The story eventually merges the four individual segments with a surprising turn of events. Yet, at the end of the day, there is a mystery, one that took me by surprise, the outcome of which never really crossed my mind, as my attention was diverted by the rich characterizations. In fact, I wondered at times, if the author intended to write a true mystery or was using it as a means to an end, with a fictionalized social commentary being the ultimate goal. In my opinion the mystery is not the most prominent element of this book even though it is firmly placed in that category.
Despite some clunky sections, the author’s prose is magnificent. It is, however, very laborious, and verbose, perhaps in need of a more aggressive editor. It is thought provoking, with very strong characterizations, and vivid depictions of time and place. But, the unspoken jealousies and competitions build to a point that eventually boils over, the consequences that follow them into adulthood, and will eventually bring terrible tragedy, which now begs for justice. Their shared memories, especially centered around rumors of and evidence of certain events that took place in high school, still binds them. Separated into four segments, giving each character the power of the first person narrative to describe their youthful experiences, the angst of needing to belong, the compulsion to express individuality, or their forced conformity.Īll four voices are connected by their upbringing, their history, and their knowledge of certain crimes, their mistakes and regrets.
This surreal parade sets the stage quite effectively as the author leads the reader quickly to 9/11- the event that cements a ‘before and after’ time frame for our main characters. The novel begins in 2007 with the funeral of former football star Rick Brinklan, killed in Iraq. Four high school friends, all of whom took a different path in life, all of them haunted by actions, decisions, and memories of the past, compounded by their current day realities, return home at the same time, with shocking results. This atmosphere is more in the forefront than in the background as Stephen Markley captures the mentality of those born and raised in this environment. A marginalized area simmering in hostility, hammered by a stubborn economic depression, and an unprecedented epidemic opiate crisis. Ohio by Stephen Markley is a 2018 Simon & Schuster publication.īy now the plight of those living in a what is commonly known as ‘The Rust Belt", is etched into our consciousness. At once a murder mystery and a social critique, Ohio ingeniously captures the fractured zeitgeist of a nation through the viewfinder of an embattled Midwestern town and offers a prescient vision for America at the dawn of a turbulent new age.
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