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I am afraid this is going to be a short review.

I chose this book in NetGalley because it sounded interesting as I love stories in small, rural areas as well as family stories. The blurb of this book talked about not one but three families which change forever after some traumatic event.

However, the book did not meet my expectations…

THE STORY

There is a really small town called Oslo. However, this “Oslo” is not in Norway but in Maine, USA.

There we find Pierre Roy, a twelve years old boy who lost his memory after a traumatic accident.

His father, Claude, does not seem to realize the scope of his son’s situation, nor its implications.

Furthermore, Claude seems to believe there is something else wrong with his son, apart from his mental problems: Pierre likes music and reading, nothing to do with what Claude considers to be masculine.

Pierre’s mother, Celine, has her own way of coping with Pierre’s illness, namely, pills. She feels responsible in part for the state her son is in, because she has no done what any mother would do, to protect their offspring.

Then we find another family, the Kimbrough who are musicians. They established in Oslo like 20 years ago, but are still seen as the “outsiders”.

And finally we have Edna Sibley, a wealthy widow. She lives with her grandson Luc, a 29 years old man who is…let’s say, different. His mother died giving birth to him.
However this is perhaps the family’s story I like the least, as I think it is another case of the typical “we are rich but we also know what it is to suffer” that we repeatedly see in books, movies, etc.

The three families have problems in dealing with each other. You know the drill: small town, lots of frictions, lots of gossip, etc…and that is basically all that happens in “Oslo, Maine”.

MOM’S ISSUES AND MUSIC AS A COPING MECHANISM

Pierre starts receiving violin lessons from Sandra Kimbrough and then he discovers he can cope with the side effects of his traumatic experience by playing music.

In addition, Pierre also seeks in Sandra a mother figure, as his own mother is basically sleeping all day long under the effects of the pills she takes. So Pierre turns to Sandra for the love, affection and attention he does not get from his own mother.

Furthermore, he also discovers a way of dealing with his memory loss so the people around him can also cope with it in a better way than how they are doing it now.

Pierre feels very guilty about the state his mom is in. He feels it is his fault that she passes the days drugged and forgets to even shower herself. He blames himself for all this, which for a 12 years old is just too much to carry.

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT “OSLO, MAINE”

One common denominator is the figure of a moose which appears throughout the whole story. We even read about its perspective, its thoughts.

Furthermore, the story is told from the different points of view of all the characters, a literary feature which I have always liked. But all characters are so flawed that I didn’t like any of them, with the exception of Pierre, of course.

However, it took me a very long time to finish the book. The story did not catch me and some parts of it are very slow and tedious to read.

I don’t recommend this book as I myself did not enjoy it. It has some good things (a great character development of Pierre) but overall there are better books out there to be read.
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Thanks to the publisher, HighBridge Audio, the author Marcia Butler and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of “Oslo, Maine” for review purposes.

I listened to this on audio and it just did not work for me. Maybe it was the narrator? I found them very emotionless. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters (other than the moose) If I’m completely honest the moose was my favourite part about this book! I mourned the loss of her calf and was rooting for her every time she encountered any of the humans.

CW: drug abuse, infidelity, car accident, death/dismemberment of an animal

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for my copy of Oslo, Maine by Marcia Butler Narrated by Charlie Thurston in exchange for an honest review. It published March 2, 2021.
The narration of this book was well-done, clear, concise and listenable. The writing was also skilled. I personally didn't love the story, a lot of the characters were unlikable, and I was hoping for more closure, or at least resolution between certain relationships. I felt like it ended kind of abruptly. I also spent a lot of time confused about certain details, but that very well could've been my own inability to understand what was going on.
Trigger warning: Poaching, sexually explicit content, violence.

I would like to give this 3.5 stars, but can't, so I'm rounding up for here.

The story is based around a moose coming to town, an accident involving a 12 year old boy, and the stories of the adults that orbit him.

To be perfectly honest, when I began listening, I really thought this was going to be a DNF for me. I had in my head that this was going to be a "Northern Exposure" (remember that TV show?) type of story. But it most definitely isn't. The opening scenes with the moose were harrowing and graphic and I was not sure I could stomach it. I understand now, this is intentional and shows the true harsh reality of life in Oslo, Maine.

