When I first started Ohio I had an overwhelming urge to put it down and leave it there. I kept letting myself get distracted but at the same time also kept dipping back in... Until I read some reviews that reminded me why my interest had been piqued by the initial summary I had read. I don’t like giving up on the first try, and I’m so SO glad I didn’t give up on Ohio. It’s a brilliant piece of work.

That said, it’s dark, bleak, depressing, sad, hopeless, grey brilliance. You aren’t going to find many rainbows in the narrative. It’s also absolutely epic. The story mainly takes place in a small town called New Canaan in the middle of nowhere Ohio, but we are also granted visions of different places of the world through the characters eyes and experiences. From small town America we see the absolute destruction that mankind is wreaking on the world.

Rick, Bill, Dan, Tina, Kaylyn, Todd, Ben, Lisa, and Stacey grow up together in New Canaan, where high school is the usual type of high school experience you can imagine in a small US town. Told from the perspective of Bill, Dan, Tina, and Stacey, the narrative spans from the days right before 9/11 to 2017, and reads like a thriller. They all know each other in high school, some hang out together, some date, some are in love, but they all lose sight of each other in some shape or form when they graduate. But their high school experiences dominate the choices they make for the rest of their lives. And many of those choices are really shitty.

New Canaan is small town America at its most (not) glorious: a place where unemployment, opioid addiction, and desolation plague the town, and where a very strong sense of white supremacy holds its ground. There is a big sense of white boy privilege and entitlement in the male characters, and a lot of no beating around the bush prejudice, male domination, and racist and bigoted talk. And a ton of Brock Turner style crap going on that is hard to read from a woman’s point of view, but which ends up being a great overview of how normalized this type of behavior is in our society.

The novel is full of strong language (which really clashes in the most spectacular fashion against the author’s beautiful writing), awful people, disgusting events, and vomit-worthy images. Stephen Markley holds nothing back, and everything is described in a harrowing manner. It didn’t actually dawn on me that I was actually reading a thriller until I sensed that pit of intensity in my stomach, wondering what would happen on the next page, or more what would be revealed on the next page. All I can say is that if you find yourself struggling at first, just get through the prologue. It all starts to make sense once you do. I love how this novel gives this incredible overview of towns that are forgotten but who don’t forget to vote, and it definitely doesn’t become any kind of excuse for why they are the way they are. Just reality: pure, non-sugarcoated reality.

The only little thing that bothered me a little were that I got the names confused more than once, especially Ben and Bill, and this then confused me in the narrative somewhat, especially as the timelines jump back and forth quite erratically (I like that about the story though). What I’m basically trying to say is that this book requires focus, and a strong stomach.

A 4.5 in my point of view, however, if you are triggered by heavily detailed war scenes, sexual assault, and/or murder scenes you may want to sit this one out. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!!

Also: I LOVE all of the references to literature in Ohio. The way Stephen Markley weaves it through his narrative is wonderful... The haggard diner waitress reciting poetry, the old photograph in the copy of Gaia... Just brilliant.

My review below is for the book, Ohio, by Stephen Markley.

I have started and stopped several times reading "Ohio." Not because the writing sucked or the content but because it was more like eating a feast as compared to fast food. An example - one of the characters is coming back to her hometown and it is described as such, "Five miles outside town, well before the sign that welcomes you into the city limits - weathered, aging, yet still admonishing that here lies America's heart -" Each sentence drew out what it felt to hear, smell, taste, and feel what is happening to the characters and New Canaan town is a character as well. The writing, in and of itself, is superb and I will be happy to read more from this author.

Outside of the writing skill, the book itself and the plot made it to a four star...maybe four and a half. It begins in the year 2007 with the funeral of one of the fallen sons of war in New Canaan, Ohio. It makes the most note of the people who were not there and then begins to unfold their stories of tragedy of one night when they all come from north, south, east, and west traveling on a trajectory to find answers.

Make no mistake, this novel is not for the faint of heart. Mr. Markley obviously put his own views into many of the conversations of what the world is all about, heroine addiction, the loss of innocence, sexual harassment, economy, and racial issues. The events in each chapter flow back and forth from the past to the present (book present that is) and how each of the characters are coming together for this one fateful night.

