Review "I Will Be Okay" by Bill Elenbark

➥ I Will Be Okay 

• Author: Bill Elenbark
• Publication date: 14 de Mayo de 2019
• Rating: ✰✰✰✰+/ 5
• GoodReads: I Will Be Okay

"The intensity of two boys’ feelings for each other threatens to be overwhelmed by family tensions that rip them apart before their relationship even starts. Mateo’s father is overly obsessed with his fifteen-year-old son’s baseball achievements to the exclusion of other interests (manga, indie rock music, and Stick—the boy from the “troubled” family down the street, the one with thirteen children of mixed races). Mateo’s mother comes from a sprawling Puerto Rican family that provides little privacy and complicated support as Mateo and his father clash over a baseball injury that jeopardizes his season. Down the street, Stick is dealing with the sudden loss of his father and living up to an image he believes his father saw in himself, one that wasn’t gay, which drives him to drink and do drugs beyond anything he and Mateo have experimented. They come together and fall apart. Like a mantra, Mateo repeats the words from one of the band’s songs whenever he gets hurt or afraid: I WILL BE OKAY. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work."

Disclaimer: thanks to Edelweiss+ for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I Will Be Okay is a YA fiction book, LGBT+ themed that follows the story of Matt, a Puerto Rican teenager who is in love with his best friend, Stick. However, not everything is going to be as easy as in the movies. They are minor spoilers in the review.

"You know I can't hate you." I love you. 
― Bill Elenbark, I Will Be Okay.

At first, the writing was a bit confusing. The sentences were too long and with too much information in them. But after reading a couple of characters, I started to like that style! It gives a lot of information and portrays the character feeling so well that I cried a couple of times (believe it or no, that's a positive aspect!) Also, the pacing is great. It is not too fast or too slow, making hard to putting that book down. Although I sometimes felt that the writing was too long or a bit confusing to read. 

For the characters, I have to say that I loved each of them. I would have liked it if there was more development in Cara, but this is just personal because I loved her personality. An unexpected character I ended liking was Matt's mom. I thought that she would tell his dad what she saw, but she didn't, and instead, she gave Matt time yo clear up his mind and space. I loved that. Matt's father really surprised me in the end. I didn't expect his reaction and how he started to change. Although I'm still a little bit mad that he didn't apologize for all the offensive comments he made before.

"I miss you, Matt."― Bill Elenbark, I Will Be Okay.

Without a doubt, the thing I enjoyed the most is the plot. It hit too close to home. All the Matt's feelings were so clearly expressed that while reading the book, I felt the same way Matt did. All the problems that teenagers suffer, family issues, and how death do not have a warning. All of those situations were really well portrayed. Also the peer pressure and alcohol consumption on teenagers, a thing that I personally haven't read too much on YA books, so it was quite refreshing.
I absolutely loved that aspect of the book, and how it transmitted the sad and good feelings. I can't wait to reread the book again.

Although is not a perfect book, I can't give it less than 4+ stars. It is one of those books that might have flaws ( the writing sometimes is too long and you can feel overwhelmed by it), but you just loved it. It is a book worth reading without doubts.

Do I recommend it?

Absolutly.