Books It's OK That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand  by Megan Devine (Author)

"It's OK That You're Not OK" by Megan Devine is a compassionate and insightful book about grief, loss, and the cultural misunderstandings surrounding them. Written by Devine after the traumatic loss of her partner, the book rejects the common cultural narrative that grief is a problem to fix or a phase to quickly get over. Instead, it honors grief as a natural, complex, and deeply personal journey that has no right timeline or prescribed way to experience it.

The book emphasizes that grief is not something broken people need to "heal" from immediately but a process that requires patience, understanding, and space to feel what one truly feels. Devine addresses the pain of being judged or dismissed by others who expect grief to follow societal norms—often urging suppression or quick recovery. She encourages embracing the reality of loss and building a new life alongside the presence of grief rather than trying to "fix" it.

It combines compassionate validation of feelings with practical advice for managing everyday life while grieving, including handling unhelpful societal attitudes, anxiety, stress, and the biological effects grief can have on the body. The book is especially praised for its respectful tone and refusal to rush the grieving process, making it a valuable resource for those facing profound loss as well as those supporting them.