I had an idea of what was going to happen at the very end so I wasn't overly surprised. Each of the stories started as our four characters, Bill Ashcroft, Stacey Moore, Dan Eaton, and Tina Ross head back into New Canaan. Each chapter ends at the crossroad - both figuratively and literally, six years after Rick's funeral. As they are coming back into town, each story takes a view on their lives and what high school, war, and coming out, abuse, and how they were adjusting to life outside of their prison of living in New Canaan. While many of them stayed locked there of their own will or circumstances.

As the book goes forward, the real tragedies did not happen when they left high school, but while they were in it. The adult decisions, the abuse, the absenteeism of parental figures, or even a more mature mindset who could give them a direction. Each of the characters, outside of Rick, were aimless, and floated along to where life took them.

Rick would be the moral compass of the group. Disciplined in his beliefs, he took a look at life after 9/11 and made the decision to be a soldier. From that point on, all of his decisions were made with that mindset of honor and doing the right thing. To the point of the loss of his friendship with his best friends. One who goes on early in the book to OD and one who wanders the world looking for answers to the big questions and finding conspiracy everywhere but not willing to look into his own self for what he might find there.

Stacey whose decisions were made to come back due to the love of her friend Lisa and Lisa's mom request to come to town to talk. Lisa, who she loved and helped her find out who she was.

Dan, who did come back from war, minus one eye, and though an honorable man, fights with his own demons on a daily basis, denying it even to himself as he every day remembers the battles where he lost his friends.

Lastly, we come to Tina, the only one who never really left the area - moved away, but is still tied to events which happened ten years earlier, events which overshadow her until the very end.

This is not a "hope" - less book - tragic yes. There is a maturity at the end of the book where some of the characters have grown and it is wrapped in a bow, but a bow that is loosely tied. I know some other reviewers did not like the flow of time between each character, but I saw it similar to the river that runs through New Canaan, everyone is a part of it and the ebbs and flows which are part of the cycle.

I must point out, I would like to have seen a comeuppance for one of the peripheral characters, but like in life, some people skate.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.com for my honest review and opinion.

“Ohio” by Stephen Markley chronicles the people and events in New Canaan, a city in northeastern Ohio. This is a region ravaged by the “Great Recession,” an opioid crisis, and the wars both in Iraq and Afghanistan. It consists of four novellas, each from the perspective of one of four classmates who gathered in the summer of 2013. The book opens on October 13, 2007 with a community ceremony for a fallen soldier. It was an opportunity to decorate and reinvent the town as its residents wished it to be.
Markley’s eloquent descriptions develop a sense of place both in in geography and in society.
“Scabs of melting snow lingered in the brush of the field. Beyond it stretched the forest and the scotched, brush-wire look of the leafless trees.
An unseen narrator talks to the reader as the story is told. “So we begin roughly six years after the parade thrown in honor of Corporal Rick Brinklan, on a fried fever of a summer night in 2013.”
The story is driven by the characters. Background information gives them depth and believability. We know them; we emphasize with them; we live with them, and we hate them. We learn who they are; what happened to them in the past, and what they are doing now. We see the political conflict, the social agendas, the patriotism, the common sense, and the human rights censorship. The horribleness of the past and oppression of the present collide to produce a depressing and confining atmosphere.
“Ohio” is a dark and heavy book while at the same time thought provoking and challenging. I received a review copy of “Ohio” from Stephen Markley, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley. It was not an easy book to read, and at times, the narrative was unfocused. I appreciated the depth of the characters and the beauty of the narrative; I am glad that I finished it, but it was not relaxing. The over-riding questions from this book remain, Can you go home again? Would you want to? Would they want you back

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The book begins with the death of a small Ohio hometown military boy. The core of the book is the small town, New Canaan, and the dynamics between its characters. It is a mystery as to how many of the characters die. Your heart aches for the family and friends: “You had to have faith… Faith that whatever pain you had in your life, God made up for it later.” The book ends with the death of several the high school friends.

The book takes the reader back to the Bush/Gore election with counting chads and the U.S. Supreme Court. It brings back the 9/11 tragedy with different political perspectives and the angst raised. The timing bounces from high school to “current time” (10 years after high school).

