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bridgewidge's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
askatknits's review against another edition
3.0
Does a dysfunctional town make for dysfunctional residents? Or do dysfunctional people make a dysfunctional town? The characters in this novel easily fit the "basket of deplorable's" category.
This is a gritty, harsh novel filled with irredeemable characters. It was a difficult book to read and the further I got into it the less I liked the way the novel was heading.
Set in New Canaan, Ohio around a group of people who went to school together and now, years after graduation - they have left and returned, and none of them have improved. The chapters are long and sometimes rambling, it could have been edited a bit to make this painful read go a bit quicker.
The ending is a bit far fetched, I won't give away any of the details, but it is not plausible.
I would have given this book 2-stars, but I think it is the perfect view of what's happening in America today... which makes it all the more horrifying.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in return for my honest review.
This is a gritty, harsh novel filled with irredeemable characters. It was a difficult book to read and the further I got into it the less I liked the way the novel was heading.
Set in New Canaan, Ohio around a group of people who went to school together and now, years after graduation - they have left and returned, and none of them have improved. The chapters are long and sometimes rambling, it could have been edited a bit to make this painful read go a bit quicker.
The ending is a bit far fetched, I won't give away any of the details, but it is not plausible.
I would have given this book 2-stars, but I think it is the perfect view of what's happening in America today... which makes it all the more horrifying.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in return for my honest review.
maryanneross's review against another edition
4.0
Where to start? First, this is a book for which you really have to be in the right place when you read it. I started it during a very busy work season for me, decided it was too lofty during that season and put it aside until I had the time to really digest it. This is not a book to be rushed. It's slow and full of language. At times, the writer seems to get caught up in his own style, his own desire to flaunt vocabulary, almost like a ninth grader trying to impress his English teacher. But the story is incredible and worth wading through the sometimes cumbersome writing. He reminds me of a young Philip Roth. Read it but don't expect it to be quick or linear. Don't expect more action and plot than very deeply drawn characters. If you are a resident or former resident of the Rust Belt, read it for the setting. If you were a teen during 9/11, read it for the characters.
franciiii's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
coopercodes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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signorponza's review against another edition
4.0
Ohio non è un romanzo semplice, né da leggere, né da descrivere. È una di quelle storie contemporanee attraverso le quali [a:Stephen Markley|3340737|Stephen Markley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1510948363p2/3340737.jpg] ha deciso di provare a raccontare un pezzo della società (non solo americana) di oggi. È vero, siamo negli Stati Uniti e il contesto è peculiare, ma in quelle cittadine spesso dimenticate da tutto e tutti, dove la crisi e la solitudine degli esseri umani mordono e si trasformano in dipendenze, violenza e vuoti a perdere, io ci leggo qualcosa che valica qualsiasi confine e con cui credo tutti dovremo fare i conti. La trama ruota attorno al ritorno a New Canaan di quattro persone che hanno frequentato insieme il liceo, per poi abbandonare la cittadina senza speranze dove sono cresciuti. Rientrando in quel posto dimenticato da Dio che ha fatto da cornice alle loro adolescenze, i quattro personaggi ritroveranno vecchi amici e conoscenze, che si intrecciano in un mosaico di sofferenze che culmina nei due capitoli conclusivi (bellissimi). Le quattro stelline del mio giudizio sono dovute in gran parte, appunto, alla parte finale del libro. Potente, dolorosa, incendiaria.
Questa e altre recensioni nella mia newsletter mensile sui libri: https://bit.ly/ponzabook
Questa e altre recensioni nella mia newsletter mensile sui libri: https://bit.ly/ponzabook
awillyb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5