Oksana and her family move from Kiev to Florida when she's a little girl. Each chapter follows the next part of her life as she ages and continues to adapt as an immigrant. I absolutely would have loved this book if the focus had been the first two chapters when Oksana is younger. As the book progresses, I found her character to be harder to relate to (and generally kind of unlikable). As the reader, I also felt a little cheated when important events took place off the page (like the death of a vital family member). Instead of seeing how Oksana was coping with significant challenges, we just see her acting out and never quite moving forward in her life in a healthy way. I wish Kuznetsova had stuck with the character as a youngster - when she's insightful, fierce, and determined. It felt difficult to keep reading Oksana screwing things up as an adult - throwing away opportunities and relationships because of her own inability to function in a healthy way. Kuznetsova is a talented writer and there's a lot of grit to the novel, but it just ended up missing the mark for me as a whole.

NOt my cup of tea. Silly and hard to follow. Did not even finish, which is unusual for me./ Could not relate at all.

This book didn't do it for me. While some of the characters and stories were very engaging and appealing I felt the evolution of Oksana as the core story disappointed. I like the idea of what the author was trying to do with Oksana but it was painful to get through her evolution because I didn't feel that Maria Kuznetsova really developed the story to match the female character she was striving to create.

I really enjoyed reading about oksana's quirky jy family. Her grandmother, father, and mother all have unique personalities and unique perspectives. I didn't love Oksana or the decisions she made most of the time, but I was always curious what she'd do next or how she would get along in the end, which kept me reading. Overall just an OK read for me. However, the writing was superb and the voice unique, and I will look for more books from this author.

A wonderful and UNIQUE coming of age tale. Also a wonderful insight into an often untold immigrant perspective. If you've ever felt like you don't belong, you will find this relatable!

I was looking forward to reading this book. It sounded like a fun read, which it was partly. I enjoyed the author's writing and much of the book. But truthfully, Oksana seemed like a spoiled brat and I felt no connection to her. Some parts of the book seemed to drag so I guess this just wasn't my kind of book.

* I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. It was my own decision to read and review this book.

Ukraine is not what it was anymore and therefore, Oksana’s family decides to leave the country for America. Yet, life is not easy there. The father, a former physicist, does not find an adequate job and therefore delivers pizza; the mother is depressed after having lost another child early in her pregnancy; for the eccentric grandmother things are even worse. And Oksana? She is the strange kid in school. Due to her frequent misunderstandings, she gets herself constantly in trouble and behaves in a very bizarre way in her classmates’ opinion. However, while growing up, life in this strange country gets easier for her, but there is a Ukrainian part in Oksana that still lings for another side of per personality and in Roman, also of Russian decent, she finds a man with whom she can share the undefined longing.

Maria Kuznetsova herself knows what Oksana goes through when being moved from an eastern European country to the US, since she herself had to leave Kiev as a child to emigrate. Her debut is hard to sum up in just a couple of words: it is hilariously funny at the beginning when the family arrives in Florida, throughout the plot, however, they superficial amusement turns into a more thoughtful narrative that focuses on the sincerer aspects of migration and its impact on the development of a young person.

Oksana surely is a very unique character, very naive and trusting at first, she quite naturally falls prey to masses of misunderstandings and is bullied by the other children. Throughout the novel, it is not the relationships with the outside world that are interesting, but first and foremost, those within the family. Especially between Oksana and her father who is fighting hard to succeed and offer the best to his family. As a young girl, Oksana cannot really understand her mother, it takes some years until she finally realises what makes her depressed and cry so much. However, it is especially the grandmother who has a big impact on her, even though the full extent of their love and commitment will only show at the very end.

“Oksana, Behave!” is an exceptional novel in several respects. What I appreciated most is the comical tone with which the story is told and the way in which Maria Kuznetsova showed the girl’s growing up as a process which does not go without trouble but is also heart-warming.

