There is no mystery about who committed the murder of working class teenager Birdy, rival of fellow working class teen Angel's for wealthy classmate Myles' love and attention. In Ocean State, gifted author Stewart O'Nan gives us an exquisitely written and heartbreaking character study of teenage jealousy spun out of control. Told through varying voices - Angel's as well as those of her mother Carol, her sister Marie, who also sets the scene at the start of the novel and wraps it up at the end, and Birdy - this is a heart-breaking story of young love, jealousy, family, the role of social media, economic and class differences, and self-discoveries, told sparely and poetically. In fewer than 250 pages O'Nan achieves what others have attempted in nearly twice as many. Bravo!

A hard working single mother doing her best to support her three daughters Set in a coastal town in Rhode Island, when one of her daughters falls in love. ( and falls hard) It wasn't her fault she killed her, she was in love.

Ocean State feels like it's set in another time, in a small town where everyone goes to football games or the bar on weekends and knows each other. We meet two sisters, Angel and Marie, and find out that Angel is going to kill another girl at some point in the book. For thriller readers, this book may be a total bore because, obviously, it is not a whodunnit and plods along very gently as a collection of moments rather than a propulsive story. I would argue that there really isn't a climax; things aren't all that great for these characters at the beginning, and things still aren't that great at the end, and everyone seems to have accepted their fates.

A more than coming of age tale. It speaks of young emotion and love as we first feel something so foreign and compelling murder is the outcome. Two girls are used and intrigued by a young man willing to pit one against the other. A mother trying to survive and falling short so she lashes out. It’s all a simmer until it boils past the moment of no return.

4.5 Stars

’When I was in eight grade my sister helped kill another girl. She was in love, my mother said, like it was an excuse. She didn’t know what she was doing… I didn’t know what my mother meant, but I do now.’

Set in Ashaway, Rhode Island, this story explores the events that led to the murder of Birdy Alves, through text messages sent back and forth between two teens, Angel and Myles, the thoughts of Carol, Angels’ mother, as well as Birdy. The stories whispered in the hallways of the school. But Marie, Angel’s sister, seems to weave each of these stories together as the story progresses.

As this begins, Angel and Marie live with their mother, their parents divorced. Their father is more of a background figure, at least until everything begins to unravel.

A story of the ugly nature of jealousy, the desperation of a person who can’t seem to choose, declaring their love or affection for one over the other, sharing the same declaration of love with each, hoping he can somehow continue the charade. The unraveling of lives in the aftermath. The desperation of a mother wanting the best for herself and for her daughters, and yet needing a life of her own, as well. A story of all that, and so much more.

The story that unfolds from there with incredible momentum is thus one of the build-up to and fall-out from the murder, told through the alternating perspectives of the four women at its heart. Angel, the murderer, Carol, her mother, and Birdy, the victim, all come alive on the page as they converge in a climax both tragic and inevitable. Watching over it all is the retrospective testimony of Angel’s younger sister Marie, who reflects on that doomed autumn of 2009 with all the wisdom of hindsight.

This is the first of O’Nan’s books I’ve read, so I can’t compare it to any of his others. O’Nan’s writing kept me reading this devastating story that, thankfully, avoids the graphic details of the victim’s death, focusing instead on the lives involved, the aftermath for the sisters, the mothers, and the destructive nature of jealousy.


Pub Date: 15 Mar 2022

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic / Grove Press

Ocean State by Stewart O’Nan is an interesting character study about the murder of a teenage girl and the events that lead up to it. The story is set in 2008 in a small, working class coastal town in Rhode Island. As someone who lives in neighboring Massachusetts, I appreciated the local references. The story follows sisters, Angel and Marie; and Birdy, who attends high school with Angel. Angel and Birdy become entangled because it comes out that they are seeing the same boy, Myles.

Overall the story was fascinating, but I felt a little distant from the characters. We know who did what at the very start, but we learn about the characters involved. It was more literary fiction than mystery, kind of like Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You. Ocean State is snapshot in time that provides a picture into what motivates us and our strengths and shortcomings as people. I listened to the audiobook, which was perfectly narrated by Sara Young. I really liked the tone of her voice and it fit well with the characters.

Thank you Grove Press + Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this ebook / audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I think the description for this book doesn't do it justice. It's so much more nuanced than the description. Per the blurb, Birdy is the victim and Angel is the murderer, but Birdy isn't totally innocent and Angel isn't completely guilty. And the boyfriend bears so much responsibility. Angel and Birdy's families are working class. The boyfriend's family is not. Carol works all hours and is a single mom. Marie is the smart daughter. She worships her sister.