This book deals with friendships (“We didn’t have a choice who our friends were.”), relationships, drug dealing and abuse, teenagers and sex, homosexuality, and death/murder. “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars…” There are questions about God throughout the book (“You pray a little, go to church enough, get right with God…”).

Throughout the book, the reader knows at least one character is being abused but the extent is not fully known until later in the book. This book is not for those with a faint of heart due to the explicit sexual activities and language. Young people have to learn “the difference between passion and provocation.”

I found the book hard to get into but once it gets going, it is a captivating book. Keeping the characters straight is important. The book is worth reading if offensive language and sexual scenes won’t bother you.

I picked this up because someone compared it to The Big Chill, one of my favorite movies of all time. The book starts with a prelude, a stream of consciousness narrative during a parade in memory of Rick, who was killed Iraq. The book then jumps 6 years to 2013.

Then it divides into four parts, each told from the perspective of a different character returning home for their own reasons. But each was a school mate of the others and have a history from those days.

The writing here is gorgeous. I realized I was highlighting phrases almost every other page. “We begin with history’s dogs howling, suffering in every last nerve and muscle.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone able to turn a phrase like Markley. Which isn’t to say this is an easy read. When you’re into Bill’s brain, it can seem down right twisted. And when Dan remembers his time in the army, it hit me like a fist to the gut. And Tina’s section will just make you cry.

This book delves into the issues of the rust belt. Drugs abound. The recession is still in existence here, years after the rest of the country has recovered. Hope seems to be a forgotten concept. “New Canaan looked like the microcosm poster child of middle American angst.”

This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination. At times, it's so dark, so brutal, I had to put it down. It also needed a better editing job, as it rambled at times and I had trouble remaining focused. It goes back and forth between the present and memories of high school. And that ending! OMG.

In the end, I’m torn on how to rate this. This really needed to be tightened up. In places, it’s a total mess. In others, it’s brilliant. I’m willing to bet it’s going to generate a lot of attention and excitement.

My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this novel.

Four classmates come back to the hometown of New Canaan one summer. Bill Ashcraft is an alcoholic and drug abuser and has completely lost his way. Stacey Moore comes back to confront the mother of her former girlfriend. Dan Eaton is a veteran of the Afghanistan War and has never forgotten his first love. Tina Ross has something to settle with the former captain of the football team. There are actually four novellas in this book, each involving one of the above characters and all interacting with one character, the deceased classmate, Rick, who was killed in Afghanistan.

This book has all the markings of a book I should have loved. It’s a truly tragic story and I had read such good things about the book. But I truly did not like it. Before I chose this book, I had read that the author uses beautiful language but any beautiful language used is negated by the constant course language used by the characters. I had read that it was an emotional book but to be emotional for me, a book needs to have characters the reader cares about. I did not like these characters and couldn’t relate to their problems.

This book seems to be a social commentary on how 9/11 left our country and its people in shambles. I don’t believe we’re all suffering from PTSD as this book indicates. It’s almost written as a dystopian novel, creating a horrible, destroyed world I’m not familiar with. It seemed to me that most of the characters, though certainly not all, used 9/11 and the war as an excuse for not getting their lives together. I soon tired of reading about their self-indulgences involving alcohol, drugs and sex and sickened of them wallowing in their self-misery.

Not recommended.

I made myself finish Ohio by Stephen Markley. It is well written, beautiful writing at times, and the characters are well drawn and the theme timely and the plot is part a mystery and part a character study of a whole cadre of classmates.

But it is dark, gruesome, shocking, and violent, the characters struggling with horrible situations and issues. I stopped reading it several times. I was sure I was going to walk away, unwilling to spend more time with these broken people.

And when I finally did finish the novel, my stomach was in knots and I felt slightly ill. Graphic sex and self-abuse and violence and all kinds of stuff going on which I usually avoid like the plague..

And these kids, ten years out of high school but trapped by what happened in those few years, destroyed by it. They don't move on, they can't move on. The beautiful ones are destroyed and the less beautiful ones who love them are destroyed.

I am so destroyed, I wish I had not finished the book.

