Have you ever read a book and absolutely loved it but can't articulate why? That is currently me with Ocean State by Stewart O'Nan.

I finished the book earlier this week and was honestly just blown away. It's story of two sisters and their mother trying to get by. It's a story of naive teenage love. It's a story of powerful emotion and violence. It's a story about family and growing up. The writing was superb. Each sentence flowed into the next and it was truly a treat to read. I was compelled to keep reading but at the same time I didn't want it to end. When I did reach the end, an ending that was emotional yet cathartic, I was just left sitting there, tempted to start all over again because I just wanted to stay with the story and the characters.

At times when reading this, the style reminded me very much of A Crooked Tree by Una Mannion, another book I adored. A coming-of-age type story but threaded with something dark. Ocean State is a must read in my eyes, a hauntingly beautiful book!

* Please look up any trigger warnings before reading *

I LOVED this book, it was just perfect. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.