A review by cpwang65
Ohio by Stephen Markley
4.0
Quite a dark story. Covers a cast of characters that met in high school and have become adults in what has become a dying Ohio town. During high school life was more glamorous, like for the members of the men’s sport teams like football and basketball, and the girls that dated them.
As adults, things like the opioid crisis, fighting in the military in the aftermath of 9-11, the declining economy, have all contributed to the decline of the town’s economy and difficult living conditions for the group living now that they are adults.
The book is structured into 4 very long sections each centered around a main character. Plus there is a short introductory section that sets the stage and a concluding section that ties some loose ends about a character. Towards the end there is a surprising twist.
The stories behind the characters are very detailed. Sometimes I got lost in the maze of interactions between the different characters. The book is quite long, nearly 600 pages.
Parts of the book are very dark and some bad things happen during the course of the book. A very serious read.
As adults, things like the opioid crisis, fighting in the military in the aftermath of 9-11, the declining economy, have all contributed to the decline of the town’s economy and difficult living conditions for the group living now that they are adults.
The book is structured into 4 very long sections each centered around a main character. Plus there is a short introductory section that sets the stage and a concluding section that ties some loose ends about a character. Towards the end there is a surprising twist.
The stories behind the characters are very detailed. Sometimes I got lost in the maze of interactions between the different characters. The book is quite long, nearly 600 pages.
Parts of the book are very dark and some bad things happen during the course of the book. A very serious read.