Lets Pretend Im Okay – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Lets Pretend Im Okay

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2024

74%

WISE Score

A raw, bite-sized collection of poetry and prose for the teen who feels everything and says nothing.

Lets Pretend Im Okay

book

2024

74%

WISE Score

A raw, bite-sized collection of poetry and prose for the teen who feels everything and says nothing.

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Where to Read

Amazon

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Libby

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Screenwise Verdict

If your teen is into the 'sad-girl' aesthetic or follows poets like Rupi Kaur on TikTok, this is going to be a hit. It’s essentially a Tumblr feed in book form—moody, relatable, and deeply focused on the internal weather of a misunderstood adolescent.

It isn't high literature, and it doesn't offer 'solutions' to mental health struggles, but it does offer something arguably more important to a 15-year-old: the feeling that they aren't the only ones faking a smile. It's a safe, quiet way for them to process their own 'main character' energy during a breakup or a bad month.

Age Fit

Best for 13+. While the language isn't difficult, the emotional weight of depression and relationship angst is aimed squarely at the middle and high school experience.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It addresses mental health and internal struggles with honesty, though it leans heavily into the 'sad-girl' aesthetic which can occasionally romanticize melancholy rather than providing active coping strategies.

Imaginative

The prose-poetry format allows for creative expression and relatable metaphors that help young readers visualize complex emotional states.

Safe

As a book, it lacks the 'surprise' factor of visual media. The content focuses on emotional pain, anxiety, and heartbreak; while heavy, it avoids graphic violence or explicit sexual content.

Enriching

Strong for building emotional literacy. It gives kids the vocabulary to describe feelings they might not have the words for yet, fostering empathy and self-reflection.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Validates messy feelings for kids who feel like they have to perform 'okayness' for their parents or peers.
Highly accessible format with short, punchy entries that don't feel like a 'school book' chore to get through.
Builds emotional vocabulary by putting names to the specific, quiet ways anxiety and heartbreak manifest.
Perfect for 'non-readers' who prefer the visual, spaced-out style of modern Instagram-style poetry.

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What to Watch For

The book dwells significantly on sadness and isolation. If your kid is already in a deep rut, this might feel validating, or it might just keep them in that headspace.
It focuses more on expressing the pain than on the 'light at the end of the tunnel'—expect a moodier read than a self-help book.

Conversation Starters

"Which of these poems felt like it was written about your own life?"
"Why do you think people feel like they have to 'pretend' to be okay instead of just being honest?"
"If you were going to write a page for this book today, what would the title be?"
"Do you think social media makes it harder or easier to be honest about how we're actually doing?"

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