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How I Learned to Hate in Ohio
A brilliant, hilarious, and ultimately devastating debut novel about how racial discord grows in America
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.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio shines an uncomfortable light on the roots of white middle-American discontent and the beginnings of the current cultural war. It is at once bracingly funny, dark, and surprisingly moving, an undeniably resonant debut novel for our divided world.
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.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio shines an uncomfortable light on the roots of white middle-American discontent and the beginnings of the current cultural war. It is at once bracingly funny, dark, and surprisingly moving, an undeniably resonant debut novel for our divided world.
249 pages, Hardcover
First published January 19, 2021
29 people are currently reading
2657 people want to read
About the author
David Stuart MacLean
2 books32 followersDAVID STUART MACLEAN is a Pen/American award-winning writer. His work has appeared in Ploughshares and on the radio program This American Life. He has a PhD from the University of Houston and is a co-founder of the Poison Pen Reading Series. He lives in Chicago with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
November 15, 2020
I love novels that take place in the '80s, probably because it was the decade I was born. "How I Learned to Hate in Ohio" is a blistering and eye-opening novel about a teenage boy, Gary, trying to survive the homophobic bullies at school, and his selfish, immature parents at home. I must admit though, the first half was much stronger than the second. The pacing began to drag a little, but I felt like the last 30 pages were really quite powerful and unsettling. I wasn't really sure how this book was going to end, which is a good thing because it wasn't predictable or cookie-cutter. This novel deals with some intense topics such as: homophobia, xenophobia, racism, hate crimes, infidelity, betrayal, depression, and low self-esteem. This book unnerved me. The author really knows how set a mood. The writing was excellent and haunting. I hardly ever read YA fiction anymore, but I'm glad I gave this novel a chance. It was dark and made me tear up a few times. A very timely and relevant story that cuts like a knife.
Thank you, Netgalley and Abrams for the digital ARC.
Release date: January 19, 2021
Thank you, Netgalley and Abrams for the digital ARC.
Release date: January 19, 2021
November 2, 2023
I really enjoyed the narrative style and the Ohio-isms that make up Barry and his interactions with the people around him. The book is able to tap into a really specific feeling of “out-of-placeness” that’s not just about growing up in a small town, but spending every day in a dysfunctional family, attending school without being challenged, hoping/wanting more but also thinking that there might not be more out there. It’s like a weird blend of hopelessness and rooting for the underdog, even though the underdog(s) aren’t really defined or going through a specific challenge. It also has a lot of dark humor to balance it out, letting us laugh at and with the main character.
While I thought the writing style was interesting, it was almost too blunt at times, where the first sentence of the next chapter is a big plot reveal and then not really touched on later. I also didn’t understand the structure of the book, being separated into four smaller parts (but the last two parts were the last 20 pages of the book). Lastly, I also thought the book would teeter into Catcher in the Rye territory, where the main character is a little too “woe-is-me” without a lot of emotional complexity. I think the book is a good read but gets heavy in a way that the writing style can’t grasp.
While I thought the writing style was interesting, it was almost too blunt at times, where the first sentence of the next chapter is a big plot reveal and then not really touched on later. I also didn’t understand the structure of the book, being separated into four smaller parts (but the last two parts were the last 20 pages of the book). Lastly, I also thought the book would teeter into Catcher in the Rye territory, where the main character is a little too “woe-is-me” without a lot of emotional complexity. I think the book is a good read but gets heavy in a way that the writing style can’t grasp.
June 12, 2020
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio by David Stuart MacLean is the darkly comic yet heartbreaking tale of high school freshman Baruch 'Barry' Nadler who lives in a small town in Ohio. Barry is very clever but friendless, regularly bullied in school and labelled 'Yo-yo Fag'. He becomes friends with the new boy at school, Gurbaksh, who happens to be Sikh. Set in the late 1980s, the book explores the development of the friendship between the boys, the impact it has on both their lives and the issues they face growing up in Ohio.
I really enjoyed this book. Chapters are short and punchy therefore it is a very fast read. Notwithstanding this, there are sections and lines that you want to reread and savour. The author perfectly captures the confusion felt as a teenager, how mysterious the opposite sex seem, how conflicting it is to be treated as a grown-up when still so young and the feelings of disappointment when you realise your parents are flawed human beings. Barry states that his mum tells him "these are the best years of my life. She doesn't know how much that depresses me." Every teenager has been told this and at some point every teenager has felt the same.
While the first part of the book is very witty and clever and races past, it becomes darker in the second half. Issues of homophobia, racism and xenophobia are threaded throughout. This is such an absorbing story and you find yourself hurtling towards the end, unable to put it down. If you enjoy the work of Maria Semple, you will really enjoy this! It is released in January and I would highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and The Overlook Press for the advance copy in return for an honest review.
#howilearnedtohateinohio
I really enjoyed this book. Chapters are short and punchy therefore it is a very fast read. Notwithstanding this, there are sections and lines that you want to reread and savour. The author perfectly captures the confusion felt as a teenager, how mysterious the opposite sex seem, how conflicting it is to be treated as a grown-up when still so young and the feelings of disappointment when you realise your parents are flawed human beings. Barry states that his mum tells him "these are the best years of my life. She doesn't know how much that depresses me." Every teenager has been told this and at some point every teenager has felt the same.
While the first part of the book is very witty and clever and races past, it becomes darker in the second half. Issues of homophobia, racism and xenophobia are threaded throughout. This is such an absorbing story and you find yourself hurtling towards the end, unable to put it down. If you enjoy the work of Maria Semple, you will really enjoy this! It is released in January and I would highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and The Overlook Press for the advance copy in return for an honest review.
#howilearnedtohateinohio
May 31, 2020
This book is interesting. A very, very interesting story about a kid named Barry (Baruch) growing up in 80's Ohio.
I did not dislike the book. I did not hate the book. The narrative was intriguing, his Freshman year of High School was one of interesting comparison to The Great Gatsby. (The book, interestingly enough, almost seems to be a vague nod to it as well.)
It also has to do with race - systematic and inherited. Barry's friend is Gary. Throughout the book, Barry wishes that he was Gary with his way to seamlessly blend into any group and any conversation. However, when matters closer to home seem to unravel his desire for being Gary it makes him realize how different the two of them are and how wrong he was to think he was to envy him.