This one was not for me. Didn't engage and wasn't interested in finishing it, but made myself see it through to the end. I'm sure some people will like this quirky novel! I'm in a mood.

An interesting take on the immigrant experience- or is it an interesting take on coming of age where the main character just happens to be from Ukraine? Both are true. Oksana finds herself a fish out of water when her family arrives in the US. Each chapter in this intriguing novel documents her change and growth, as well as the changes in her family. The one constant, in attitude in particular, is her grandmother. Baba is a hoot. This is very much a character driven novel, with a plot that meanders a bit but is less relevant than Oksana and the others you will meet. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this debut.

An sharp and well observed coming of age story. Oksana is a wonderful narrator and character, whose stories of her own foibles, and those of her newly adopted country, are both funny and heartbreaking.

I really liked this book. I thought it was funny and interesting, and I enjoyed the author’s writing style.

The book is laid out chronologically (which I really enjoyed) — each chapter tells Oksana’s story at a different point in her life. The first chapter starts when she’s in third grade moving from Kiev to Florida. The second chapter sees her as a sixth grader in Ohio. Then we see her as a track-athlete in high school, a college student at Duke, a recent graduate in NYC, a PhD candidate in California, and then a married pregnant woman visiting Kiev to bury her grandmother.

The novel is more character-driven than plot-driven, so there aren’t any twists and turns throughout the book, though Oksana does drive a lot of action for herself and the people in her life. I’m guessing Oksana to be about my age; I recognized a lot of pop-culture happening in her life around the time it would have happened in mine (Bill Clinton vs. George Bush vs. Ross Perot; Ace of Base; Kurt Cobain’s death; N’Sync vs. Backstreet Boys; 9/11, etc.), and maybe this is part of the reason I liked this book so much.

Oksana emigrated with her family to the United States from Ukraine when she was in elementary school, and I feel like this gave me a lot of insight into Russian culture. Oksana’s parents and grandmother often refer to her as “Little Idiot,” or “Sweet Fool.” I found this off-putting at first, but as the novel moves forward, I learned a bit about what life was like for the adults in Oksana’s life. They survived Nazi occupation, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and communism, Lenin, Stalin, moving to the US and having to start again, etc. They lived hard lives. At one point, Oksana’s grandmother says, “I know I’ve been hard on you, but I just want to toughen you up. Life is hard.” Oksana’s family clearly loves her, is doing the best they can with what they’ve been given, and Oksana grows and thrives within this strong support system.

I read some of the other reviewers’ thoughts about this novel, and many of the common themes are, “Oksana is a sociopath,” or “Oksana needs to understand that other people have feelings,” or “Oksana is a selfish brat.” I’ll be honest though — I loved her.

I related so much to her thoughts and feelings and actions (not sure what this says about me). Oksana is certainly a flawed character. She does a lot of things that she shouldn’t, says a lot of things that aren’t kind, and acts selfishly in a lot of ways.

But, she’s honest with her opinions. She’s smart and witty. She’s not entirely forward with her feelings — she’s not emotional — but she certainly has feelings, and while the characters around her may not see them (she’s not much for outward displays of affection), the reader can see them. Further, she does little things to defend the people around her, and protect their feelings — such as taking on a school bully, exaggerating her father’s achievements to his colleagues when he’s not listening, and giving trinkets to one of her grandmother’s suitors (claiming they’re from her grandmother). She does care about other people, in her way.

She’s also entirely self-reflective. She knows who she is, and at one point she says, “I try to love people, but I’m selfish at heart…”. She does love people, and she is selfish at heart. Frankly, I believe that all people have a bit of selfishness at heart — and that most of us are just unwilling to admit it. I appreciated her candor.

I recommend this book. It’s a solid read if you want something smart and funny, and enjoy strong character development — featuring flawed but realistic characters.

Maria Kuznetsova has written a funny, ironic novel about immigrants from Ukraine. The central character is a young girl, Oksana, who like her grandmother doesn't have a filter for her criticisms or judgments. It doesn't matter if it is in the USA or Ukraine. Oksana sees through all the nonsense both societies foist on its citizens.