BUT, as I continued to listen and get to know the characters, I became fully invested. They all felt so real. So flawed and honest. I hated some, and loved others, and switched betweeen the two for most - again I believe this is intentional from the Author. I even cried in the epilogue - an indication for me that I had grown so fond of some that I really cared about the outcome.

A very real, honest story about life in a small town.

It’s really rare for me to DNF a book, I made it 1/3 of the way before calling it quits. This book was too all over the place for me. I didn’t like most of the characters. I was sorry to not finish it but I really tried.

Oslo, Maine is a leisurely paced novel with a variety of characters and narration from multiple perspectives. Rather than the story being driven by the thoughts and experiences of one central character, the book shifts between different points of view. I rather enjoyed getting to see the events of the novel through the eyes of different people, each connected and impacted differently by one another. I was especially intrigued by the incorporation of the narration of a moose, and the unique aspect of getting to see the world through her eyes. There are many interesting elements and topics explored throughout this novel. A tragic accident results in the brain injury of a 12 year old boy named Pierre, and the nature of humanity's preoccupancy with the past is explored. As he works to combat his memory loss, we are left to ponder the interesting relationship between time and happiness. Additionally, as Pierre pursues a passion and natural brilliance for music, he must also face traditional expectations of masculinity brought on by his father. In addition to Pierre's experiences, the adults in the story bring up such topics as marriage, infidelity, financial stability, small town dynamics, addiction, and family. The characters are indeed flawed, but authentic.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I really tried to like this book. The cover is very enticing. Usually, I am drawn to dark and depressing stories, but this book never got me to wanting to read more. I had to force myself through it. I don’t even know how to explain this one. It was not enjoyable at all.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Quirky, twisty, and a moose.

Really loved the main character, Pierre.

I wasn't sure about this book, then I read a review from someone who gave it one star and who obviously hadn't finished. I'm curious as to whether its fair to rate a book that is not finished. Personally I don't think so. So someone's one star rating spurred me on to finish this one. Probably rounding up to a 4; definitely different.

Version reviewed was the audio version, which isn't listed on GoodReads as a format option.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (HighBridge Audio) and author (Marcia Butler) for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 02 Mar 2021.

I’ve spent the last few days just trying to process this book. It was so much darker then I anticipated. With multiple senes detailed animal cruelty and three highly dis functional families stuck in patterns of abuse this is anything but a feel good read.

The characters are unsavory and despite their best efforts continue to fall short of the mark. While Pierres perspective on memories and the importance of “now” give the reader plenty to think about in the end it just wasn’t enough for me.

⭐️⭐️ 2 stars for this trigger filled emotional beating.

If you like quirky stories with dysfunctional yet lovable and very relatable characters set in small towns, this might be a cool next read for you.

The moose’s presence in this novel is not a quirky, funny plot device like the moose that finds itself on Africa‘s shores in Doug Sacrison‘s The Gelatin Coast. Instead, the book opens with a depiction of animal suffering that was very well-written and harrowing. Suffice to say all characters in this book are relatable, even the moose.

This story of the Roys, the Kimbroughs, and the Sibleys is what drives this story, each individual back story is explored and makes their actions understandable and the characters of not likable definitely highly relatable. The story is engaging, and I attribute this to Butler’s excellent character development.
Every character has their villainous side or actions, except for the child Pierre whose accident sets the story off, but the author presents them in their completeness; they love, they hurt, they fail each other, they try to do the best they can and know to do. Butler peels back their layers with such sympathy that I ended up feeling soft toward all of them all before long. After all, when you truly get to know someone—the way brave and greathearted novelists like Butler get to know their characters—you see their struggles and realize they just want to help their families and improve their lives, same as any of us. I was telling my husband about every character in the book which is not something I usually do.

Narrator Charlie Thurston is great for this audiobook; his narration is unhurried and fits the story wonderfully.