All of these factors and more combine for a fascinating story. Birdy and Angel were set on a collision course. Their stories, as well as those of Marie and Carol, paint a haunting story of working-class RI.

I hadn't read anything by Stewart O'Nan in a long time, but now I'm going to go looking for some of his other books.

4.3 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The writing is <b>VERY GOOD</b>, with realistic characters and a tense and engaging plot!

You'd enjoy this book if you enjoy reading contemporary small town/school life, drama/thrillers like "One of Us Is Lying", "We Were Liars", and "The Female of of the Species"

I had a very personal reason to love this book because it is set in the small town where I work so I enjoyed how descriptive it was. The title is "Ocean State" is perfect since it is really a homepage to Rhode Island. It almost read like a travel guide of how descriptive of the setting and lifestyle in "Little Rhody"

But, I think many readers will find it as unputdownable as I did.

Since I couldn't put it down, besides reading the book and listened to the audiobook all day totally absorbed in the lives of these girls and women and their dynamics with their relatives, friends, frenemies and lovers! The story is told from four characters POV and the narration was excellent!

I recommend it!

I didn’t realize - and maybe I should have - that this would involve two people cheating on their significant others. I suppose I imagined a different scenario when I read the synopsis, but I kicked myself for what I failed to assume once I got started. It’s not my favorite kind of story, but the exploration of this unraveling was mildly interesting.

I generally love character studies, but I found it hard to really invest in the cast here. While there was a lot of time put into shaping them, it all lacked significantly in emotional depth. I certainly felt bad for Birdy’s family, but that’s something I would have felt, regardless of how the author conveyed the situation. And I found Myles and Angel rather detestable, although it seemed like Angel was suddenly supposed to be a sympathetic character near the end. This only made me loathe her more.

I didn’t like how quickly the book changed from one person’s scene to the next. The flow was really awkward. Additionally, I didn’t like that the author switched from third person to first person. Obviously, the only way to present an in depth character study properly is to use a third person narrative, but I enjoyed the intimacy of Marie’s reflections more than I enjoyed the omniscient perspective. I would have preferred to see the story unfold entirely through her eyes.

However, I do feel the author properly illustrated how society often forces the other woman to shoulder the blame for a man’s transgressions when it comes to affairs. In this case, Birdy certainly wasn’t blameless, as she both cheated and was aware that Myles was in a relationship. But she proved to be the hated one in this situation, which mirrors real life well, and is incredibly unfair.

Even though we know Birdy’s fate from the start, this book proves surprisingly suspenseful as it builds up to what was revealed in the very first line. While so much of the story didn’t work for me, I did find this aspect impressive..

Lastly, I was disappointed in the ending. It seemed like the focal point was off and Angel’s family members, along with the mother’s boyfriend, seemed awfully nonchalant about her crime. I’m not entirely sure what the point of the conclusion was, other than to possibly depict how unjust justice can be, but I was glad when it was officially over.

I am immensely grateful to Atlantic Monthly Press for my digital review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ocean State will be out on March 15, 2022.

NO SPOILERS….(long…but spoiler-free)
“OCEAN STATE” is now one OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS!!!

From beginning to end “Ocean State” is woven together brilliantly.
It would make an excellent book club choice.
It’s both animated and subtle in scope and touches on many poignant themes:
….. unpredictable environments within a family,
the influence from family history,
unhealthy parenting,
sisters,
mothers,
family breakdowns - but also good loving people
small town living,
stress,
lies,
over-eating,
risky behaviors,
childhood neglect,
guilt & compensating for guilt,
single-parenting mom juggling work, dating, and structured routines for her daughters,
self-esteem,
murder, (the undergoing scrutiny of why, and suspense)
alcoholism and drugs,
financial problems,
individual internal struggles,
lack of support,
unhealthy attachments,
the effects of divorce and boyfriends,
ineffective communications,
family comparisons,
excessive criticism,
conditions for feeling loved,
difficulty trusting,
rejection,
jealousy,
envy,
sexuality,
secrets,
High School intensity- triangle relationship,
romantic teenage relationship,
obsession,
unhealthy male influences,
worthiness,
rebellious,
disorder,
an exploration of circumstances beyond one’s control,
love, loss, coming of age, tragedy, and beauty.

“Ocean State” is polished and eloquently written. It’s a 240 page-turning literary-enigma novel…
but it’s worth pausing to re-read scenes- even transitional scenes — to reflect, observe closely, and deepen our understanding of the emotional state of each character.
It’s the characters that make this plot so good…which contributes to the many thought-provoking themes.