I feel this book will be of interest - there is going to be a discussion about it, and people may take it deeper than I did upon reading it. The bulk of the book seemed to build up to the last fourth, when shit so to speak hits the fan.
At times I think the narrative regarding racism was a bit surface thin and that there was a strange obsession with the lead character and I couldn't tell if the author was hinting that he may or may not be gay? It would certainly make the scenes and his 'nickname' take on a deeper meaning of focus.
I did not dislike the book. I did not hate the book. The narrative was intriguing, his Freshman year of High School was one of interesting comparison to The Great Gatsby. (The book, interestingly enough, almost seems to be a vague nod to it as well.)
It also has to do with race - systematic and inherited. Barry's friend is Gary. Throughout the book, Barry wishes that he was Gary with his way to seamlessly blend into any group and any conversation. However, when matters closer to home seem to unravel his desire for being Gary it makes him realize how different the two of them are and how wrong he was to think he was to envy him.
I feel this book will be of interest - there is going to be a discussion about it, and people may take it deeper than I did upon reading it. The bulk of the book seemed to build up to the last fourth, when shit so to speak hits the fan.
At times I think the narrative regarding racism was a bit surface thin and that there was a strange obsession with the lead character and I couldn't tell if the author was hinting that he may or may not be gay? It would certainly make the scenes and his 'nickname' take on a deeper meaning of focus.
February 8, 2021
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio tells the story of Barry (Baruch) Nadler as he goes from a much-bullied adolescent in high school and ends when he’s a young adult. His father is a college philosophy professor and his mother travels a lot looking for new sites for Marriott Hotels. He’s relentlessly bullied until a new kid moves to town and becomes his best friend. His friend is named Gurbaksh (Gary) Singh and he is a Sikh. He is self-confident and instantly popular and Barry becomes more popular in his wake.
However, it soon becomes clear that Gurbaksh’s father had ulterior motives in moving to Ohio and Barry’s family is profoundly affected. It all comes to a crescendo when Barry’s dad throws a party, a party where Barry loses the girl, his best friend, and his mother.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is an excellent book. It is rich in character and a sense of place. It is full of humor and a love of humanity, a deep empathy that does tell us a lot about human emotions. It does not, however, explain how racism develops and festers. This is a story about Barry, not about the racists who plagued him and whose acts led to so much devastation. Barry does not become a racist. Yes, Barry learns to hate, but it’s personal, not the dehumanizing hate of racism. Barry does not lose his humanity, even when he fails Gary, even when he shames himself, his motivation is not from the dehumanizing hate of racism. So, if you’re looking for an explainer about how racism develops, you won’t find it. You will find, however, that hate comes in many forms, and Barry does learn to hate.
I received an e-galley of How I Learned to Hate in Ohio from the publisher through NetGalley.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio at Abrams Books
David Stuart MacLean
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
However, it soon becomes clear that Gurbaksh’s father had ulterior motives in moving to Ohio and Barry’s family is profoundly affected. It all comes to a crescendo when Barry’s dad throws a party, a party where Barry loses the girl, his best friend, and his mother.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is an excellent book. It is rich in character and a sense of place. It is full of humor and a love of humanity, a deep empathy that does tell us a lot about human emotions. It does not, however, explain how racism develops and festers. This is a story about Barry, not about the racists who plagued him and whose acts led to so much devastation. Barry does not become a racist. Yes, Barry learns to hate, but it’s personal, not the dehumanizing hate of racism. Barry does not lose his humanity, even when he fails Gary, even when he shames himself, his motivation is not from the dehumanizing hate of racism. So, if you’re looking for an explainer about how racism develops, you won’t find it. You will find, however, that hate comes in many forms, and Barry does learn to hate.
I received an e-galley of How I Learned to Hate in Ohio from the publisher through NetGalley.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio at Abrams Books
David Stuart MacLean
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
February 12, 2021
3.75, as my GR friend, Doug says, rounding up. This was really good, but it just did not push it for me to a solid 4. MacLean knows his craft, and he knows how to write. I thought the characters were interesting and the story was good, it just was not great. Although this book was short in length (249 pages), I thought there were some parts of the story where the author focused more on, i.e. the messed up lives of adults and not necessarily the relationships with his classmates, just a bit, I wanted more.
This is set in the 80s, but other than the mentions of a few songs here and there, I did not feel like the setting jumped off the page. I felt like I was looking in on these characters and their lives, but as a reader, I was being held at arms length, maybe that was done on purpose, hence the theme of the novel.
The ending was a bit shocking (I won’t spoil it of course). The ending came quite abruptly, but I am ok with that.
One thing that really struck me were the acknowledgments the author mentioned. Most acknowledgements at the end of the book are nothing but a bunch of thank you’s and a long winded mention of names. These acknowledgments were truly heartfelt, and as a reader, I appreciated that. I can tell that David MacLean put his heart and soul into this novel, and that is what is most important!
At the end, I feel this book is good, but I am afraid that it may suffer from not being remembered.
This is set in the 80s, but other than the mentions of a few songs here and there, I did not feel like the setting jumped off the page. I felt like I was looking in on these characters and their lives, but as a reader, I was being held at arms length, maybe that was done on purpose, hence the theme of the novel.
The ending was a bit shocking (I won’t spoil it of course). The ending came quite abruptly, but I am ok with that.
One thing that really struck me were the acknowledgments the author mentioned. Most acknowledgements at the end of the book are nothing but a bunch of thank you’s and a long winded mention of names. These acknowledgments were truly heartfelt, and as a reader, I appreciated that. I can tell that David MacLean put his heart and soul into this novel, and that is what is most important!
At the end, I feel this book is good, but I am afraid that it may suffer from not being remembered.
February 7, 2021
This was an incredibly fast-paced and equally comical and devastating read. How I Learned to Hate in Ohio covers heavy topics such as homophobia, xenophobia, and racism from the perspective of a teenage boy who is trying to come to grips with an ignorant and hateful community and his place within it. MacLean’s prose is both matter of fact and incredibly eloquent. While the town in this novel is fictional, the care taken in setting the scene easily reminded me of and transported me to familiar small Ohio towns of my childhood. While some of the more overt forms of bigotry and violence described in this book may be less prevalent today, the ideology behind it certainly lives on in Ohio (and across our country), and this book is a potent and relevant reminder of this.
