“Extraordinary…beautifully precise…[an] earnestly ambitious debut.” –The New York Times Book Review “A wild, angry, and devastating masterpiece of a book.” –NPR “[A] descendent of the Dickensian ‘social novel’ by way of Jonathan Franzen: epic fiction that lays bare contemporary culture clashes, showing us who we are and how we got here.” –O, The Oprah Magazine “A book that has stayed … The Oprah Magazine
“A book that has stayed with me ever since I put it down.” –Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers
One sweltering night in 2013, four former high school classmates converge on their hometown in northeastern Ohio.
There’s Bill Ashcraft, a passionate, drug-abusing young activist whose flailing ambitions have taken him from Cambodia to Zuccotti Park to post-BP New Orleans, and now back home with a mysterious package strapped to the undercarriage of his truck; Stacey Moore, a doctoral candidate reluctantly confronting her family and the mother of her best friend and first love, whose disappearance spurs the mystery at the heart of the novel; Dan Eaton, a shy veteran of three tours in Iraq, home for a dinner date with the high school sweetheart he’s tried desperately to forget; and the beautiful, fragile Tina Ross, whose rendezvous with the washed-up captain of the football team triggers the novel’s shocking climax.
Set over the course of a single evening, Ohio toggles between the perspectives of these unforgettable characters as they unearth dark secrets, revisit old regrets and uncover–and compound–bitter betrayals. Before the evening is through, these narratives converge masterfully to reveal a mystery so dark and shocking it will take your breath away.
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This brilliant and savage novel cuts to the heart of what we have become as it traces the movements of four former high school friends on a hot August night 10 years after their graduation from a small town Ohio high school. Drugs, abusive sexual relationships, high school melodrama and the rest formed these children and their school mates. Some went to war, some disappeared for a while, some died in Iraq or by their own hand, but these four lived to tell about it. None of the stories from after the high school graduations of the four now-adults profiled are pretty. But they are real. They reflect the times, and what the kids were given to work with. The writing is shocking at times, and in moments other-worldly beautiful. This was a tough novel to read. I would stop for months at a time and read something else because frankly, the book made me sad. The waste of human life on so many levels was appalling. It mirrors what we see every day. But, long slog that it was, I am so glad I finished the book because the ending said it all. Hats off to Stephen Markley for an absolutely spot-on book about our country today. Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to review Ohio.
Stephen Markley is an expert cartographer of the American Rust Belt and the haunted landscapes of his characters’ interiors. A fast-moving and devastating debut.
This was a slow burn and a wild ride at the same time, as much as that is possible. Things start off “normal” and typical and slowly twist around into a horrifying, tragic story of how the lives and decisions of a group of high school friends and acquaintances play out over the years during and after their time together in small town Ohio. There were a LOT of characters, some of which ended up playing more of a role in the ultimate story than others, and at first it was difficult to keep them all sorted out in my head.
Having grown up in Ohio, the recognition of both the tangible (places, landscapes, weather) and the intangible (attitudes, stereotypes, mannerisms and behavior) added an extra layer of interest for me.
This was a dark and depressing view of life in America. A story of the recession, wars, and political unrest, you will read about four former classmates who come together, along with their baggage. Just wasn’t my cup of tea and I did not enjoy this book that much.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Dark, human, and utterly captivating! I loved these characters and all their flaws. I loved every word and every page! Exceptional writing!!!
This book perfectly captures the shifting alliances and betrayals of high-school cliques, and shows how these relationships can effect people for the rest of their lives.
Desperate young people caught up in booze and opioddy attempt to live norallybut are thwarted y their early decisions and backgrounds
Great storytelling and contemporary social observations in a fresh structure.
Absolutely brilliant. Beautifully written tale of where the Amercan dream came to die . And the members of a childhood group who escaped are each drawn back for one final task.