I related to the overall experience. Having been the younger- left home alone -much too often- sister, to my older taller gorgeous sister, with a distracted single mother — other than a ‘murder’ — I directly understood the dealings of their small-family dynamics.

I hope I haven’t come off too cerebral about this book — (it’s not easy for me to write a review that I’m soooo very passionate about —- I LOVED IT. It was exactly the type of book I love best —smart, reflective, character & relationship connected - The beauty and extraordinary‘s of the ordinaries….(flawed and real)
And
I soooo admire Stewart O’Nan’s skills…(wishing him many congrats on this exceptional novel)…
Thank you our publisher: Grove Atlantic, and Netgalley ….for the great gift to read this book early.
It will be released March 15, 2022

The rest of this (forgive me for being overly long), are a few excerpts that spoke to me…

Ashaway, Rhode Island, outside Westerly, down along the shore……
“Nothing had happened yet. Later the police would put dates to everything, but for now we were two girls alone in a house on a Friday night with nowhere to go. We made popcorn and snuggled under an Afghan on the couch with the lights out and watch ‘Mystic Pizza’, One of my mother’s favorites, trading the bowl back-and-forth, our feet in each other’s laps. She was Julia Roberts, I was Lily Taylor. It didn’t matter that half the time she was on the phone. We didn’t have to speak. All I wanted was to be close to her like this, the two of us laughing at the same places. She was the only one who knew what we’d both been through, and I liked to think we were inseparable, bound by more than just blood. We weren’t happy that fall, in that rotting, underwater house, with everything we’d already lost, and everything still to come, but lying safe and warm under my grandmother‘s afghan, eating popcorn and stealing glasses at my funny, beautiful sister as the light played over our face, I wished we could stay there forever”.

Carol doesn’t want her girls to have to take care of her.
“She wants them to get out of Ashaway and have families at their own, but exactly how that will happen she can’t imagine. Angel has her looks but her temper too. Marie’s bright but afraid of everything, which Carol thinks is partly her fault and partly Frank’s. The plan for now is to get them through high school and help them as much as they can with college, which in her case seems more and more impossible, unless something big changes. As someone whose dreams didn’t work out, she sees the future as beyond her control, random, their lives at the mercy of chance, even if they do everything right”.

“She was telling the truth and she was lying at the same time, minimizing, the way I lied to my mother about my eating, the way my mother lied to me when she didn’t think something was my business, like her drinking, or my father. We were all good at covering up things”.

5 very strong stars… Highly recommend it.

Another stunning and riveting novel from the incredible writer Stewart O'Nan. This novel is so true and steady it can not be put down.

Angel lives with her mother and sister in a working class town in Rhode Island. With little money since her parents divorce, Angel works part time at a local CVS. In love with a local boy, Myles, whose family has money, she thinks that love will give her a better life someday.

Birdy lives in the same town and is also in love with Myles who is seeing both girls at the same time. Birdy knows she will never win over Angel but is unable to let go. This triangle is destined to lead to disaster and it does. No one comes out unscathed.

Stewart O.'Nan is a master at portraying average everyday people in a completley realistic manner. His research on the towns and areas in his novel make them come alive. Even someone who has never visited Rhode Island will be able to picture it as it actually is.

A beautiful and devastating novel of love, family and choices and what lengths people go to to try and find happiness. . A welcome addition to the novels of Stewart O"Nan

Marie looks up to her older sister Angel; until she is accused of murder. Told in alternating view points by the victim Birdie, Marie, Angel, and their mother Carol, we learn of the deadly love triangle and how it escalated.

If you’re interested in reading about a love triangle gone completely wrong, here’s the book for you. It’s important to note that the love triangle is between teenagers. The middle part of the book, with the teen relationship drama started to drag a little for me, but it picked back up at the ending. We see how young Marie is affected by her sister’s actions and arrest. While there’s no huge, exciting action, there is deep character examination.

“They’re amateurs - they’re idiots, thinking they could get away with it. They deserve everything they get.”

Ocean State comes out 3/15.

Reviewed on my bookstagram, @beckycavazuti
Loved the coverage of Rhode Island. Enjoyed this book and recommend it.

