina LaCour book before, but I was preparing it to be emotional based on friends reading her past books. I’ve got to say they are correct. It poignant and masterfully touches about human connections and the feeling of being lost in the world.

Our main character Mila has had a troubled past. Her Grandparents dead and then soon after her mother leaves her. So we begin with Mila living with a young couple who are about to have a baby. To not be a burden, and the fact she’s now 18, she goes to live on a Farm that takes in troubled youths. She gets to live there and teach the younger children. There’s she meets 9 year old Lee, who struggles with his own demons. Mila has some ghosts of her own she deals with.

This sort of in a way is a ghost story about past lives and the ones that haunt us as we try to leave them behind. Because in all honesty we never can. They are ingrained in us and there for a reason.

This was a beautiful story about trauma and healing. Mila is aging out of the foster care system, and decides to take an opportunity to live and work on a remote farm on the northern California coast, with other foster children who have been offered refuge there. The farm is a place where Mila has to confront the things that have been haunting her, and learn how to move forward.
This story was atmospheric, and the presence of ghosts was just light handed enough to add to the setting and themes of the story, without becoming a "ghost story" plot.
The plot shifts between Mila on the farm, and flashbacks of her growing up with her mother and an emotionally abusive stepfather. Ultimately, this is a story about being haunted by and recovering from the past. It's about accepting what you've been through and what you've done, and finding a place in the world for the you that is still here.
The book is quite short, and maintains a nice balance between creating at atmosphere and getting straight to the point. I could see how a little more development of Mila's new family/friends could have made the ending more satisfying, but overall I enjoyed the story this book told on the pages it had.

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn't expecting the spooky vibes and I loved that. Nina LaCour creates the perfect claustrophobic atmosphere for our main character to dive into her psyche and face her past. The reader is watching her battle her demons and it leaves you wondering if she is losing her mind if her foster family is up to something sinister, and what secrets are everyone hiding. This is a truly enjoyable story.

4/5

thank you to penguin teen and netgallery for the arc! :)

firstly i want to say i think it’s best to go into this book blindly. figure out the plot and unravel the secrets as you go on. trust me on this one :)

oh wow. wow. this was phenomenal. it was so calm, peaceful, and overall lovely. but at the same time it was eerie. creepy. it warmed my heart while still making me ache in pain.

the ending will leave you feeling empty but so fulfilled at the same time. this isn’t a book you can put down and forget about. i have no doubt this one will haunt me for a long time.

it reminded me a lot of sadie by courtney summers. if you liked that book, you will love this one.

I couldn’t seem to put down this haunting and emotional book. The story is loneliness, beauty, doubt, belonging, grief, love... and so much more.

“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 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.”

Watch Over Me is LaCour’s latest novel and she has done it again. Nina LaCour is one of those authors whose gorgeous writing style you could pinpoint with just one line and her signature melancholic tone is there from the very beginning. LaCour is a master when portraying that sense of longing and self-doubt lonely people feel when trying to connect with others.

The author also develops her beautiful prose and imagery with the same care she did in her previous works. Evocative and delicate, her words are a force of nature, and they are able to imbue the pages of her novel with a myriad of emotions. Her every word is full of life; a feeling of soft, distant sadness that drenches your soul for days even after finishing her novels. Surprisingly, that is not a negative thing because it transforms into a gentle feeling of yearning that becomes a bittersweet ache.

In Watch Over Me, Nina LaCour places her main character, Mila, in an isolated, stranded setting: a farm next to the sea for foster children, where she is to work as a teacher. However, unlike her previous novel, the protagonist is not completely by herself this time and instead, she is surrounded by a loving family of foster children…and a group of ghosts. As a result, Mila does not only have to fight against loneliness, but against the much more difficult situation of feeling alone while surrounded by people. And not just any people, but an incredibly tight-knitted group of individuals whose personalities shine through even if they have barely any presence in the narration. This is especially remarkable in the cases of Lee and Lizz, who become quite an intriguing pair, but also help Mila immensely through her healing journey.

In line with the rural, idyllic setting of the novel, the story moves along with a languid, yet steady and gripping pace, that goes back and forth between Mila’s present and glimpses of her past. Even if a bit confusing at first, the pieces of the puzzle that make Mila’s mind up fall into place beautifully and just at the right times. Through these movements in time, the reader gets to understand why Mila is unable to feel loved and cared about by her newfound family and why she doesn’t trust herself most of the time. Furthermore, LaCour makes use of weather and natural elements—mainly fire for her past and water for her present time. This is a stunning use of imagery to make a clear distinction between the two timelines and symbolise how polarising the two situations are, even if they might appear to the protagonist as the same at first glance.

Combined with these jumps in time, LaCour makes a magnificent use of a somewhat unreliable narrator. Reminiscent of the classic novel, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the reader cannot be sure whether the ghosts and the tokens of her past Mila finds at the farm are real, fabricated by her own mind, or manipulated by the people around her. Nonetheless, no matter what the truth is, LaCour’s main goal with the use of ghosts is to establish a representation of how our past selves influence our present and the haunting of past trauma. And that is, undoubtedly, a brilliant parallelism, for an apparent ghost story becomes so much more. Yes, the narration is still spooky and haunting at times, but it also becomes a tale of self-exploration and growth where the real monsters to overcome are trauma, insecurities and fear. Mila’s journey towards becoming a new person—free from her past, but also being able to maintain her best memories—is one that many readers will be able to relate to.

