Ocean State

De: Stewart O'Nan

Narrado por: Sara Young

In the first line of Ocean State, we learn that a high school student was murdered, and we find out who did it. The story that unfolds from there with incredible momentum is thus one of the buildup to and fallout from the murder, told through the alternating perspectives of the four women at its heart. The murderer Angel, her mother Carol, and the victim Birdy, all come alive on the page as they converge in a climax both tragic and inevitable. Watching over it all is the retrospective testimony of Angel’s younger sister, Marie, who reflects on that doomed autumn of 2009 with all the wisdom of hindsight.

Angel and Birdy love the same teenage boy, frantically and single mindedly, and are compelled by the intensity of their feelings to extremes neither could have anticipated. O’Nan’s expert hand paints a fully realized portrait of these women but also weaves a compelling and heartbreaking story of working-class life in Ashaway, Rhode Island. Propulsive, moving, and deeply rendered, Ocean State is a masterful novel by one of our greatest storytellers

©Stewart O'Nan (P)Dreamscape Media, LLC

Glad she skips the gore.

The author could have given lots of gory details of the killing, but it works better this way, with just enough detail to make clear what happened - it brings out the horror much more effectively.
It’s not easy to do an authentic Rhode Island accent, so I’m glad the voice narrator doesn’t try and get it wrong.
Good read!

Wow, what a story!

I wonder how Stewart O’Nan was able to get inside the minds of teenagers. He is such a good writer.

Different

I typically don't enjoy "literary" reads, which this was. I didn't realize that when I chose it. My motivation came from a rave review which ended with: Propulsive, moving, and deeply rendered, Ocean State is a masterful novel by one of our greatest storytellers. Plus, I knew it was about a murder.

I didn't find it "propulsive, moving, or deeply rendered." If anything, I found the characters simplistic.

Most of the book I found myself thinking, "this is for teens." Mostly it is in one of three teen povs, although we're in the mother's pov, too. I think any teen would love this. Not a lot happens except teen thinking. I almost put it down and marked it DNF, but I persevered. It got better after the murder, that is, more interesting. The prologue was a bit strange; Angel's destiny made me roll my eyes, yet shrug and feel that yes, as strange as life is, it could well have happened. I listened to the book, and if the title was explained, I missed it.

My primary objection was that it didn't go deep enough into the characters' feelings. It seemed to skim their lives, including the effects of the murder.

All that said, I think a book club would love the discussion the book and its characters would generate. Also, the book was a best-seller, with 5,088 reviews on Goodreads. So lots of people did like it. It just wasn't my preferred type of read.

A heartrending story of loss

Do not miss this heart felt thought-provoking story. I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook.

Good story

I read a preview of this book on LitHub before its release and the first line pulled me in. I was on pins and needles waiting to purchase it and it didn’t disappoint. I will say, however, that the direction it went in was—I don’t know—less than what I expected. Nevertheless, I truly appreciated the author’s ability to give insight into the pathos of the main characters. Also, the narration was pretty good. I would listen to her narrate again.