Okay Girl

From the author of Finding Jupiter comes a powerful new novel about love, self-esteem, and mental health. Reeling from unresolved family trauma and a viral heartbreak, a Black teen is thrust onto an unexpected journey of self-discovery, healing, and first love.

"Rowe embraces the interiority of girls’ lives with radical respect." —Cynthia Leitich Smith, winnerof the Michael L. Printz Award

Skye is an expert at pretending she’s okay.

That’s how she’s surviving after her uncle’s attempted suicide. Skye keeps putting on a fake smile—for her parents, her therapist, her friends, and her seemingly perfect boyfriend, Malik. Once she’s crowned Southern Belle at prom, maybe she can leave the past behind her.

But when a viral video at the dance exposes Malik’s betrayal, Skye’s carefully curated life unravels.

Besides the writings of Sylvia Plath, her one unexpected constant is Ace— a quiet new boy with his own past.

As Skye and Ace work on The Bell Jar project, their connection deepens. Is Skye ready to move on? 

Okay Girl is a powerful and moving novel that sensitively explores one Black teen’s journey toward love and healing after trauma. An afterword with mental health resources by adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Nakia Scott has been included.