(2021 Read harder challenge #22 - book set in the Midwest)
(2021 Read harder challenge #22 - book set in the Midwest)
July 18, 2021
This book is searing. It's complex, and takes an unflinching look at a lot of uncomfortable themes. So unlike books I normally read, but it was captivating and made me think.
February 12, 2021
First appeared at https://www.thenewdorkreviewofbooks.c...
How I Learned To Hate In Ohio, David Stuart MacLean's terrific debut novel, is one of the most authentic accounts I've ever read of growing up in a small town. Having grown up in a small town in rural Ohio, I know a bit about this. And real recognize real.
Baruch — but he goes by Barry, because it's less pretentious and less likely to earn him an ass-whoopin' as he's beginning high school — is your average, ordinary, everyday, bookish 14-year-old. He's gawky and awkward, like many small town 14-year-old boys, and he has trouble talking to girls and spends his free time reading dead white guy books. His father, who named him after Baruch Spinoza, is a philosophy professor at the small college in town and his mother is an executive for Marriott, traveling the world to scout locations for new hotels. It's the mid-80s, they're comfortable, everything seems completely fine.
But then a new kid comes to town. Gurbaksh Singh is the first Sikh kid anyone in this small town has ever met. But he's a charismatic kid — he goes by Gary for similar reasons Baruch goes by Barry — and that helps him avoid the worst of what the standard high school cruelty you'd expect for him. Barry and Gary soon strike up an unlikely friendship, as do Mr. Singh and Barry's father. Then Barry's mother comes home from a long work trip, and things get weird. Barry and Gary are forced to grow up pretty quickly and tangle with some adult issues. These, especially racism, are issues they're not yet properly equipped emotionally or maturity-wise to handle.
Even so, and while Barry and Gary's collision with adulthood only gets more intense as the novel goes on, this is often a very, very funny novel. Yes, small town life is patently absurd, and MacLean captures this with expert comedy chops. As you'd expect with any novel about high school, there are bullies and girls, bad lunches and worse teachers, and immature jokes and horrific nicknames. (Barry's nickname, which literally everyone calls him, is Yo-Yo F@g, after a seemingly innocuous incident with a yo-yo in grade school. And while we're here, if very politically incorrect terms are a trigger, you may want to skip this novel — there are kind of a lot.)
I picked this up solely for its title, which I'd misread the first time as "How I Learned To Hate Ohio." :) Either way, though, it's still a fantastic read. It's short and powerful (and powerfully funny), and I really loved it.
How I Learned To Hate In Ohio, David Stuart MacLean's terrific debut novel, is one of the most authentic accounts I've ever read of growing up in a small town. Having grown up in a small town in rural Ohio, I know a bit about this. And real recognize real.
Baruch — but he goes by Barry, because it's less pretentious and less likely to earn him an ass-whoopin' as he's beginning high school — is your average, ordinary, everyday, bookish 14-year-old. He's gawky and awkward, like many small town 14-year-old boys, and he has trouble talking to girls and spends his free time reading dead white guy books. His father, who named him after Baruch Spinoza, is a philosophy professor at the small college in town and his mother is an executive for Marriott, traveling the world to scout locations for new hotels. It's the mid-80s, they're comfortable, everything seems completely fine.
But then a new kid comes to town. Gurbaksh Singh is the first Sikh kid anyone in this small town has ever met. But he's a charismatic kid — he goes by Gary for similar reasons Baruch goes by Barry — and that helps him avoid the worst of what the standard high school cruelty you'd expect for him. Barry and Gary soon strike up an unlikely friendship, as do Mr. Singh and Barry's father. Then Barry's mother comes home from a long work trip, and things get weird. Barry and Gary are forced to grow up pretty quickly and tangle with some adult issues. These, especially racism, are issues they're not yet properly equipped emotionally or maturity-wise to handle.
Even so, and while Barry and Gary's collision with adulthood only gets more intense as the novel goes on, this is often a very, very funny novel. Yes, small town life is patently absurd, and MacLean captures this with expert comedy chops. As you'd expect with any novel about high school, there are bullies and girls, bad lunches and worse teachers, and immature jokes and horrific nicknames. (Barry's nickname, which literally everyone calls him, is Yo-Yo F@g, after a seemingly innocuous incident with a yo-yo in grade school. And while we're here, if very politically incorrect terms are a trigger, you may want to skip this novel — there are kind of a lot.)
I picked this up solely for its title, which I'd misread the first time as "How I Learned To Hate Ohio." :) Either way, though, it's still a fantastic read. It's short and powerful (and powerfully funny), and I really loved it.
January 18, 2021
Baruch Nadler is a fourteen year old kid living in the small town of Rutherford, in central Ohio sometime in the 1980s. He’s your typical nerd/outcast/loner type, called “Yo-Yo F*g” by all the kids in school because of some stupid incident years ago. He has no friends, until one day, a Sikh kid wearing a turban - Gurbaksh “Gary” Singh - shows up. They start a friendship. But things soon devolve.
That’s really the best way I can describe the plot. I really enjoyed the first 40% - I thought Baruch was funny and smart, and I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Gary. But things started to get weird and go downhill pretty fast, mostly having to do with Baruch’s parents. He becomes an angsty depressed teenager super quickly, suddenly done with his social issues at school and feeling utterly rejected by his selfish dad and his erstwhile mom. He begins to hate Gary and overall, turns into a real asshole.
I get what the book is trying to do. It’s trying to delineate how a relatively open, nice young person can become an unproductive, hateful member of society. Ohio and its ways, plus bullying, plus parental issues can all breed hatred. But I didn’t truly feel that the book accomplished this goal (if that was indeed the goal) - I hated Baruch and couldn’t sympathize with any of his actions, attitudes, or developments. The ending was a gut punch out of nowhere, and I was left feeling a weird mix of emotions - disappointment, confusion, anger - at the way things resolved. Overall, either this wasn’t for me or I just didn’t understand the character dynamics and moral of the story.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley!