Which perhaps shows how successful the novel is--

...After getting some distance I am impress by the structure of this novel and how it reveals the truth.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

A brutal read. There is not much pretty going on in this Ohio but the destroyed characters make for a great story, the proverbial car wreck you can't not look at. The ending was completely unexpected; I would be shocked if anyone could see that coming. I really appreciate Markley's writing style and descriptive ability, and I think this will have a large readership. It reminded me of how I felt reading Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk... though it is a tougher read than that was.

I hate giving a negative or neutral review for a book. I tried, I really did to get into this book and I just couldn't do it. I tried on multiple occasions to read Ohio but I just was unable to do so. I think this book is one of those that people will either love or hate without a whole lot of in between. I am on the fence because I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I appreciate the effort the author put forth and the free book from the publisher and Netgalley.

Author Stephen Markley is a keen observer of people in difficult situations and adept at setting the atmosphere of small town America. He explores the complexities of relationships, community and politics with well-crafted insightful words and descriptions, even if at times these words were crude or off-putting. I would have preferred a bit more editing of the descriptors; some were too lengthy and I would find myself skimming.

Markley clearly sees things from a fresh and unique perspective, down to the finest details. This book has been placed on my "I'll think about this book for quite some time” bookshelf. I was impressed this is a debut novel but I would not recommend if you are looking for likable characters and easy-reading.

*will be posting links below to online reviews upon book publication

Wow! This book touched on all the crises of our times - the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism and violence against America, the opiod crisis, the recession that devastated the country, and more. At once it is a mystery but also a slice of life for today. I found it totally engrossing and it had an ending I didn't see coming. The writing is very descriptive and puts you in the scene so that you can see the character interaction. The description of the characters in high school were spot-on.

I'm hearing that Stephen Markley is a major talent - and I agree. Especially since this is a debut novel. Thanks to Stephen Markley and Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Ohio by Stephen Markley was simply SUPERB. As someone who was born and raised in Ohio, getting to read a novel that revolves around my home state--and even throughout my hometown--was intriguing. The fact that Markley took on the drug problem that is running rampant, while also giving face to those weird, crazy, sometimes unacceptable or cruel behaviors that come from being in high school and wanting friends and significant others so badly was perfect. The end of the book left me stunned and thinking about it for days! I cannot wait to see what else Stephen Markley writes!

I tried so hard to read this book but it just was not for me. The story was very slow and the writing style was just too over burdened with details. I made it through the first 100 or so pages and really just could not go on. Based on other reviews it appears that readers either loved it or didn't love it. I unfortunately fall into the latter category. Thank you for the opportunity to access this book early and provide feedback.

Expected publication August 21st!

Where do I even start? I fear it will be difficult for me to even put this book into words. Ohio is a story about a community in rural/suburban Ohio, the friends and acquaintances within the community, the secrets held within, and the ghosts that continue to haunt them. One night, several people will return to New Canaan, Ohio and their lives will intertwine in an unexpected way, dredging up memories of the past, and impacting the course of the future.

Stephen Markley makes his debut in a big way, establishing himself as a powerhouse writer. His vocabulary is vast, and the way he builds sentences, paragraphs, and entire story lines is magnificent. His descriptions of the American Midwest, and communities that have suffered from the collapse of American business and industry are spot on. I am from Michigan, and although the book took place in Ohio, the similarities were uncanny. I could see this story taking place where I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit after 9/11, during the recession, when the auto industry was suffering. Although the writing is beautiful, this is definitely not a quick read. His writing evokes a lot of thought, and as such, it is takes some time to process.

Adjectives I would use to describe this book: heartbreaking, raw, realistic, powerful, heavy, gritty, and alive. The story is packed with difficult social topics including rape, sexuality, drugs, religion, and an array of political issues. The story takes place after the Twin Towers fall, and the impact of the terrorist attack are evident, from young boys in the community enlisting to fight the War on Terror to those who wholeheartedly oppose the efforts in the Middle East.

Almost 500 pages and told in 4 parts, with each part from the perspective of a different person, the first half of the book created a backdrop and gave background that was necessary to the later parts. I will say that it was a bit long, and there were times in part 3 where I found myself wanting the story to move a little faster. But, once I got to the end, I could not put it down. The way all of the characters weave throughout each other’s lives, and the journey that they all took to get to present day is incredible. It felt a tiny bit like 13 Reasons Why in that the characters reflect on the choices they each made, and the impact of their choices on the lives of others.