Oksana jumps around to many different places in the USA from disgusting Florida with all its lizards across the country to a somewhat final destination on the west coast. Oksana's father was a Math Olympics champion in Russia, but in the USA he teaches at a second rate school and delivers pizza at night. Oksana's mother is depressed, and nothing brings light to her life. Oksana does not follow her father's footsteps academically. She doesn't care about being wildly successful as her father was.

Oksana, Behave! is a witty debut novel that I enjoyed and I think it will be well received when it is published.
I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. Thank you.

Oksana doesn't need to be have so much as she needs to be able to have feelings, admit that other people also have feelings, and stop being quite so sociopathic. Told in first-person, this novel follows Oksana from Kiev to the United States, where she grows up, is disaffected, lacks interest in anything, is unwilling to try very hard to do anything, uses people like tissue, is totally self-centered, and is instantly recognizable as a person I wouldn't go anywhere near. I don't care that she smokes and does various drugs and drinks and has a lot of casual sex, cheats on committed partners. Maybe those are the things where she's supposed to "behave"? The things I did want her to do were stop being such a quitter and stop being such an asshole. But maybe she can't. Maybe she is, actually, a sociopath. That would make sense for most of the things she does. SO maybe the title should be less, Oksana, Behave! and more Everybody, Avoid Oksana! That said, the book is well-written and I liked a lot of the other characters and how they were developed.

3.5 Stars, rounded up to 4.
Unique, quirky, and character driven story with a feisty main character, Oksana.
This is definitely not a book I would normally pick to read, but I needed something original, and with the story of Oksana, the immigrant from Kiev, I got a good dose of originality, eccentricity, and humor. Oksana is not a likeable character and I’ve cringed many times at her unapologetic behaviors, but in the end I could not stop rooting for her. We see her evolve from a little, rebellious girl into a grown woman with defined ambitions and stable family life, even though at times Oksana’s self-destructive behaviors left me in doubt that she will ever succeed in her life. Her close relationship with her father was heartwarming and sad at times but it showed Oksana’s soft side, which made her a little more likeable. I loved Baba, Oksana’s grandmother, who was as honest as they come, and with her red hair and sassiness, she was determined not to settle for less than she deserved. Baba and Oksana’s relationship was unique, comical, and unconventional, and I could not stop smirking every time these two got together.
This book was well written, character driven with a little plot, but it was well structured, and never tedious. It is not a book for everyone and I think a lot of readers will find it odd and maybe a little off-putting, but I believe that we all need books like this one in our lives.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and the author, Maria Kuznetsova, for an opportunity to read an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise boring world. The story is of Oksana, who moves to the united states from Kiev as a young girl. The story is reminiscent of Everything is Illuminated, but in a beautiful and humorous way. Oksana’s family is so richly wonderful and different from other literature I have read recently and I was glad to encounter them. The complex relationship between Oksana and her Baba was wonderful to behold. The story follows her as she progresses from child, to college student, to woman and chronicles how living in America as a first-generation immigrant was. I honestly enjoyed this book much more than I would have thought. The story was refreshing, the descriptions were beautiful and it moved quickly.

Check it out!

Maria Kuznetsova's debut novel Oksana, Behave! is a character-driven story with a strong, but not entirely likable lead. For me, it's what makes the novel most interesting. There's a lingering question about if Oksana will learn to behave. Antics that were laughable in childhood take on a different tenor as she moves into adulthood in this Bildungsroman. Readers may anticipate a bit more focus on the immigrant experience, as Oksana's family comes to Florida from Ukraine. It's a more subtle weaving of culture and assimilation throughout the novel, which is an interesting approach.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for providing me with a copy of this book for an unbiased review. The publication date for this book is March 19, 2019.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher, Spiegel & Grau for letting read the ARC.

