Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Ohio
    Ohio
    Ohio
    Audiobook16 hours

    Ohio

    Written by Stephen Markley

    Narrated by Caitlin Davies, Jayme Mattler, Joy Osmanski and

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    “Extraordinary...beautifully precise...[an] earnestly ambitious debut.” —The New York Times Book Review

    “A wild, angry, and devastating masterpiece of a book.” —NPR

    “[A] descendent of the Dickensian ‘social novel’ by way of Jonathan Franzen: epic fiction that lays bare contemporary culture clashes, showing us who we are and how we got here.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

    “A book that has stayed with me ever since I put it down.” —Seth Meyers, host of Late Night with Seth Meyers

    One sweltering night in 2013, four former high school classmates converge on their hometown in northeastern Ohio.

    There’s Bill Ashcraft, a passionate, drug-abusing young activist whose flailing ambitions have taken him from Cambodia to Zuccotti Park to post-BP New Orleans, and now back home with a mysterious package strapped to the undercarriage of his truck; Stacey Moore, a doctoral candidate reluctantly confronting her family and the mother of her best friend and first love, whose disappearance spurs the mystery at the heart of the novel; Dan Eaton, a shy veteran of three tours in Iraq, home for a dinner date with the high school sweetheart he’s tried desperately to forget; and the beautiful, fragile Tina Ross, whose rendezvous with the washed-up captain of the football team triggers the novel’s shocking climax.

    Set over the course of a single evening, Ohio toggles between the perspectives of these unforgettable characters as they unearth dark secrets, revisit old regrets and uncover—and compound—bitter betrayals. Before the evening is through, these narratives converge masterfully to reveal a mystery so dark and shocking it will take your breath away.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateAug 21, 2018
    ISBN9781508261346
    Author

    Stephen Markley

    Stephen Markley is the acclaimed author of Ohio, which NPR called a “masterpiece.” A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Markley’s other books include the memoir Publish This Book and the travelogue Tales of Iceland.

