Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

54 reviews

singalana's review

dark emotional sad slow-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

A dwindling town, passion for hockey and a crime that divides the town. What price are the people willing to pay for hockey? 

During the course of the story we get to know a cast of characters whose lives revolve around hockey in one way or another. Each of the characters have their own struggles in life, but when one of the players is accused of rape, people will have to decide who to believe and what hockey really means to them. 

The story paints a vivid picture of Beartown and all its inhabitants. It does a good job shedding light to the complex motivations people have behind their actions, and also allows the reader to read between the lines when necessary. 

At first, the book allows us to get to know the characters and their circumstances. Then a hockey player rapes a girl. The scene isn't described in needless detail, but is impactful nonetheless. When the events are made public, the people of Beartown react. 

This book deals with shame, rape culture and culture of silence. It touches on many important topics with gentleness and respect. 

The ending surprised me, and I thought it was as satisfying as it could be, considering the circumstances. I think everyone who spends time in testosterone filled environments such as a hockey team would benefit from reading this book. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

suzydunk's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Abandonment, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Rape

_rosie_reads's review

emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Rape

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Addiction, Mental illness, Self harm, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Violence, Classism, Death, and Drug abuse

melissa_b_67's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Stalking, Bullying, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

nalaban's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Death

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racism, Drug use, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Violence, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Classism, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual content, Homophobia, Medical content, Fatphobia, Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Mental illness, Body shaming, Racial slurs, and Vomit

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Abandonment, Self harm, Stalking, Cursing, Dysphoria, Hate crime, Animal death, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder

cbrice22's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Alcoholism

Minor: Homophobia, Child death, Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence

readwithkayy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Blood

Minor: Domestic abuse

sarahrahrah's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I went into reading this knowing nothing about it, other than having seen lots of praise and recommendations for it. It right away starts the intrigue with the short chapter one and the "this is the story of how we got there," and then goes on to develop the town and characters and explain all the various aspects of living in a "hockey town". Because of that first chapter, I assumed that the "violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil" from the back blurb was about someone killing someone else with a shotgun. Even though Backman does a phenomenal job of hinting at what's coming through the character development and locker room culture, I was still unprepared for when

Kevin rapes Maya

and emotionally had a hard time continuing to read after that moment. But all in all it was a fantastic book with lots of interesting themes and thoughts about the human experience wrapped up in an interesting story about a small hockey town.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Drug use, and Child death

Minor: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Classism, and Racial slurs