With raw and gritty writing, Stephen Markley shows you small town life after 9/11, after the crash, and at the start of an epidemic. Taking place in Ohio, also the title of the book, I felt a special connection to this book and felt I needed to give it my undivided attention, more so than any other. This is a book about my state. My home. And I bet most of you don’t even know how to properly pronounce Cattawa or have ever heard of Titusville, which coincidentally I am about 20 minutes from as I write this review. So there’s that.
This book is bold. Riveting. If you’re looking for your next beach read, this ain’t it. Markley’s writing is unlike anything I’ve ever read. He puts you in this small Ohio town, New Canaan, and you see firsthand how truly messed up life got for some after 9/11. Some died for us, while some died because life was too much. Ohio is a heavy and accurate portrayal of life after the early 2000s. Many of us from that time and that area can without a doubt name a person or two who had the same fate as some in this book.
When I say the writing is gritty, I mean it. Some parts are so dark, it became difficult to read at times and some parts were so tragic, you felt the pain of the characters around you. But you know what? Life is gritty, life is dark, and Ohio shows you just how bad it got, and probably still is, for some people.
So grab a beer or whiskey, or a cup of black coffee and settle in with Ohio in the evenings. Give this book the time and attention it deserves.
I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own
If the American dream has given way to American carnage, then this is the great American novel of its time. Stephen Markley is a gifted storyteller who has written a fearless and impressive debut.
Ohio is that rarest of unicorns, a novel that swings for the fences, and actually tries to explain just what the fuck happened to this country after the towers fell, and how we got to this awful particular moment. Stephen Markley goes for the universe with every single sentence he writes. That the universe answers him as often as it does makes for a hugely impressive first novel.
Ohio is heartbreaking, frightening, and occasionally, amidst the sorrow and horror, transcendent — a novel that casts the clearest possible eye on people haunted by who they used to be and might have become, and a country haunted by the same. Stephen Markley is unflinching.
3.5 Stars
Review by Heather
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Ohio is the debut novel by author Stephen Markley. The writing in this novel is rich and detailed. The descriptions are so involved that a very clear picture is formed, but it always feels dark. Like the town is Eeyore under a cloud or it is always night time.
New Canaan is a fictional town in Northeastern Ohio that could be any number of small Ohio towns that has seen better days. The book revolves around 4 main characters (Tina, Bill, Dan and Stacey). Tina Ross, the quintessential “preacher’s daughter”; Bill Ashcraft a drug addict and alcoholic activist and anti-war crusader; Dan Eaton is a war veteran; and Stacey Moore a PhD candidate. The book opens with the funeral of Marine Corporal Rick Brinkland, former high school football star, who plays a major role in the book through flashbacks. Everyone is connected not just by the town, but by Lisa Han, whom no one has seen since high school.
There are many issues raised in the book that aren’t unique to small town America, but are relatable in their commonness: drugs, sex, war, and murder. The story is compelling albeit depressing. This book isn’t about happy endings or feel good coming of age. This book takes the lives of 20 somethings who reach back into the past to remember their hopes and dreams only to be reminded of what didn’t come to be.
I can only recommend Ohio to those that appreciate well told stories and captivating descriptions. Mr. Markley isn’t trying to make the reader feel better and he doesn’t.
Thank you Net Gallery and Simon Shuster for allowing me to read Ohio by Stephen Markley. Mr. Markley did a fantastic job with this one and I believe this is his first book. Please write more.
This is a story about friends Bill, Tina, Stacey, and Dan. In this book the story jumps back n forth from high school to present day. As they meet up they learn fates of high school friends, some who died in Afghanistan, some who survived, some who went crazy, deaths, you get the idea.
I loved this book other than the graphic sex and horror of war. This is well written with lovable characters in New Canaan, Ohio. This whole body of this novel is so good, so interesting whether haunting, funny, shocking. Some of the friends click and some are out for revenge. This book talks a lot about war, drugs, love lost and revenge. I recommend this mystery with as in the synopsis a shocking climax. I’m so glad I requested Ohio from Net Gallery. This may be a long book but it’s oh oh oh so gooooooood. You will be turning these pages.
Thanks again Cherie’