That’s really the best way I can describe the plot. I really enjoyed the first 40% - I thought Baruch was funny and smart, and I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Gary. But things started to get weird and go downhill pretty fast, mostly having to do with Baruch’s parents. He becomes an angsty depressed teenager super quickly, suddenly done with his social issues at school and feeling utterly rejected by his selfish dad and his erstwhile mom. He begins to hate Gary and overall, turns into a real asshole.
I get what the book is trying to do. It’s trying to delineate how a relatively open, nice young person can become an unproductive, hateful member of society. Ohio and its ways, plus bullying, plus parental issues can all breed hatred. But I didn’t truly feel that the book accomplished this goal (if that was indeed the goal) - I hated Baruch and couldn’t sympathize with any of his actions, attitudes, or developments. The ending was a gut punch out of nowhere, and I was left feeling a weird mix of emotions - disappointment, confusion, anger - at the way things resolved. Overall, either this wasn’t for me or I just didn’t understand the character dynamics and moral of the story.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley!
March 24, 2021
A few weeks later, and I'm still reeling from this book. There is a lot of humor in this book, but it's very dark humor, and the book just gets deeper and darker as you get into it, with a big dive off a cliff at the end.
I wouldn't say this book is about racism, as billed. It takes place in a white community in Ohio in the 80s, and the entire culture is steeped in racism, sexism, and homophobia. The main character is a scrawny white kid named Barry whose parents are lone progressive voices (his dad works at the university; his mom is the breadwinner and away a lot on business). Barry is strange and kind of annoying and small for his age, and just gets picked on relentlessly. He really has no one, not even his parents who are absorbed in their own internal dramas, until a Sikh kid named Gary moves into town and befriends him.
The book doesn't quite take the turns you expect it to take. There are lots of things that happen, but it all comes back to Barry and the way that he's relentlessly bullied by everyone he encounters, and how that changes him. How trying to avoid getting picked on is something that takes on a life of its own and turns him into a worse kind of creature than the bullies themselves. It's a grotesque but very personal-feeling story, and It's hard not to read it as the author grappling with some painful experiences in his own childhood identity development.
I don't know if I'd wish the experience of reading this book on anyone else, but it did feel like a look into aspects of life that are extremely disturbing but true.
I wouldn't say this book is about racism, as billed. It takes place in a white community in Ohio in the 80s, and the entire culture is steeped in racism, sexism, and homophobia. The main character is a scrawny white kid named Barry whose parents are lone progressive voices (his dad works at the university; his mom is the breadwinner and away a lot on business). Barry is strange and kind of annoying and small for his age, and just gets picked on relentlessly. He really has no one, not even his parents who are absorbed in their own internal dramas, until a Sikh kid named Gary moves into town and befriends him.
The book doesn't quite take the turns you expect it to take. There are lots of things that happen, but it all comes back to Barry and the way that he's relentlessly bullied by everyone he encounters, and how that changes him. How trying to avoid getting picked on is something that takes on a life of its own and turns him into a worse kind of creature than the bullies themselves. It's a grotesque but very personal-feeling story, and It's hard not to read it as the author grappling with some painful experiences in his own childhood identity development.
I don't know if I'd wish the experience of reading this book on anyone else, but it did feel like a look into aspects of life that are extremely disturbing but true.
June 2, 2020
thanks netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
ok so: this book raises a lot of interesting questions. set in small-town america in the late-80s, we're introduced to an array of unlikeable and annoying characters. it doesn't quite detract from the story, but it definitely makes it a bit more difficult to read.
i understand what this book is trying to achieve, and i think it's something really good. not a lot of things really happen, now that i've had a chance to step back and think about what i've read. but its a consistent story about a too-clever (white) boy who doesn't like school, and his interactions with racism and homophobia in a narrow-minded, repressed environment. his parents suck. the off-beat pacing and the repetitive multitude of slurs make this book difficult to read, which i suppose was the point.
i will be interested to hear what more people think about this book, as i think it may just be something that didn't quite resonate with me. i think i'm coming to realise i just don't like reading first person books especially when the protagonist is a 14 year old boy, idk just personal preference lol.
anyway. 3-3.5 stars at this point. may require a reread at some point but not some point soon.
ok so: this book raises a lot of interesting questions. set in small-town america in the late-80s, we're introduced to an array of unlikeable and annoying characters. it doesn't quite detract from the story, but it definitely makes it a bit more difficult to read.
i understand what this book is trying to achieve, and i think it's something really good. not a lot of things really happen, now that i've had a chance to step back and think about what i've read. but its a consistent story about a too-clever (white) boy who doesn't like school, and his interactions with racism and homophobia in a narrow-minded, repressed environment. his parents suck. the off-beat pacing and the repetitive multitude of slurs make this book difficult to read, which i suppose was the point.
i will be interested to hear what more people think about this book, as i think it may just be something that didn't quite resonate with me. i think i'm coming to realise i just don't like reading first person books especially when the protagonist is a 14 year old boy, idk just personal preference lol.
anyway. 3-3.5 stars at this point. may require a reread at some point but not some point soon.
July 14, 2020
I love a good coming of age story, and that is what I expected when I picked up this book. I got that and so much more! It was a bonus that the time and setting both resonated with me. I was in high school in the eighties, my husband grew up here and I have called Ohio home for the last thirty years. Based on my experiences and stories I've heard about growing up here, the experiences and attitudes of the characters in this novel ring true. The narrative told through the eyes of a smart but lonely teenager is believable.
The standard themes specific to this time and place are explored, ranging from the universal angst of growing up in America, bullying, loneliness, friendship, parental relationships, trust, and young love, In addition, there are unique elements which address racism and add elements of surprise.
The action that takes place in the novel is extreme and unique, but somehow, the characters and situations that the author has created do not seem too far-fetched!
The author strikes a balance between too much and not enough description, giving the reader just enough information to understand what is going on in the character's minds without forcing a conclusion.
This book far surpassed my expectations of a simple "boy growing up in midwest in the eighties" book. I especially found the exploration of racism timely when viewed through the lens of recent history.
This was an interesting story with unique characters that I cared about. At the same time i was given food for thought on some very big issues that are still at the forefront in our current world.