Oh dear, sweet Oksana. How you frustrate me. This is a very character heavy, little plot book. So if plot is your thing, I wouldnt suggest this one. Oksana moves from Ukraine to America with her family to live the American "dream." Oksana has no filter and never feels bad about her actions and how they impact people around her.

The book has peaks and valleys and you want Oksana to learn from her actions, she just never does.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher, Spiegel & Grau for providing me with this ARC. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

There is something refreshing in these pages. Oksana and her boisterous Baba (grandmother) are unruly misfits and bewildered immigrants. Leaving Kiev and moving to swampy Florida provides a series of unexpected plights and situations that are both comical and somber.

Each chapter jumps in time as Oksana & her family members age and grow from Soviet dreamers to hardened realists. The story starts to shed its lighter hues as the pages grow darker with cynicism and every day disappointments and tragedies.

I felt like much of Oksana’s escapades were probably born from real experiences of the author, but I appreciated the grittiness and authenticity.

This is definitely a character driven story with little action but plenty of pluck. While Oksana is not likeable there is something compelling about her that kept me turning the pages.

I enjoyed this debut and look forward to reading more from this author.

Oksana Konnikova moved to the United States from Kiev with her parents when she was a child. Although her father was a Math Olympics champion in Russia, while working as a physicist in Gainesville, Florida, he had to deliver pizza to make ends meet. Her mother, struggling to find work as an accountant, often fell into depression. And she shared a room with her sassy grandmother who enjoyed the catcalls she received while walking down Prostitute Street. They affectionately call Oksana “fool” or “idiot” but it speaks to a distance between her and her family, perhaps most sadly illustrated when her parents and grandmother go out to dinner to celebrate but leave her behind in the apartment, alone.

Each chapter is written almost as if a self-contained short story and jumps forward in time with only the characters in common. The structure was interesting, and I got a kick out of seeing the brief mentions of Oksana’s high school friend, Lily, and her changing careers, throughout the book. At the same time, the quality and impact of the chapters was uneven. It also offers a less intimate view of the characters since we see them in bits over many time periods.

Oksana certainly is badly behaved. As a child, testing if the police will really come if she calls 911, she reports that her grandmother is trying to kill her. When a tween, she severely injures a bully when protecting a younger child from his abuses. As she ages, her behavior becomes both more selfish and more self-destructive, leaving a swath of cruel destruction in its wake. Even at the end of the novel, when her life has changed dramatically, her choices have not, and it isn’t clear she’s learned anything from the pain she’s caused.

I had also expected much more mediation on the immigrant experience. Her name and other people’s difficulty pronouncing it, her family’s food preferences, and her travel to the Ukraine are embedded in the story, but I’m not sure if we are to take Oksana’s bad behavior as a manifestation of her immigrant experience, her personality, or the result of her upbringing.

Also, I’d hoped for more information on her grandmother’s experiences in the war. From the description, I thought this would play more of a role. Certainly, this history was important to Oksana, but it wasn’t included in the novel but for a paragraph or two.

Maria Kuznetsova does have some wonderful passages and heartrending dialogue, but I found myself empathizing much more with Oksana’s victims than with her. I hoped she would develop and change over the course of the novel, but she never seemed to learn to behave. Maybe, though, the end was just the beginning.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting and kind of... unflinching? I liked the way it was structured in sections over time, and I liked the way all the supporting characters were developed. I liked the overall themes of the book: the emigration, the confusion across cultures, the family that was kind of fractured but also not, the searching for how to build a life. And yet, I felt kind of at a distance the whole time. I felt like we kept watching Oksana make all these decisions and do all these things but we never really got into her head or understood her motivations. I didn’t even really see her yearning for her homeland until the last 20 pages of the book or so. It almost felt like an academic exercise in some ways, which had the side effect of making it hard for me to get into the whole thing. I just don’t know. There were a lot of positives, but I walked away feeling confused and not really understanding what the author was trying to get at.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.