This book will definitely not be everybody’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for something lighthearted or fast paced, this book is not for you. But if you’re looking for something thought provoking and different from the everyday novel, with a dark and heavy edge, you will love this book.

-I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Stephen Markley, and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review.-

This was very difficult to get in to. Great descriptive writing but I got impatient waiting for the story to start.

I wanted to really like this book but in spite of exquisite writing, impatience got the best of me. The 100+ pages I read revealed the hopelessness of post-industrial Ohio and the emotional bankruptcy that tragically defines “down and out “ in much of our country today. I believe this to be a worthy read - sadly, I was just not up to it’s challenges.

To begin, a quick word of thanks to both Simon & Shuster, the publisher, as well as netgalley.com for allowing me a chance to have an advanced reading of this novel.

I initially had troubles getting into the story. I really wasn't sure how this novel would play out, but I am awfully glad I stuck with it.

The novel began with a homecoming parade for a fallen Marine at his hometown. After an anti-climactic start, the novel picked up speed as to how seven former students at a local high school have moved on in the next ten years of post-high school life.

The novel really kept my attention and was well-written. The way in which the author tied-in snippets of these seven character's high school past and tied them into their lives today, was well-done. To add the disappointment, despair, and ultimately the deaths of many of the characters in this novel made it a good read. By the end of the novel, I was happy to have gotten an opportunity to read this - very well-written, and truly an intriguing plot.

Stephen Markley’s first fiction book, OHIO, is definitely not for the faint of heart. Having written previous non-fiction books, Markley undertakes an ambitious project writing about a rural, Northeaster, Ohio town suffering from the Great Recession, the opioid crisis and the after-effects of 9/11.
OHIO centers around the story of four high school friends who are reunited a decade after their graduation. It also circles around the story of one of those friends who was killed in Iraq. In fact, the entire beginning of the book is one long running commentary on the funeral parade for this man which occurs months after his actual burial, and which features an empty casket on loan from Wal Mart. There were many part of this exegesis that reminded me of Garrison Keillor and his Tales of Lake Wobegon. The writing flows with excess and verbiage that is both descriptive and, well, over-the-top. To a certain extent, though not as talented, it also reminds of William Faulkner who could describe a scene to death.
After this opening finally ends, Markley presents us with characters that are quite nearly a stereotype for small, Midwestern, rural towns. I should know, I live in one and I’ve known many from the area from which Markley is drawing his inspiration. In fact, Markley was reared in such a small town very much like the one he is describing – but he has been living in L.A. for  many years.
OHIO is an examination of the fervor  that occurred in many small towns after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Smelling blood, military recruiters swarmed into these towns whipped up “patriotism” like a spell across the land. Those who were poor, bored or looking for a way out of these towns, eagerly bought the lies that these recruiters were dishing out like candy. As a result, the Midwest now if faced with higher numbers of veteran homelessness, drug addition to the crisis point and crime, which is needed to feed their addictions.
This is a very dark, very descriptive – overly so – account of war, drugs, addiction and despair.
However, while I like the premise of the book, my criticism is two-fold.  Markley claims that the book is an accurate description of the war battles and recruitment during this time – he also admits that he “once was very anti-war.” His anti-war sentiments don’t come through for me in OHIO. His remarks about why he is not as adamantly “anti-war,” disturb me on a very deep level. Americans only now are beginning to look at 9/11 as “history” rather than current events.  Any time an author writes about it, their own biases and leanings are revealed. The fact is, many – too many – young men were lied to, sold a bill of goods that were rotten and the “war in Iraq” was nothing except a military exercise to build the American Empire. You can not talk about the “rust belt” of America without directly talking about the massive loss of jobs, the cut back in education funding, the lack of medical treatment – ALL courtesy of the American government. The darkness here, in my mid-west, is very real. The opioid crisis is staggering. But Markley’s views are merely more fiction added to the mix, militarily accurate according to the recruiters with whom he spoke, but we all know how truthful they can be.  For the record, I’m the wife of COL (ret) so I’m very familiar with the military, the war and the lies that were told after 9/11.
Secondly, one complaint that I have regarding Southern writers is that they use thirty words to describe what could be brilliantly written in ten. Markley writes more like a southern writer than one from the mid-west where words never are wasted and verbosity is, quite nearly, considered a sin. This book is too long, too drawn out, too much of everything that is not quality. Readers who think that the book is dark would see a more fitting picture of the Rust Belt if they didn’t have to wade through the unnecessary muck. I wanted to scream: “edit, Edit, EDIT.” Sadly, there was none.
If you want to read an astounding account of what reality is like in a rural rust belt town, I suggest instead that you read “Fast Falls the Night” by Julia Keller. It also is a very disturbing read but one based on fact, expertly written and staggering in its accurate  description of what it really is like to live in such a town as mine.
OHIO was given to me by #Netgalley in exchange for a review of the book.