The standard themes specific to this time and place are explored, ranging from the universal angst of growing up in America, bullying, loneliness, friendship, parental relationships, trust, and young love, In addition, there are unique elements which address racism and add elements of surprise.
The action that takes place in the novel is extreme and unique, but somehow, the characters and situations that the author has created do not seem too far-fetched!
The author strikes a balance between too much and not enough description, giving the reader just enough information to understand what is going on in the character's minds without forcing a conclusion.
This book far surpassed my expectations of a simple "boy growing up in midwest in the eighties" book. I especially found the exploration of racism timely when viewed through the lens of recent history.
This was an interesting story with unique characters that I cared about. At the same time i was given food for thought on some very big issues that are still at the forefront in our current world.
March 16, 2021
This is one of those books I struggled with. Whenever I read a book on a hard topic, whether it is Fiction or Nonfiction, I always have a hard time saying I enjoyed the book. This book tells the story of Baruch "Barry" Nadler. Barry is starting his freshman year of high school in 1986 and he is just trying to get through each day without being noticed, the butt of everyone's jokes, including the teachers. Barry has a nickname that was given to him years before and he is hoping that it will not follow him to high school..... It does. This book brings back every single thing I despised about high school. The name calling, the hate, the bullying and just meanness. And I believe it hit home with me because I graduated high school in 1986 and all of the things going on in the world at that time were a big part of my life. BUT, Mr. MacLean does an amazing job of telling Barry's story. He puts you right back in that place, and makes you feel EVERYTHING! SO yes, I enjoyed this book! 4⭐
Thank you to Abrams Books, The Overlook Press and David Stuart MacLean for this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Abrams Books, The Overlook Press and David Stuart MacLean for this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 13, 2023
The first review draft that came to mind the moment I finished this was, "a horrible book about horrible people." It might be a bit unfair but I did not find a single moment of enjoyment in this story.
It does deal with some pretty heavy stuff (mostly race, class, bullying) from the point of view of a 14 year old in 1980s Ohio and those two bits - the high school age angst and the small town mentality/behaviours - are portrayed very accurately and effectively.
But my god, this is a nasty bunch of characters, each worse than the other. There is not one redeeming quality whatsoever and the fact that I hated them all so very much... I can't decide if that's a sign of a good book or not.
There are some pretty interesting observations and I highlighted parts I found funny and thought provoking but it left me feeling a bit numb, slightly depressed and very angry at times. So if that was the aim, I guess this could also be a five-star book.
It does deal with some pretty heavy stuff (mostly race, class, bullying) from the point of view of a 14 year old in 1980s Ohio and those two bits - the high school age angst and the small town mentality/behaviours - are portrayed very accurately and effectively.
But my god, this is a nasty bunch of characters, each worse than the other. There is not one redeeming quality whatsoever and the fact that I hated them all so very much... I can't decide if that's a sign of a good book or not.
There are some pretty interesting observations and I highlighted parts I found funny and thought provoking but it left me feeling a bit numb, slightly depressed and very angry at times. So if that was the aim, I guess this could also be a five-star book.
May 20, 2020
I started reading this book, and I could not stop. I really need to read it again because this initial time through I just gobbled up the story as fast as I could. I'd like to read it again more slowly and stop to appreciate and think more about some of his descriptions and observations.
MacLean's writing is beautiful and creatively descriptive. The story is hilarious and insightful. It's also raw, crude, gritty and heartbreaking. There is bullying, racism, homophobia, and violence. Typically, I'd shy away from a book like this, but it's also just so darn funny, and creative and thoughtfully written. I will say no more so that readers can experience this book fully. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you so much to #Netgalley for the Advance Reading Copy of this book. #HowILearnedtoHateinOhio
MacLean's writing is beautiful and creatively descriptive. The story is hilarious and insightful. It's also raw, crude, gritty and heartbreaking. There is bullying, racism, homophobia, and violence. Typically, I'd shy away from a book like this, but it's also just so darn funny, and creative and thoughtfully written. I will say no more so that readers can experience this book fully. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you so much to #Netgalley for the Advance Reading Copy of this book. #HowILearnedtoHateinOhio
December 2, 2022
You start reading the book, knowing that it's going to be a troubling ending. Everything about the story points that way. But you keep going, and at times you want to stop because you know the next page is going be something else bad for the fourteen-year-old narrator. You often have to set the book aside so you can prepare yourself for what comes next. And then you find yourself reading another page and then another page because what keeps you going is the Truth. And the Truth is darkly hilarious as long as it's not happening to you.
January 19, 2021
The book is set in the 80's in a small town in Ohio. It is about Baruch "Barry" Nadler who is bullied at school and his friendship as it develops with a new boy at the school who is a Sikh. The book follows their friendship and the impact it has on their lives in Ohio.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me - resulting in 3 stars
Unfortunately, this book wasn't really for me - resulting in 3 stars
July 5, 2022
just the kind of snappy, witty, coming of age story I needed to get out of a reading slump. Also, we love Ohio representation
May 7, 2023
Loved this book, very much from an angst teen boy perspective which at times was a bit weird but overall a great read that I would highly recommend
January 10, 2025
3.5 actually! This book took me a long time to finish. I hated this read 90% of the time. However, the message is important and relevant for our current political climate.
April 10, 2021
I stumbled upon this YA book and was intrigued by the title, since I grew up in Ohio. The racism and homophobia the characters in this book experience in the 80s is unfortunately still alive in small-town Ohio and many other parts of America. Unfortunately, the book could have been written about some high schools today. The author seems to be working through his teenage trauma here.
March 2, 2024
This book is fantastic start to finish. As someone who grew up in Ohio I enjoyed relating almost word for word to the journey and detailed descriptions the author takes you through.
January 26, 2024
A quick, enjoyable and meaningful read.
December 16, 2024
has a passive protagonist, which i never love in books/movies. but it has a pretty interesting setting/story.
June 12, 2021
I'm not sure the ending is earned.
