A great exploration into grief and guilt
Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours and Jessica Kara for allowing me to be part of this experience and also providing me with a complimentary book and media kit!
Book Information
Publishing Date: May 16, 2023
Heartfelt and bittersweet, this coming-of age story explores the tender space of healing where grief meets love
A year ago, Gage survived a car accident that killed his best friend, Hunter. Without the person who always brought out the best in him, Gage doesn’t know who he is. He likes working as a fry cook and loves his small-town friends and family, but they weren’t in the wreck and he can’t tell them how much he’s still
hurting. He just wants to forget all his pain and move on.
So when his stepdad shows him a dream job opening in one of his idol’s restaurants, Gage knows this is his chance to convince everyone and himself that he’s fine. To try to push past his grief once and for all, Gage applies for the job, asks out a crush, and volunteers to host a memorial for Hunter.
But the more Gage tries to ignore his grief, the more volatile it becomes.
When his temper finally turns on the people he loves, Gage must decide what real strength is—holding in his grief until it destroys him, or asking for help and revealing his broken heart for all to see.
Book Links
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61963205
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1645677656/
- Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dont-ask-if-im-okay-jessica-kara/1142008132
- IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/don-t-ask-if-i-m-okay-jessica-kara/18747475
Content and Trigger Warnings
For a list of warnings, tropes, and representation for this series, check out BookTriggerWarnings.com.
About the Author
Jessica Kara is a professional author and artist. With a BFA in technical theatre, she worked as a stage manager for eight years in regional theatres and on several national tours. Eventually she left the business to focus on writing, which has always called. She has served as President of her local writing organization, Authors of the Flathead, and is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She frequently speaks at local conferences, schools, and college classes, striving to inspire a new generation of writers to pursue their passions.
Jess has indie-published a young adult fantasy series featuring gryfon characters, and is excited to now dive into the pool of contemporary young adult fiction. She currently resides in northwest Montana with her husband, spends her time staring at the mountains, drinking a lot of coffee, dreaming up things and people, and chirping back at birds.
Her stories, whether fantastic or contemporary, are “noblebright” at their core, woven with a spirit of determined hope, belief in the power of kindness, and the faith that good will overcome.
Author Links:
- Website: https://www.authorjessicakara.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjessowen
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjessowen/
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22976410.Jessica_Kara
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessowen
Review (no spoilers)
If you’d like to follow along with the rest of the tour, you can find the tour schedule here.
I’m going to be completely honest with you: I did not want to read this book. I signed up for this tour at a time where I felt I would definitely be up to the task, but by the time my date rolled around, I was so exhausted that I had no motivation to pick it up. The deadline of this review is the only thing that pushed me forward, and, to my surprise, this book completely won me over.
Having just finished a book that completely drained and frustrated me (I haven’t reviewed that one yet, so we’ll see if I ever decide to), I was very hesitant to pick up a novel that I knew was going to be centered around grief and loss. Fortunately for me, Jessica Kara handled these heavy topics with such care and grace that I couldn’t help but feel blown away by the time I finished it.
The story follows a teenage boy named Gage who is still reeling from the death of his best friend/cousin (Hunter). Even though the accident that killed Hunter occurred a year ago, Gage find himself experiencing anger flares and panic attacks on a near-daily basis. Struggling with feeling like he needs to pretend to be okay around his family and friends, Gage has resorted to hiding his grief and refusing any type of outside help, until it’s too late to stop himself from lashing out.
Throughout the novel, readers watch Gage fall apart over and over again without any hope for how he could possibly navigate his way out of his trauma. He has an amazing support system set up around him, consisting of family and friends who deeply care about him. The problem is, he has trouble understanding that it’s okay to ask for help.
To me, this is a story that is deeply profound and powerful and does an excellent job at teaching readers to accept that being vulnerable is a part of healing. There are a lot of important lessons weaved into this narrative, and the ending brought all of it together in a way that was both emotional and incredibly satisfying.
Jenjenreviews 
I’m glad this ended up being a good read for you.
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