4.5 Stars

”Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows

“Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long-stem rose
Everybody knows”
--Everybody Knows, Leonard Cohen, Songwriters: Leonard Cohen / Sharon Robinson

Unrelenting pain, broken people, a country torn apart by recession and an act of violence against America, people everywhere hurting, the opiod crisis, wars, and the damage they invoke on those fighting in them, who carry that damage with them after they’ve returned home to this small town in northeastern Ohio they refer to as “The Cane.”

There are four who return there the summer of 2013, each having lived all of their years with this country in a state of war, with recession destroying what was once the town they lived and loved in. They have memories of those years, and they are not always particularly fond ones, although there is still an abundance of nostalgia for this place, it is riddled with the pain of the scars that they carry, and yet it is still a part of them. Home.

This story begins with the prelude, with a funeral procession carrying an empty coffin (loaned by Walmart), draped with an American flag is being carried on a flatbed trailer down the street when the breeze went from calm to that high, almost whistling shriek, carrying the stars and stripes off in a frenzy of gusts and swirls until the knobby contorted branch managed to capture it.

This small town was America, as red, white and blue on this day as any other, with small flags carefully positioned every fifteen feet more than a mile leading up to the town square. Children walked with small flags in their grasp, and flags waved from the backs of bikes.

Regrets and secrets are carried on the wind, but never leave them, everywhere they look they are reminded of memories loaded with shame, humiliation, resentment, rage, ugliness and a vague wistfulness for something that never was, for them. A promise of a life with more, and a need to hold someone, something accountable.

This is a beautifully written, if very bleak, story about the towns, cities, and people left behind, marginalized, after everything collapsed. When your life, the life you knew, is ripped away leaving only a shell of what you knew, despair, anger, and resentment fills in the empty spaces. When that becomes your everyday life, it isn’t easy to live with when every day is filled with despair. On some level you must rail against the injustice of it all, or just fold, but even that doesn’t last long until it’s replaced by another emotion. Underneath this heartbreaking story is a commentary / critique of our current society, as viewed through the eyes of these people, this place, but it could be anyplace.

This was not an easy read for me, especially in the beginning, but I am so happy that I stuck with it. Before long, I didn’t want to put this down. I re-read sections over and over, not because I didn’t understand them, but because Markley writes so beautifully, and in his debut, Stephen Markley has written a story that will have you thinking about America’s present circumstances, about our towns and people.

A discerning and disturbing story of these seemingly discarded towns of America, through these unstable and tumultuous times. To borrow a thought, a phrase from Langston Hughes - This town, these towns, these cities, these people – they, too, sing America.

Pub Date: 21 AUG 2018


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this debut novel. This book has been getting a lot of pre-publication buzz, and I think it’s deserved. It took me quite a while to get going on this. In fact, I started twice before getting very far, but the third time, it caught my attention. The author paints a grim but probably accurate picture of life in any depressed mid-west town, Ohio or not. The book is dark. There aren’t any happy characters or happy endings. I think where the author shines in the depictions of some of the characters, the way they think, they way they speak rang so true to life. Lastly, the author works in a mystery that is not so apparent at the start but eventually became the thing that pulled me along to the end. Overall. I recommend this but you may want to bookend it with some lighter fare.