This is a very well written book about a teenage love triangle which leads to a murder, told from the points of view of four different characters. It also explores family dynamics of the two primary families involved. I was hooked in from the start, and really enjoyed this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every so often a book comes my way that,upon finishing, I want to contact all the regular readers I know and shout “ you must read this “ Such a book is Stewart O’Nan’s latest work, #OceanState, which is as moving and sincere a book as I’ve read in a long time. Taking place in the recent past ( Obama is President ) in the off the beach community of Ashaway', Rhode Island', it is a tale of yearning to be loved and the consequences that desire can take. Marie, the 13 year old narrator tells the story of her older sister Angel’s murder of Birdy, the girl' who is stealing away the affections of Angel’s boyfriend Myles. Add Carol', Marie and Angel’s forty something divorced mother who seeks her own boyfriend while attempting to keep a roof over her daughter’s heads and you have the recipe for a gut wrenching read. #OceanState is a beautifully written, lyrical novel that tugs at your heart without becoming maudlin. Perhaps the best thing I can say is that it resembles Marie’s favorite book, To Kill A Mockingbird, in that both books deal with the good and evil that simultaneously exist in all people. #OceanState is not to be missed ! Five stars.

Thank you @groveatlantic and @netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own! Out March 15!

Wow I really liked this book.set on the coast of working class Rhode Island. Told through 4 POV. Angel and Birdy love the same teenage boy. Angel has been dating him for 3 years, and Birdy starts a secret relationship with him. This love Triangle leads to murder. That's where the book begins, then you will hear from Angel, Birdy, Angels mother, and Marie, Angels younger sister. You get their perspectives on what lead to this tragic event.

This was a heartbreaking, and complex story. Character driven and so well done. You learn about both families, and how the characters became who they are. How love can lead us to do crazy, unexpected things. This was really good, and I definitely highly recommend it!

Stewart O'Nan is a master in making extraordinary out of the ordinary. Ocean State is a compelling murder mystery, meets coming-of- age story, meets exquisite study of everyday families facing challenges in which they sometimes win and sometimes lose. I loved the pacing of this character driven work and the plot twisted and unfurled making for a book that I could not put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read an ARC and provide an honest review.

Ocean State is the kind of book I love. It is character driven, beautifully written, with angst and drama throughout. The family dynamics and dysfunction are well-described, with love and understanding, not just criticism. The author writes with compassion and wisdom, taking the reader along for a wonderful experience from beginning to end.

The narrative centers on a family of three. Carol is the single mother of two daughters - 13 year old Marie and 16 year old Angel. Carol is a nursing assistant at an assisted care facility. She is divorced but on good terms with her n'eer-do-well ex who is an alcoholic. Carol has a drinking problem herself, along with a man problem. She tends to date one loser after another which causes instability for her daughters. They live from hand to mouth, mostly surviving on frozen dinners.

Angel is a popular and well-liked high school student but she is edgy and easy to anger. From the first page of this novel, we are told that she murdered someone. As the narrative progresses, the reader learns what led up to the murder from different viewpoints. Angel's life is centered on her boyfriend Myles. When another girl tries to hone in on this relationship, Angel goes ballistic.

Marie is 13, but wise beyond her years. She is the story's moral center, also its Greek chorus. She deals with her emotions by eating too much, and loves a good candy bar. She looks up to her older sister but often is the butt of her anger. She does well in school but does not have any friends. She often takes care of a neighbor's disabled daughter. Mostly, she is the 'forgotten child'', left at home while Carol and Marie go out at night.

What feelings propel someone to murder? Is it planned out or is it a crime of impulse and passion? Mr. O'Nan slowly and carefully builds up the groundwork for the crime. Interspersed with the narrative are lovely descriptive passages of the beauty and poverty of Rhode Island.

I read this book in a day and a half. I just couldn't put it down. It grabbed me and held on. I consider it a must-read and will be surprised if it doesn't become a best-seller upon release. It is definitely literary fiction but accessible to all.

"When I was in eighth grade my sister helped kill another girl.” With this first line, the reader knows the basic outcome of the story that is about to unfold. But the getting there — the unfolding of the “mystery” involved (one which lacks the traditional twists and turns) — makes for a wonderful read. The young characters involved in a love triangle gone bad — especially Angel, Birdy, and Marie (Angel’s kid sister), are sad, flawed and basically pathetic but nonetheless wholly realistic. O’Nan has been called a “bard of the working class,” and his work here definitely supports that endowment, for he provides great insight into life in a former small mill town in Rhode Island with true literary style. It was definitely a pleasure to read.

Stewart O'Nan seduces readers from the first line to the last in a novel which isn't such much a crime story as a masterly portrait of individuals touched and twisted by crime. Richly written and impeccably paced, this a haunting, fiercely original read from one of our most gifted authors. Highly recommended.