This is where I tell you what happened. Stop reading now if you don't want to know. If you're reading this with one eye closed, think about what will probably happen in a book which both models itself on and idolizes The Great Gatsby. Think of the relationship between Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Now think about the relationship between the narrator of this book and his friend, Gurbaksh, aka Gary. What happens to Gatsby, seemingly out of nowhere, with just a few pages left? Now guess what happens to Garbaksh, seemingly out of nowhere, with just a few pages left?
Yes, Gurbaksh is murdered. A group of redneck bigots and racists beat him to death at a bonfire party while his friend, the narrator Baruch, basically runs away.
See, I told you I was going to tell you.
In How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, Baruch Nadler is a smarter-than-everyone bullied kid in his near-Columbus town. He is well-read -- some of the best analysis of The Great Gatsby I've ever read comes from Baruch aka Barry in this book -- and knows his options are limited in the small town of Rutherford in central Ohio. He is mocked by everyone, nicknamed Yo-Yo Fag because of a stupid incident with a yo-yo, and stuck in a certain seat on the bus, because we all know how seating on the school bus goes. A family of poverty-ridden bullies regularly picks on him.
Then one day Gurbaksh is in Barry's seat. He is a Sikh who has just moved to town with his father. And he is magnetic. Soon Barry is caught up in Gurbaksh's orbit. They have all kinds of small-town adventures and Barry's status at school is elevated because he is best friends with the charismatic and new toy Gurbaksh, who goes by Gary. Then one day it all goes south, a large part of it due to Gary's father's relationship with Barry's mother.
The book tries to emulate The Great Gatsby, painting Gary as a charming mysterio. Barry is the smitten friend trying to record everything. Both have chances with another interesting classmate, Ottilie; Gary winning, of course. That's another part of the falling out between Gary and Baruch.
Ultimately, a couple years after their high school years have ended, after Ottilie is away at college, after they've had time to reflect on everything that has happened, Gary and Barry reconcile. They decide to reminisce at a giant bonfire attended by their old classmates. And the old redneck bigots, with whom both have fought in the past, beat Gary to death.
And, basically, the book ends.
There are a few more pages, quickly depicting the wake and funeral and aftermath. And then it's over. That is much how ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Great Gatsby ends. Gatsby is murdered in his own pool by a man who thinks Gatsby has killed his wife. Then the man kills himself. The book ends a few pages later.
So why am I not sure the ending of How I Learned to Hate in Ohio was earned? The murderers are nasty people, sure, set up that way and described thusly throughout the book. But they weren't really set up as murderous. Dumb, idiotic, mean-spirited, violent, sure. But ascending to murder? They didn't like Arabs, they didn't like Muslims, they didn't like the way the world was changing around them and Gary represented all that. But in The Great Gatsby, a guy thought Gatsby had killed his wife. In this, a bunch of idiots just didn't like a kid because they didn't like their own lives and figured he represented the reasons why.
But maybe I just missed something. Maybe I'm mad because I didn't see the end coming when anyone who knows The Great Gatsby should have. Maybe I didn't like it because it is so abrupt. Maybe I'm the big dumb redneck idiot who doesn't know enough of the world around him.
At any rate, that's what happened. It's still a good book, which isn't really a spoiler. It's just ... that ending.
This is where I tell you what happened. Stop reading now if you don't want to know. If you're reading this with one eye closed, think about what will probably happen in a book which both models itself on and idolizes The Great Gatsby. Think of the relationship between Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. Now think about the relationship between the narrator of this book and his friend, Gurbaksh, aka Gary. What happens to Gatsby, seemingly out of nowhere, with just a few pages left? Now guess what happens to Garbaksh, seemingly out of nowhere, with just a few pages left?
Yes, Gurbaksh is murdered. A group of redneck bigots and racists beat him to death at a bonfire party while his friend, the narrator Baruch, basically runs away.
See, I told you I was going to tell you.
In How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, Baruch Nadler is a smarter-than-everyone bullied kid in his near-Columbus town. He is well-read -- some of the best analysis of The Great Gatsby I've ever read comes from Baruch aka Barry in this book -- and knows his options are limited in the small town of Rutherford in central Ohio. He is mocked by everyone, nicknamed Yo-Yo Fag because of a stupid incident with a yo-yo, and stuck in a certain seat on the bus, because we all know how seating on the school bus goes. A family of poverty-ridden bullies regularly picks on him.
Then one day Gurbaksh is in Barry's seat. He is a Sikh who has just moved to town with his father. And he is magnetic. Soon Barry is caught up in Gurbaksh's orbit. They have all kinds of small-town adventures and Barry's status at school is elevated because he is best friends with the charismatic and new toy Gurbaksh, who goes by Gary. Then one day it all goes south, a large part of it due to Gary's father's relationship with Barry's mother.
The book tries to emulate The Great Gatsby, painting Gary as a charming mysterio. Barry is the smitten friend trying to record everything. Both have chances with another interesting classmate, Ottilie; Gary winning, of course. That's another part of the falling out between Gary and Baruch.
Ultimately, a couple years after their high school years have ended, after Ottilie is away at college, after they've had time to reflect on everything that has happened, Gary and Barry reconcile. They decide to reminisce at a giant bonfire attended by their old classmates. And the old redneck bigots, with whom both have fought in the past, beat Gary to death.
And, basically, the book ends.
There are a few more pages, quickly depicting the wake and funeral and aftermath. And then it's over. That is much how ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Great Gatsby ends. Gatsby is murdered in his own pool by a man who thinks Gatsby has killed his wife. Then the man kills himself. The book ends a few pages later.
So why am I not sure the ending of How I Learned to Hate in Ohio was earned? The murderers are nasty people, sure, set up that way and described thusly throughout the book. But they weren't really set up as murderous. Dumb, idiotic, mean-spirited, violent, sure. But ascending to murder? They didn't like Arabs, they didn't like Muslims, they didn't like the way the world was changing around them and Gary represented all that. But in The Great Gatsby, a guy thought Gatsby had killed his wife. In this, a bunch of idiots just didn't like a kid because they didn't like their own lives and figured he represented the reasons why.
But maybe I just missed something. Maybe I'm mad because I didn't see the end coming when anyone who knows The Great Gatsby should have. Maybe I didn't like it because it is so abrupt. Maybe I'm the big dumb redneck idiot who doesn't know enough of the world around him.
