A review by maryanneross
Ohio by Stephen Markley

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.