    Related to Ohio

    Related audiobooks

    Literary Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for Ohio

    4/5

    151 ratings19 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Hauntingly heartfelt, viciously real. Still messing with my head!
    • 4/5
      Highly relatable to Gen X as it takes place during that same period, focusing on first high school and the usual ins and outs, my attention drifted simply because there were so many people to keep up with. Might have been easier had I been reading the book instead of audio-only. I could not take some of the voices, they somewhat made me recoil for whatever reason, or perhaps the wrong narrator was used to lend the appropriate depth and nuance. That said, I have to give accolades to the strange but simple genius of this novel. Hang with it, the conclusion makes it all worth it.
    • 1/5
      The POC in this book are extremely poorly written. I know there's more to a book but im sick and tired of authors who dont know how to write women or POC. They are human! Stop fetishizing on their "otherness"
    • 2/5
      Would be much better if the characters weren’t such stereotypes and it wasn’t so heavy handed with the anti-war messages.
    • 4/5
      Moving read! Found it page turning and thought-provoking. Characters might have been a bit flat as others mentioned, but story carried it along.
    • 4/5
      Wow. A really dark, disturbing debut novel that I couldn't put down.
    • 5/5
      I read this at the suggestion of one of my college library dean friends. It was well written with scholarly vocabulary and a remarkable first work for a new author. I found the beginning a little tedious but the ending is very disturbing and unexpected. I would suggest that you keep reading until you get to Tina's section! Then hold on for a fast and hard ride. I would recommend this book to those who have the stomach for a little horrific behavior. I am very glad that I read it!
    • 4/5
      I was raised in Ohio and I even lived in the northeast region of the state for a few years, so I had to read this novel. I found it engaging and I appreciated the ending, which made this novel more striking and thrilling than others of its type. The characters and the small town of New Canaan struck me as very real and evoked the spirit of these towns, of characters often down on their luck and economic and familial struggle. Good reading about contemporary life.
    • 4/5
      A powerful, gripping story but just too violent and depraved for me to recommend. It was quite depressing. Also the last chapter did not work for me. I had been considering it for one of the best five I had read this year, but the last two sections knocked it out of the running. I hope the author writes another novel and I would consider reading it.
    • 4/5
      Ohio is a big book with big intentions. Stephen Markley has written a book that intends to take in the sweep of what it is to be an American in a specific place and time, and he mostly nails it. Bill returns to the Ohio town of New Canaan to deliver a package. He spends his first hours back doing his best to get as wasted as he can, as he wanders the streets, avoiding cops and talking with a guy who might have some drugs on him, a guy who attended high school at the same time, but who moved in different circles. At the same time, a few other people from that graduating class are back in town for Thanksgiving, one a vet, another a graduate student. As the visitors run into the people who never left, they remember their high school years. Ohio felt to me like an attempt at writing the Great American Novel. There was a bit of everything in here, from the fate of a dying factory town, to the horrors of our foreign wars, to our political divide, to the opiod epidemic, to the struggles of getting by, to the experience of growing up gay and Evangelical. It's a lot and, for the most part, Markley manages to hit all the issues while crafting a character-driven novel that allowed for each of his disparate characters to be complex and sympathetic. Markley is skilled at giving that telling detail, delivered off-handedly, the kind of detail that sticks and makes a character into a breathing person.There is a series of events in this book involving sexual assault. Markley manages to tread that very fine line of writing about the full effects of rape without downplaying or glorifying the abuse. And he writes so well about the effects on the teenage girl who lived through it. There is also a murder that is depicted with such vividness, and yet with no voyeuristic thrill to it. It's a terrible deed, done badly and the reader is left cringing and appalled.The hardest part of a novel is knowing where to end it and this is Markley's one real misstep, the book was a chapter too long. Sometimes a story remains stronger and more resonant when not all the questions are answered. Still, this is a remarkable achievement for a debut novel and I'm eager to see what the author writes next.
    • 5/5
      A coming of age book set in depressed town in Ohio over the past 20 years. Well written characters and amazing events.
    • 4/5
