Ocean State

A quiet and detailed meditation of the human condition, which is truly O'Nan's sweet spot, Ocean State is a marvel. When you intentionally drain the propulsive suspense from the story, as O'Nan does here (but I would posit there is still a smattering of suspenseful moments, albeit, understated moments), you are taking a calculated risk. While some Goodreads reviewers determined that this decision fails - I found the character building and the examination of grief, obsession, motivation, class and relationships riveting in the best of slow-burn ways. I was moved, but that's not something new when it comes to O'Nan's work for me. Ocean State is a deliberately understated gem.