At any rate, that's what happened. It's still a good book, which isn't really a spoiler. It's just ... that ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2020
"No one leaves this world unsullied."
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. 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.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio was one of those reads that once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading. Told through the biting perspective of 14-year old Barry, this book really makes you FEEL what it is like to be 14 and figuring out the senselessness of life. I felt for him through his struggles in high school, with friends, and his dysfunctional family. He observes and tries to take care of himself but the world is just too chaotic. Definitely a darker but good read and I could see it leading to good discussion with teenagers on racism, popularity, and bullying.
Definitely recommend! Thank you to #NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book! It comes out in January 2021! Get it on your TBR/Wish List now!
#HowILearnedToHateinOhio
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. 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.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio was one of those reads that once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading. Told through the biting perspective of 14-year old Barry, this book really makes you FEEL what it is like to be 14 and figuring out the senselessness of life. I felt for him through his struggles in high school, with friends, and his dysfunctional family. He observes and tries to take care of himself but the world is just too chaotic. Definitely a darker but good read and I could see it leading to good discussion with teenagers on racism, popularity, and bullying.
Definitely recommend! Thank you to #NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book! It comes out in January 2021! Get it on your TBR/Wish List now!
#HowILearnedToHateinOhio
July 2, 2025
Really good, easy read. Was sad though, didn’t end with a smile.
June 1, 2020
I'm a bit of a sucker for a good 'coming of age' novel, especially where there's an element of intrigue about who's who and why they do what they do. If it can also be set at a time I recognise well - I'm only a few years older than Barry, the main protagonist, then I'm happy to go back to an era without mobile phones and the internet when relationships were a lot more face-to-face than they are these days,
I very much enjoyed 'How I Learned to Hate in Ohio' and found lots of little details of the type that keep you thinking "This must be autobiographical" because it's just so well observed. It isn't - thank goodness, in view of some of the terrible things that happen. I wouldn't wish them on anybody.
It's the 1980s and Baruch (Barry) is about to start high school. He lives with his dad, a college philosophy professor, whilst his mum is mostly absent due to a globe-trotting job assessing potential sites all over the world for a famous hotel chain. Enter Gurbaksh (Gary) a Sikh boy with great social skills and street smarts who, rather than being the outsider, seems to be Barry's route to acceptance at school. Perhaps Gary and his dad, the larger than life and rather rude Mr Singh, have other motives in coming to the small town in Ohio but as far as Barry is concerned, he's got a friend and he's in with the in-crowd like he's never been before.
There's a great sense of time and place about this book which is never better expressed than in a powerful scene where the breakdown of the families is juxtaposed against the 1986 space shuttle disaster.
The issues of casual and not so casual racism and homophobia are complex. We have to remember this is set pre-Gulf Wars (1 and 2), pre-9/11 and at the time that AIDS was an emerging and poorly-understood threat. The book captures the time beautifully. Were people really that ignorant about religion in the 1980s? Of course, they were. And in many cases, they still are today. The redneck ignorance about Sikhism is so casually bitter and I found myself wondering what a bunch of Ohio rednecks thought they had to hate Muslims for so badly in the 1980s.
Racial violence is never justified. It's 100% wrong. What bugs me, and leave me wondering when I should be sleeping, is whether it can be worse if it's based on assumptions that are completely incorrect. If something is 100% wrong, can it be more than 100% wrong when it's steeped in simple ignorance? Earlier this year I read another book - Drowning Fish, by Swati Chanda - in which a Sikh character is attacked by men who take him for a Muslim. Part of me was thinking "This is massively ironic" but it wouldn't have been acceptable if it weren't a case of mistaken identity either. Can you be more wrong than completely wrong?
Lest you should think this all sounds a bit heavy, it's mostly not. The book drips in authenticity. When describing a bookstore that sells off cheap remainder books, Barry describes them as "shelter puppies waiting for the needle and I can't go in there but for wanting to rescue them all". Book lovers will recognise that feeling. Barry describes the girl he loved and lost as smelling "amazing, like a mixture of gym mats and jasmine".
And one final quote which is as funny as it's offensive and ironic, the response of a local man when told that Gary is a Sikh: ""Is that like Sunni or, what's that other one? Shih Tzu"" ""No,"" I answered, amazed that Randy knew so many sects of Islam. And dog breeds"
I recommend this highly. It's a quick read with messages that linger long after I finished reading.
I received a free ARC from Netgalley in return for a review.
I very much enjoyed 'How I Learned to Hate in Ohio' and found lots of little details of the type that keep you thinking "This must be autobiographical" because it's just so well observed. It isn't - thank goodness, in view of some of the terrible things that happen. I wouldn't wish them on anybody.
It's the 1980s and Baruch (Barry) is about to start high school. He lives with his dad, a college philosophy professor, whilst his mum is mostly absent due to a globe-trotting job assessing potential sites all over the world for a famous hotel chain. Enter Gurbaksh (Gary) a Sikh boy with great social skills and street smarts who, rather than being the outsider, seems to be Barry's route to acceptance at school. Perhaps Gary and his dad, the larger than life and rather rude Mr Singh, have other motives in coming to the small town in Ohio but as far as Barry is concerned, he's got a friend and he's in with the in-crowd like he's never been before.
There's a great sense of time and place about this book which is never better expressed than in a powerful scene where the breakdown of the families is juxtaposed against the 1986 space shuttle disaster.
The issues of casual and not so casual racism and homophobia are complex. We have to remember this is set pre-Gulf Wars (1 and 2), pre-9/11 and at the time that AIDS was an emerging and poorly-understood threat. The book captures the time beautifully. Were people really that ignorant about religion in the 1980s? Of course, they were. And in many cases, they still are today. The redneck ignorance about Sikhism is so casually bitter and I found myself wondering what a bunch of Ohio rednecks thought they had to hate Muslims for so badly in the 1980s.
Racial violence is never justified. It's 100% wrong. What bugs me, and leave me wondering when I should be sleeping, is whether it can be worse if it's based on assumptions that are completely incorrect. If something is 100% wrong, can it be more than 100% wrong when it's steeped in simple ignorance? Earlier this year I read another book - Drowning Fish, by Swati Chanda - in which a Sikh character is attacked by men who take him for a Muslim. Part of me was thinking "This is massively ironic" but it wouldn't have been acceptable if it weren't a case of mistaken identity either. Can you be more wrong than completely wrong?