Thank you to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Sooooo, a child is believed to be posessed by the devil, he is a disgrace for his family, and everyone hates his because he likes to read????

I'm sorry, book. We're done here.

This review starts with a caveat: the moose’s presence in this novel is not a quirky, funny plot device like the moose that strolls into town in the TV series “Northern Exposure.” Instead, the book opens with a depiction of animal suffering that was so well-written that I was furious with the author for shoving this imagery into my brain. I seriously considered stopping right there and not giving any feedback. Instead I turned up the narration speed and blasted through the opening.

This story of the Roys, the Kimbroughs, and the Sibleys is pretty standard fare – family conflicts, convenient surprise plot twists. Still, the story is engaging, and I attribute this to Butler’s excellent character development.
Claude and Celine Roy, parents of the child Pierre, have their faults. Either of them could have been painted purely as a villain but instead, the author presents them in their completeness; they love each other, they fail each other, they fail Pierre, they love Pierre. They fail themselves. Pierre is the character around whom the entire novel revolves; he is painted with skill and compassion.

Jim and Sandra Kimbrough also have backstories, and their marriage is complex. Jim has his faults. The character we know the less about is Sandra; although certainly human in her emotions, she is an observer rather than a participant. Claude refers to her as the saint, and Claude and I are in agreement. (Sandra bears a remarkable resemblance to the author, herself a musician and, based on her public photos, similar in appearance to Sandra.)

We know less about the Sibleys, who are necessary and convenient characters with secrets of their own.

Narrator Charlie Thurston is a bright spot in this audiobook; his narration is unhurried and rings true. Volume is consistent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Highbridge Audio for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Oslo, Maine written by Marcia Butler⁣
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Narrated by Charlie Thurston 🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣
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This cover is deceiving. It looks so bright and happy....

Secrets. This town is riddled with secrets. ⁣
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The characters gave me so much anxiety. Too many lies and secrets. Even as severely flawed as the characters seem to be, I appreciated their internal struggle with their dishonesty.⁣
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There was a completely unexpected twist at the end that absolutely caught me by surprise. And the epilogue was my favorite part.

I will say, I did not exactly "enjoy" this novel. Hear me out... it is very well written, extremely descriptive. This novel made me uncomfortable, there are descriptions of scenes that were hard to hear, scenes written with such detail I could picture it with perfect clarity, much to my dismay at times. I believe this may have been the author's intention. ⁣This book examines the darker side of most of its characters, which highlights the goodness of the few. For me, the character development and writing is raw and honest leaving me with a sense of utter unease. I don't have to like or even enjoy a novel to recognize it as a work of art.

Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Audio had echo-y quality to it - not enjoyable to listen to. I think this would work much better on the page.

This is a wacky tale about Oslo Maine and it somewhat revolves around a moose and her calf. Pierre is a young boy who gets injured by the moose and ends up with short term memory loss. Pierre faces struggles with his mother who takes pills to get by, and with his father who is embarrassed by Pierre not being the type of male he wants him to be.

The big takeaway I got from this odd tale is from Pierre. He is afraid to get his memories back because all memories seem to do is cause pain. People are either looking back at what they have lost or looking ahead knowing things won’t ever be the same. Without memories, everyday can be your best day. This was not a major part of the story but it is what stuck with me the most.
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I listen to or read anything that is based in Maine because I am a homer. I like to recognize real places that I have been to and compare it to the Maine I know.
Thank you to NetGalley and High Bridge Audio for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Great character driven story set in a small town. Didnt really like anyone but the stories were interesting and a nice distraction.

Wow. I had high hopes for this story about a rural town in Maine called Oslo. It’s about three ordinary families whose lives intersect with a gifted young boy, Pierre Roy. Plus, there’s a moose and her calf.

While the themes of this book are around memory loss, illness, trauma, love, lust and more, I was not drawn to the characters. Not even the moose.

Based on the very positive reviews, I thought there would be more humor. More drama. More something. This one just wasn’t for me.

Special thanks to High-Bridge Audio for an advanced copy of the audio, narrated by Charlie Thurston, and to Central Avenue Publishing for the e-book.