Reviews tagging 'Death'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

58 reviews

salt_y's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Frederick Backman simply has a way with words. Although this book made me cry most of the time, all the characters were written with such care that it took my breath away. The beginning was rather hard to get into properly, especially with the constantly switching perspectives, representing basically everyone who lives in Beartown. As soon as the 40% mark hit however, I couldn't put it down and was destroyed by the story in the best way. Mind the content warnings before going into this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Rape, Homophobia, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, and Bullying

Moderate: Gun violence, Eating disorder, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

readwthsam's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Bullying

sastork's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Homophobia, and Child death

justwordsandink's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Death, Violence, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

hannevdss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, and Death of parent

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Several years ago I read Anxious People and found it almost unbearably moving. Ever since, I've heard people talk about Beartown, but I kept putting off reading it. I finally got around to reading it, and woof, what another almost unbearably touching book. This book covers hard content, but it's more about how people react to tragedy, how a community copes with violence and change, and the insidious and relentless nature of rape culture. It's obvious Backman has deep sympathy for each of his characters, even the ones perpetrating horrible acts and saying awful things, and he is so adept at charting a person's inner life that you find yourself at least somewhat understanding even the people in the narrative that you hate. Beartown is so vividly realized, and even though I'm not much of a hockey person, Backman makes you believe in the players and the town. This was an essential read, and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Rape, Fatphobia, Death, Homophobia, Grief, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Xenophobia, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Addiction, Sexism, and Misogyny

taracloudclark's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A stark small town obsessed with hockey grooms its children to be either predators or victims, heroes are truly born out of adversity and find themselves kneecapped by those they trust the most. 

The first half of this book is a lot of exposition, setting the stage for the driving action. But it’s done well, creatively, interestingly. In other words, “nothing happens,” and I was *almost* bored with it, but I only had to push through a little. It kind of reminds me of Spoon River Anthology with the intertwining of lives and stories of a small town where everyone knows everyone and always have (except the newbies, but that’s not portrayed as harshly as many of this trope). 

While it’s a sports town, the sport itself doesn’t take a front seat. It truly is the background while still sating any love for it. 

This definitely borders on literary fiction bc the structure is done in a very precise and lovely way, using almost poetic mechanisms such as repeated phrases and parallelism. The narrative style also has a starkness that reflects the setting and the situation, and vice versa. Tension and foreshadowing are done in an obvious but not ridiculous manner. The *way* it was written is as well done as the story itself. 

This is definitely a book for consideration. The story is laid out, and while there’s no ambiguity as to “what happened,” there is much speculation to be made as to why and how and what the underlying issues are and how else they affect society. There are no stark answers given. Bad behavior is mentioned, implicated, but not condemned outright. That’s for the reader to determine, negotiate in some cases. Anyone who feels this is moralizing is probably on the more brutal side of the issue. 

The narrator Marin Ireland does very well in complimenting the narrative style as well. It’s 3rd person, and the author is male, but I’m pleased they chose a female to tell this story. Such topics through the male perspective can be troublesome, but I feel like the author did well and the narrator helped convince me of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Vomit, Classism, Blood, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Addiction, Bullying, Drug use, Mental illness, and Suicide

samlo28's review against another edition

slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Sexism, Death, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Ableism, Self harm, Rape, Eating disorder, Addiction, Child death, Child abuse, and Gun violence

coybean's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Hate crime, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Stalking, Murder, Self harm, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

samiamiam's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

My grandmother had bought me this book years ago after I read "My Grandmother Wants Me To Tell You She's Sorry" and despite devouring that book I thought Beartown wouldn't appeal to me. 

Boy was I wrong. I picked this book up because I needed a book with snow on the cover for a January prompt and I've never been so glad I did. This book was ohenominal and heart wrenching. I've already rush ordered the next two and I'm sure they'll be just as good. If you can stomach the darker themes of this book I can not recommend it more highly. 

the scene where Maya puts a gun to Kevins head and pulls the trigger is soemthinf we are told from the start will happen but i became so immersed in the story i forgot it was coming. When she dtarts talking ahout killing him or herself i remembered and i was in the edge of my seat. The fact that you dont kniw the gun is unloaded until the deed is done just adds ro it. The flashing back and forth to what you at first think is Maya and her future husband and what you learn after finding out the gun is unloadiled is Kevin and his future wife still gives me chills. This was one of the best written scenes i have ever read and i can not praise it enough

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Grief, Drug use, Blood, Classism, and Death