A review by callikat
Ohio by Stephen Markley

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I love a good novel that's all character analysis and no plot, but it has to be written extremely well and this was not. It is so strange, as it's 500 pages of character study, but each character felt so shallow to me -- none of them had any stand-out personality trait besides insanely depressed. Even the "intellectual" moments felt like they were copy+pasted from a dictionary. I didn't get a good grasp on any character, and the central plot felt so random. They're all connected by Rick, but the ending was all about Lisa. I think he's a good writer, but just not a strong novel.