Overall, Watch Over Me is a moving tale of chosen family, loneliness, self-discovery, healing from past trauma, and learning to accept love. Many of these topics are no stranger to Nina LaCour’s readership, but she is always able to make them feel brand new. Comforting, relatable, and delicately frozen in time, LaCour’s prose is a true pleasure to read.

This was definitely a quick, intriguing, and emotional story! I couldn't help but feel so sympathetic toward Mila, as it's clear from the start that she's had a very rough go of things. The farm itself, where Mila goes to work after aging out of the foster system, is incredibly atmospheric. The author did a great job making the reader feel like there is something... "other" about this place.

I also really loved the farm family's acceptance of Mila, even when Mila wasn't sure of herself. My only real qualm about the book is that while I felt for Mila, I never really got a sense of who she was outside of the things that happened to her. But overall, it was a great story, very compulsively readable, and I am glad I had the chance to read it!

This was a haunting book, but I appreciated how LaCour took her time with working through the acceptance part that comes with grief. I really like the supernatural aspect because it helped digest the storyline a little easier. I would highly recommend this to my students because of the character descriptions and how LaCour teaches that processing through grief is hard, but it is okay to work through.

Prior to reading this, I had no experience with Nina Lacour’s books/writing and was pleasantly surprised to find how invested I was from the very first page. Hauntingly beautiful and powerful, Watch Over Me tells the struggle of grief and loneliness and the ability to overcome them through the metaphorical (but in this case real) sense of overcoming the ghosts of our pasts.

Poignant and raw, Watch Over Me is both moving and inspiring and one that will leave you with the bitter taste of acceptance but also hope. Hope to remember and forgive, accept and move past the pains of our past. It was incredibly atmospheric and one I absolutely enjoyed.

I read this book almost all in one sitting and all in one day. the story was super easy to read, but there were times that i was confused as to where i was going or what the timeline was. nina lacour’s writing is so detailed that i definitely empathized with the main character and her past! i gave it 3 stars because i thought it could have expanded more on the ending to see what happens a little after that ending scene. i also thought the story was a little ~too~ fast paced and wanted to know more about what is going on in the specific times because i got a little confused in some scenes. all in all, i thought this book was good and would recommend to anyone who wants a quick and different read!!

Why I requested this: Can I say ghosts and Nina LaCour are honestly all I need as selling points at this point?

Pros:
The atmosphere! Can you say haunting? It really helps bring Mila’s feelings of being alone to light.
Loneliness. This is a weird thing to put as a pro, but it feels like a part of the story and it says it right in the plot, but Nina LaCour nails the feeling of loneliness in this one.
The characters! Okay, if I’m being fair, with Nina LaCour this has always been a strong suit in my opinion.

Cons:
The ending feels a bit abrupt. I felt that it was a bit ambiguous, which in some stories I do like; however, I was hoping for more here.

Overall: Despite the abrupt ending, Nina LaCour brings it in yet another unique story.

I first heard about Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour during Penguin Teen Canada’s fall preview event this past summer. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Nina LaCour’s books from friends, but I’ve never actually read one . . . until now. The way this book was described—a beautiful story full of ghosts and grief—piqued my interested a lot, and I knew I needed to read it.


Watch Over Me follows the story of Mila, who grew up in foster care and recently turned 18. She’s going to live on an isolated farm and work as an intern for a family that has taken in over 40 foster children over the years, and is very excited to finally be joining a family. She’ll have her own cabin, teach young children, and be able to earn a living for herself.

If you think this all sounds too good to be true, you’re right, but probably not in the way you’re initially thinking. Mila quickly learns that the farm is haunted. Not everyone can see the ghosts, but they’re there, and they end up playing a rather important role in this story.

The writing in this book was beautiful and haunting. I could picture the scenery so perfectly, from the farmhouse to the beach, and even the flower stand at the local farmer’s market. But what stood out for me the most was the raw emotion written all over the pages. I could feel how lonely and scared Mila was, and I’ve never wanted to hug a fictional character so badly.

What made the story even more powerful, though, was the way it wove in feelings of grief, isolation, and trauma as well. The ghosts in Watch Over Me aren’t just spectral bodies walking about the farm. I mean, they are, but they also represent the hardships that Mila and other characters have endured, and help them come to terms with their past in order to move forward.

There are a lot of layers to this story, which to me is the mark of a good book. I know many different people will have their own unique takeaways from this story, and it will resonate with each reader differently.

If you’re looking for a YA contemporary that will pull on your heart strings, check this one out. If you’re a mood reader, it’d also be a good one to curl up with on a rainy day.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for a digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour Moore comes out on September 15, 2020, and can be purchased wherever books are sold.