      Ohio by Stephen Markley is a 2018 Simon & Schuster publication. New Canaan, OhioThe Rust Belt-By now the plight of those living in a what is commonly known as ‘The Rust Belt", is etched into our consciousness. A marginalized area simmering in hostility, hammered by a stubborn economic depression, and an unprecedented epidemic opiate crisis.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. 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. The novel begins in 2007 with the funeral of former football star Rick Brinklan, killed in Iraq. 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.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. All four voices are connected by their upbringing, their history, and their knowledge of certain crimes, their mistakes and regrets. Their shared memories, especially centered around rumors of and evidence of certain events that took place in high school, still binds them. 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. This is a very impressive debut novel. It is thought provoking, with very strong characterizations, and vivid depictions of time and place. It is, however, very laborious, and verbose, perhaps in need of a more aggressive editor. Despite some clunky sections, the author’s prose is magnificent.In my opinion the mystery is not the most prominent element of this book even though it is firmly placed in that category. 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. 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. The story eventually merges the four individual segments with a surprising turn of events.Some of the vignettes, if you will, reminded me of many typical small town scenarios, not just those who have come under such intense scrutiny as of late. I live in a small town in Texas, surrounded by even smaller towns, some which have dried up the same way those in the heavily maligned rust belt. Factories closed, drugs took over, bored teens did what bored teens do, creating cliques and fiefdoms, and in a football obsessed mindset- similar crimes are committed, overlooked and unreported. Some are trapped in a vicious, never ending cycle going back generations with no end in sight, and others got away only to find themselves right back where they started, or curiously enough, unable to find contentment in any other way of life. Stiff conservative values, hard wired patriotism, and God and country still rule in the hearts and minds of small town America- and God help you if you go against the grain with sexual identity or liberal leanings. My point being that the rust belt in not unique in this. My next point is – don’t stereotype- of presume this is a searing portrait of the entire state of Ohio- despite the book’s title. The story takes a very long and rambling way around to linking the threads together, perhaps too long if the goal was to keep the reader invested in the mystery elements. But, if you want to get a very realistic look at the issues that still very much divide our country, dissect the long road leading to this point; if you want to see why there is such a fierce loyalty to this way of life, or if you just enjoy strong, well- drawn characters, placed in a dense and gritty atmosphere- and don’t mind depending on those characters to carry you through to the ultimate moment of truth- then the mystery, which doesn’t come on strong until the bitter end, will be worth the extended wait. The book is a riveting combination of narratives, quite absorbing, albeit violent and pretty darned bleak and melancholy. So, my only caution to readers is to keep in mind that small towns everywhere suffer some of these same plights, these exact same attitudes, and personalities, but that is not a rebuke of all the residents, or the state in which they are located and hope the urge to group everyone together in the blame game will be avoided. Wisely, the author added diversity to the story, which hopefully will help to combat strict preconceived notions about rural or blue- collar areas. However, it would serve us all well, from small communities to large cities, from the east to the west, and all points in between, to step outside our own insular world to consider the challenges and fears of others. Compassion may begin at home, but it doesn’t have to stop there - it is limitless.
    • 4/5
      This is a powerful, emotional, graphic, and issue filled read! I was hooked from the beginning. The characters are very flawed and sometimes not very likable. In spite of that, I couldn't help wanting to know what happens to each of them. From their high school experiences, loves, and secrets, to a random night a decade later when everything seems to lead to a perfect storm, these young people's stories illustrate the issues facing many families today. As a warning, there is an incredibly graphic retribution by a woman who could powerfully represent the #MeToo movement.This is not an easy or always fun book to read, but it will make you think and challenge your ability to be unmoved by the lives of these characters. The author does a great job of revealing the needed history and details as they are needed rather than giving them in order. He also connects each character to the story by showing the events from multiple points of view. I really appreciated these literary angles, and it enhanced my enjoyment of the book.My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
    • 4/5
      My first sentence has to be that I loved this book on several levels. First and foremost for me is probably the writing, which is to say I sincerely hope that Stephen Markley continues to write them. He has a way with words for sure. I do not mark my books, but I found the note function on my kindle for this one so I could save a passage or two. I moved from New Jersey to Ohio about 8 years ago, and I found one sentence in this book that perfectly sums up Ohio. No, I will not tell you. If you read the book, and you should, you will find it.The characters in this book will be with me for awhile, as I will admit I became attached to them. I will also admit that there is one thing in this book I could not have seen coming had I even thought to look for it, and it floored me. This book, while centering on one particular night when this group converges on their hometown for widely varying reasons, also includes parts of their backgrounds and their lives in the twenty years since high school. As if high school weren't bad enough. And while it addresses problems concerning war, drugs, relationships, and some of those things being very prevalent in Ohio right about now, it could be nearly any town, anywhere. Which is one of the things that made the book sad. While the book has sad, very sad, moments, it also has love. It also has hope. It is deep and it rings true in its story. I would read it again, I have already recommended it to others, and I will continue to do so. This book was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.
