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When I was in college, my 20-year-old cousin was murdered by two friends who blamed her for her ex-boyfriend's suicide. The trial was bizarre, but the thing that struck me the most was how committed the murderers had to be to end my cousin's life, and how young they all were (my age and younger). This book brought back a lot of those memories, and maybe gave me a better sense of how passions can carry us away, especially when we're young.

#FavoriteMaleAuthor Stewart O‘Nan! #MarchMagic

I enjoyed this one, first I‘ve read by this author. The emphasis is on the families of the two girls, particularly the sisters. Not on what is actually a shocking act for a teenager. (Not a spoiler - it‘s in the blurb!).

From the first sentence, we know a terrible event is approaching, then we move inexorably toward that while getting to know those involved. I feel like this is a deceptively simple book. This is my second by O‘Nan and won‘t be my last—he is beautifully able to create mood. #toblonglist

A teenage girl is murdered but you know that from the first page. You even know who killed her and why. This book is not about solving a crime is about the lives surrounding the crime and inhabiting a small town. However even knowing what I was coming I kept hoping it wouldn‘t. A book from the #tob23 long list that I liked so much more than many on the short list.

I forgot to take a photo of the book cover so you get a photo of my granddaughter on her 5th birthday. 😊💕 Why oh why is this in the TOB23 shortlist. A story of jealousy and murder told in a fairly flat narrative style. I‘ve read The Odds by this author and enjoyed it. This just didn‘t rise to the level of other TOB books.

The story of young girl who is murdered and of her killers. I‘m not sure how I feel about this terrible story. What happens is awful. The author does bring you in to the minds of the characters and the small town atmosphere. I was engrossed, but I did start to skim in the last quarter ( I didn‘t like what was happening and felt it wasn‘t treated with enough severity by the author, so I got annoyed) I read on properly then to see the ending.
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I liked this on audio. I agree with some of you that it may not have been complex enough for the #ToB short list, but a good listen nonetheless.

I made the mistake of reading the first few pages of this before work today thinking that I would easily be able to put it down. Wrong! I am counting the minutes until I can get back to it!

Edited to add: This will likely be my #lastfirst @BookNAround

I‘m with @squirrelbrain that this is a bit straightforward for the #toblonglist, but I‘m really glad it was put on my TBR because of it. Do yourself a favor, read the first line and then see if you can put it down. Despite knowing who committed the murder on the first page O‘Nan did a FANTASTIC job of building tension. The wrap up at the end was very satisfying.

@Cinfhen thank you for sending this!! 😘 Snow goes away today.

I really enjoyed this book, from the #ToB #longlist. I‘m not sure if it should have made the shortlist, although it‘s certainly better than some than I‘ve read (!), but it‘s possibly not different or quirky enough.

It‘s my first book by this author and I loved his writing, both the scene-setting and how we really got into the minds of the characters, whether teen girls or their mothers, so I‘ll look out for more.

Snowed in with my favorite dog and a really great book! Thank you for the gift @Cinfhen 💜😘 Another #toblonglist book that‘s better than the shortlist. What were they thinking???

@Cinfhen what a thoughtful package!! I love the teas and the hand lotions smell amazing! Perfect for my purse this winter. The bookmark is lovely! (You know purple is my favorite color. 💜💜) I‘m going to start either Blame or Ocean State next! Thank you so much and Happy Hanukkah!! 🕎🫶🏻

#ToB23 Longlist

I have never read this author before but having finished this book I want to read more by him now.

Ocean State revolves around three female characters and their perspectives of a tragic event that happens in a small town. He definitely nailed small town life in this book.

The writing is beautiful, the story shifts and swells and ultimately collides into a satisfying conclusion.

I‘m not sure I can adequately describe why this book moved me other than to say what seems on the surface to be a simple straightforward story is actually a beautifully crafted gift of words, feelings, emotions. It‘s a gem of a story in under 250 pages, I devoured this book. LOVED the writing, setting & characters. Definitely one of my top contenders from the #ToB23 longlist.

Well this is a pleasant surprise!!! #SignedCopy #ToB23

Angel is 18 and has been going out with Myles forever. But he‘s cheating on her with Birdy, who is deeply in love with him. It‘s a high school drama with a bad ending (no spoiler), witnessed by Angel‘s little sister and mother who are each coping with life in their own ways.

The book is well written and the characters are very realistic. Small town life is described excellent. It‘s a pick for me but I am not sure why it made the #TOB longlist!

When I was in eighth grade my sister helped kill another girl. She was in love, my mother said, like it was an excuse.

#SundaySentence

#WeeklyForecast 49/22

I am almost finished with An African in Greenland for #ReadingAfrica2022 as well as #ReadingTheAmericas2023. Next will be the tagged one, from the #ToBlonglist and the third one (Where You Come From in English) will be my Germany read for #FoodAndLit. It won the European Literature Price in 2021.

I was definitely too scatter-brained and frazzled to really do this justice. I was also confused about a major perspective element and had to look at everything from a different lens once I had sorted that.

Still giving it a light pick because I always love O‘Nan and think he is a remarkably talented chronicler of small town life.

#TOB23Longlist #TOB2023

This book is the story of three people in a small town and how their lives intersect. A teenaged girl is murdered and the story revolves around the mother of the accused, the sister of the accused and the girl who died. I found it a fascinating portrait of three females and the men in their lives. This male author really understands women!

#ThisWeekinNewBooks I went to B&N to pick up a gift and I believe there is a rule that if you step in a bookstore you have to buy yourself at least 2 books. So I did. And since I‘ve recently posted several Stewart O‘Nan books for the #AlphabetGame I decided to see if he had anything new, and he did!

I don‘t remember where I saw this, but as a Rhode Islander, I knew I had to read it. Didn‘t matter what it was about lol. Hoping it‘s a good one!

Is this slim novel confused about what it is trying to be? Or maybe, myself as a reader tried to fit it into a box rather than just taking in the story. Either way it felt like YA and could have easily been. It also felt horribly dark in parts but then turned around and downplayed horrific events. After some thought I actually think this is skill from O‘Nan in his ability to inhabit the minds of his characters so compelling that he created.

Took your advice and stopped worrying if my reviews might prevent someone from reading a book I thought was so-so

It‘s not a spoiler to say that a murder occurs in the very first line of this book. It‘s not a thriller. Two teenage girls are in love with one boy. It‘s a character study of people adrift. The story is told from several female points of view. I think the reader will have a hard time liking any of these individuals and I thought the ending was a little too pat. This is a book you can probably read in a day.

Here‘s my rainy Saturday reading soundtrack. It‘s been awhile since I‘ve read something by Stewart O‘Nan and I‘m hoping the book is as good as this GLORIOUS, slick & shiny cover. #readingsoundtrack

I didn‘t realize - and maybe I should have - that this would involve two people cheating on their significant others. I suppose I imagined a different scenario when I read the synopsis, but I kicked myself for what I failed to assume once I got started. It‘s not my favorite kind of story, but the exploration of this unraveling was mildly interesting.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4335489531