Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: How I Learned to Hate in Ohio

Author: David Stuart MacLean

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Sikh character, gay characters

Recommended For...: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobia, xenophobia, racism, language, bullying, hate crimes, depression)

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Pages: 249

Synopsis: In late-1980s rural Ohio, bright but mostly friendless Barry Nadler begins his freshman year of high school with the goal of going unnoticed as much as possible. But his world is upended by the arrival of Gurbaksh, Gary for short, a Sikh teenager who moves to his small town and instantly befriends Barry and, in Gatsby-esque fashion, pulls him into a series of increasingly unlikely adventures. As their friendship deepens, Barry’s world begins to unravel, and his classmates and neighbors react to the presence of a family so different from theirs. Through darkly comic and bitingly intelligent asides and wry observations, Barry reveals how the seeds of xenophobia and racism find fertile soil in this insular community, and in an easy, graceless, unintentional slide, tragedy unfolds.

Review: For the most part I really did like this book. I felt like the book did very well to have that 80s vibe and I really like the world building overall. I also felt like the character development was very sound and I was instantly interested in what was happening throughout the book.

The only issue I really have is reading the book was that I felt like what was a little slow and pacing.

Verdict: It was great!