    • 3/5
      I just finished ARC of "Ohio" and wanted to like it due to the novel's setup - "rustbelt" town and "escapees" returning for a brief unexpected reunion. Unfortunately, for me, there were too many "who loved whom" characters to follow and the mystery (the "murder that never was") was introduced too late in the story. However, the book was easy to read, the dialogue flowed and, at the end of the book, there were a handful of characters' names that I will remember - a plus for me.
    • 2/5
      Four classmates come back to the hometown of New Canaan one summer. Bill Ashcraft is an alcoholic and drug abuser and has completely lost his way. Stacey Moore comes back to confront the mother of her former girlfriend. Dan Eaton is a veteran of the Afghanistan War and has never forgotten his first love. Tina Ross has something to settle with the former captain of the football team. There are actually four novellas in this book, each involving one of the above characters and all interacting with one character, the deceased classmate, Rick, who was killed in Afghanistan.This book has all the markings of a book I should have loved. It’s a truly tragic story and I had read such good things about the book. But I truly did not like it. Before I chose this book, I had read that the author uses beautiful language but any beautiful language used is negated by the constant course language used by the characters. I had read that it was an emotional book but to be emotional for me, a book needs to have characters the reader cares about. I did not like these characters and couldn’t relate to their problems. This book seems to be a social commentary on how 9/11 left our country and its people in shambles. I don’t believe we’re all suffering from PTSD as this book indicates. It’s almost written as a dystopian novel, creating a horrible, destroyed world I’m not familiar with. It seemed to me that most of the characters, though certainly not all, used 9/11 and the war as an excuse for not getting their lives together. I soon tired of reading about their self-indulgences involving alcohol, drugs and sex and sickened of them wallowing in their self-misery.Not recommended.This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of this galley in exchange for an honest review.———Markley's novel has 5 long chapters: each follows one character from high school and into the next 10 years. We get their perspectives, fears, desires, hopes, dreams. We see how they relate to their friend group and others in town. We see how they adapt to unexpected changes in their lives. And boy is this book a ride. It went somewhere I was not expecting at all based on the prelude, where we first meet some of the characters.In this book Markley touches on small town life, life in the rust belt, high school, popularity, athletics, love, friendship, family, kindness, hope, dreams, hate, cruelty, 9/11, war, the opioid epidemic, and more. I found this book to be an excellent read, it is buzz-worthy!
    • 3/5
      This is a coming of age story about several year's students from a N.W. Ohio High School and how many of them never seem to achieve their goals, happiness or economic success. Just as the area, typical of many of the rust belt communities struggles to reinvent itself, following the de-industrialization of the USA there has been little success by both students and town in becoming something new, successful and happy. Consequently this is not a happy story, but rather thought provoking and at times poignant. The author uses this discontentment to preach his take on different social, economic, and environmental issues, unfortunately a distraction from the story, characters, and theme; without which I would have rated the story higher. Even so, it was a good read.
    • 4/5
      I’ve never returned to my hometown in Iowa for a class reunion and Stephen Markley’s book, Ohio, reinforced my decision not to do so. Dan Eaton said it best when he and Hayley were parked at the Brew and she asked him why he never returned to New Canaan. “It’s hard. Just. To not look back. I’m doing the best to keep moving forward, to keep happy. That’s hard when I’m here.” For some, it’s also difficult to leave and they’re far from happy. New Canaan is a town in northeast Ohio, one of many in the Rust Belt that was hit hard by the Great Recession and never recovered. Bill Ashcraft, Stacey Moore, Dan Eaton, and Tina Ross all graduated from New Canaan High ten years ago and events occurring then still haunt them now. Two incidents that keep cropping up are the whereabouts of Bill’s former girlfriend, Lisa Han, and “The Murder That Never Was.” At times, primarily in Bill and Stacey’s sections of the book, I felt there was too much philosophizing. I found it a distraction and I’m sorry, an annoyance. I realize that Stacey’s segment promised her “theory of ecology,” but I almost lost it when she pined for Lisa at the same time as she contemplated what humanity was doing to the biosphere. Their shared appreciation for Gaia understood, I still thought it was a bit much.Stephen Markley’s book takes you to dark places. High school left his characters with scars. They did and do bad things and have bad things done to them. It all seems very real. And whether you’ve graduated ten, twenty, or even fifty years ago, it will take you back to your own days in that frightening, yet somehow hope-filled place. Ohio is a good book, filled with believable people whose stories, combined with “the” story, is enough to keep me thinking about it for some time.