The Oks Are Not OK / Grace K. Shim / Book Review

THE OKS ARE NOT OK

This summer will set Elena Ok free. She's got sponsored brand deals and public appearances lined up for her lifestyle brand all summer long, enough that she should be able to break away from her family and live how she wants. 

Unfortunately, all of that falls through when her family's fast fashion brand It's OK! gets caught in an investor's scandal. Think Ponzi scheme. Think bankruptcy. Think full IRS audit. With deals dropping, paparazzi swarming, and the family mansion part of the whole audit thing, there's really only one option: Blaire, California. The piece of land her parents bought there years ago used to be worth something, but since Blaire was declared a National Radio Quiet zone, that worth has all but vanished.

It's only temporary, of course. That's what Elena has to tell herself. But being untethered from her social media, the very thing that's given her a leg up in life, isn't easy. And this small town isn't exactly what she's used to. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, Elena knows she's bound to go stir-crazy if this lasts for more than a week or two. She needs a way out, and Elena Ok is always a girl with a plan...

THOUGHTS

Unfortunately, I think the concept here was better than the execution. I wanted to fall in love with these less-than-lovable characters. I wanted to fall in love with this quirky small town. And I think the bones were there for that story, but it just didn't come together right. I wanted the charm of Schitt's Creek, and I was left really quite disappointed.

PROS

A Real Pro	Elena Ok is an influencer with a lifestyle brand, and she's only a teenager. How did she get here? Well, her family is paparazzi fodder because of the company her father runs. So she had a leg up. But that doesn't mean she is lacking her own savvy. I liked that this book highlights Elena's strengths. It doesn't diminish her worth because she is *just* an influencer. She knows marketing. She knows sales (she does, after all, have to sell herself as the product all the time). She knows people, fads, and how to get something trending. And these skills can be used in a small town like Blaire looking to add to its beautification fund. She's useful through her own savvy, and I like that.
Radio Silence	There are Radio Quiet zones across the United States. They're necessary for the functioning of research centers and radio telescopes. But those of us living connected lives don't think about what life in these disconnected areas would really be like. No wi-fi, no wireless earbuds: the constant connectivity we've grown used to just not a part of life is out the window. It's strange to think about, and I love that that's exactly where this book takes us. To simpler times (that just so happen to be concurrent with our own and in the name, you know, of science).
Finding Family	Elena's family is a bit infuriating in the beginning of this book (both intentional and not-so-much on the part of the author, though I'll be getting into that down below). But they really do grow on the reader. Do I think they grow as people? Unfortunately not. But having more revealed about them and letting them settle into their new lives made them more than palatable. It did reach a point where they were fun to read about. It felt fulfilling. It felt, even, healing. The set-up maybe wasn't there, but the payoff was sure worth it.

CONS

This family... isn't charming. They're not zany. They're not rich elites humbled by honest, hard-working people. These parents have a background in farming (they've never told their kids about). So the parents, at least, aren't really fish out of water here. They just jump right into their new-old life and leave their kids mostly unattended when they move to Blaire. They get "reconciled" to their kids in the end, but it felt kind of hollow. All of these characters, aside from Elena, read a little flat, and there just wasn't enough work done to redeem any of them of their (significant) flaws. They're not fun to read about. They don't grow into characters you can love. And truly charming characters is what this book desperately needed.	Bad Dynamic
Elena Oh is young, impulsive, sheltered, and very wealthy. Her life is glitz and glam. It's an airheaded life, a bubble of an existence. And so she can be a bit... much. She can be dismissive. She can be blunt in ways she doesn't intend. She can be highly annoying. She's a teenager and a very specific type of one, so I absolutely believed it about her. But it was hard to read sometimes.	High Cringe
Elena's brand-deal money is what's sustaining her family through this trying time. Her money isn't under scrutiny by the IRS. It isn't wrapped up in a Ponzi scheme investigation. It's hers, and it's supporting her family. So the fact that they're so dismissive and belittling of her is really quite irritating. I know it is meant to be that way, but it was possibly one of the most frustrating things I have read in a while. Sure, Elena is naive and hard to read, but... it is her money? Her brand savvy got her here? No wonder she wants out of this family. Who wouldn't?? The author doesn't fully condone the Ok family's behavior toward their daughter, but a lot of it... is kind of meant to teach Elena a lesson? And she's got learning and growing to do for sure, but this neglect she suffers at the hands of her family is so demeaning, I don't think I could ever forgive it. It just... isn't good.	Irritating Alienation

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10

Fans of CBC's Schitt's Creek will like this new fish-out-of-water small town story. Those who liked Katrina Emmel's Trail Rides & Starry Eyes will like this elite-touch-grass story of reconnecting with something a little more natural.

Details Publisher: Kokila Date: March 3, 2026 Series: N/A Add to Goodreads Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.