Lest you should think this all sounds a bit heavy, it's mostly not. The book drips in authenticity. When describing a bookstore that sells off cheap remainder books, Barry describes them as "shelter puppies waiting for the needle and I can't go in there but for wanting to rescue them all". Book lovers will recognise that feeling. Barry describes the girl he loved and lost as smelling "amazing, like a mixture of gym mats and jasmine".
And one final quote which is as funny as it's offensive and ironic, the response of a local man when told that Gary is a Sikh: ""Is that like Sunni or, what's that other one? Shih Tzu"" ""No,"" I answered, amazed that Randy knew so many sects of Islam. And dog breeds"
I recommend this highly. It's a quick read with messages that linger long after I finished reading.
I received a free ARC from Netgalley in return for a review.
March 23, 2021
Thank you to Abrams Books and The Overlook Press for providing me with a copy of David Stuart Maclean’s novel, How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, in exchange for an honest review.
Barry Nadler is a kid trying to navigate high school in rural Ohio during the 1980’s. His father is an adjunct philosophy professor at a nearby college, who is discovering that his once bright future, has become stagnant. His mother works for a major hotel chain and is away for months at a time on business trips to foreign countries. At school, Barry is relentlessly bullied and socially isolated.
Barry’s life changes when a new student named Gurbaksh arrives at their school. By all accounts Gurbaksh, a Sikh who wears a turban, should be the new target of bullying; he is a foreign kid in a town where being different is not valued. However, Gurbaksh, who changes his name to Gary, quickly gains acceptance. Gary befriends Barry, allowing Barry a peripheral access to the popular crowd.
Initially, Barry is happy with his new friend, but things change when Barry’s parents file for divorce and his mom begins a relationship with Gary’s father. Barry’s home life goes down the toilet, with a despondent father and a mother who is still absent, although rather than traveling internationally, she has moved-in with Gary’s father a few blocks down the road. Barry begins to realize that Gary might not be a loyal friend and that popularity is a false sense of security.
I have to confess that I started reading How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, thinking that I was reading a memoir. I was about half-way through the story, where things start taking a very chaotic turn, when I double-checked and was relieved to discover that it is a novel. Relieved, because Barry has one hell of a horrible life, particularly the intense bullying at school. It’s horrific and immensely uncomfortable to read.
I wasn’t bullied much in school. I was a shy kid, who was neither popular nor unpopular. However, Maclean’s descriptions of the many ways that Barry is bullied is very uncomfortable to read. It is uncomfortable because it rings true and doubly uncomfortable, because I, like many people, bore witness to it and most of the time, felt powerless and was gutless to stand against it. Maclean shows the results of what happens when “good people” don’t stand up to bullying.
I felt shamed reading How I Learned to Hate in Ohio. I grew up in the same era that the novel takes place and although we were taught that bullying is wrong, we were not given the tools to know how to stand against it. Not just bullying, but also other issues such as misogyny and sexual harassment. As in the story, teachers and adults got in on the bullying or turned a blind eye. I hope ( and think) that kids today are more equipped to stop bullying and other damaging behaviors. I vow that as an adult, I will do better to fight against them. In the past year, we have seen the rise of the BLM movement and even more recently, violence towards the Asian community. How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is a very timely story as it deals with similar issues. It shows the tragedy that happens when we don’t stand against hate.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is an engrossing, unexpected, and important novel. It’s certainly not an easy or comfortable read, but It should be added to your shelf.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
Barry Nadler is a kid trying to navigate high school in rural Ohio during the 1980’s. His father is an adjunct philosophy professor at a nearby college, who is discovering that his once bright future, has become stagnant. His mother works for a major hotel chain and is away for months at a time on business trips to foreign countries. At school, Barry is relentlessly bullied and socially isolated.
Barry’s life changes when a new student named Gurbaksh arrives at their school. By all accounts Gurbaksh, a Sikh who wears a turban, should be the new target of bullying; he is a foreign kid in a town where being different is not valued. However, Gurbaksh, who changes his name to Gary, quickly gains acceptance. Gary befriends Barry, allowing Barry a peripheral access to the popular crowd.
Initially, Barry is happy with his new friend, but things change when Barry’s parents file for divorce and his mom begins a relationship with Gary’s father. Barry’s home life goes down the toilet, with a despondent father and a mother who is still absent, although rather than traveling internationally, she has moved-in with Gary’s father a few blocks down the road. Barry begins to realize that Gary might not be a loyal friend and that popularity is a false sense of security.
I have to confess that I started reading How I Learned to Hate in Ohio, thinking that I was reading a memoir. I was about half-way through the story, where things start taking a very chaotic turn, when I double-checked and was relieved to discover that it is a novel. Relieved, because Barry has one hell of a horrible life, particularly the intense bullying at school. It’s horrific and immensely uncomfortable to read.
I wasn’t bullied much in school. I was a shy kid, who was neither popular nor unpopular. However, Maclean’s descriptions of the many ways that Barry is bullied is very uncomfortable to read. It is uncomfortable because it rings true and doubly uncomfortable, because I, like many people, bore witness to it and most of the time, felt powerless and was gutless to stand against it. Maclean shows the results of what happens when “good people” don’t stand up to bullying.
I felt shamed reading How I Learned to Hate in Ohio. I grew up in the same era that the novel takes place and although we were taught that bullying is wrong, we were not given the tools to know how to stand against it. Not just bullying, but also other issues such as misogyny and sexual harassment. As in the story, teachers and adults got in on the bullying or turned a blind eye. I hope ( and think) that kids today are more equipped to stop bullying and other damaging behaviors. I vow that as an adult, I will do better to fight against them. In the past year, we have seen the rise of the BLM movement and even more recently, violence towards the Asian community. How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is a very timely story as it deals with similar issues. It shows the tragedy that happens when we don’t stand against hate.
How I Learned to Hate in Ohio is an engrossing, unexpected, and important novel. It’s certainly not an easy or comfortable read, but It should be added to your shelf.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
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