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clairebartholomew549's review against another edition
- 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
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
conniejones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol, Homophobia, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Drug use
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Bullying, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Classism, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Misogyny
Minor: Transphobia, Animal death, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders
julieshuff's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This book deals with lots of heavy topics in passing (class, sexism, alcoholism, homophobia, abuse, death of a child), and pivots around a graphic on-page rape and the fallout that comes from the girl going to the police. It was very anxiety inducing to see how few people in the town believed her, even if it wasn’t surprising.
P.S. there is rampant unexamined fatphobia throughout this book as well.
Graphic: Rape and Fatphobia
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
stepnic's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Hate crime
Moderate: Fatphobia, Child death, Classism, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, and Homophobia
Minor: Vomit and Murder
mbarlow03's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Fatphobia, Gun violence, and Homophobia
kellil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Rape, and Fatphobia
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I borrowed Beartown from my library through the Libby app. It is the first Fredrik Backman book that I have read.
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Bullying, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Medical trauma, Racism, Self harm, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Domestic abuse
te_ss_i's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Rape, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Child death, Alcohol, Transphobia, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This story captures so beautifully what it means to be human and all that we're capable of... the best, the worst, and everything in between. It is emotional and captivating, at times heartbreaking, funny, tense and hopeful.
Backman's characters are wonderfully complex, imperfect like the rest of us, and utterly lovable (or at least most of them...).
The writing style is simple, succinct and fairly blunt, and there's a lot of foreshadowing.
I was hooked immediately and will definitely be rereading this in the years to come.
Quotes:
"Words are not small things."
"Difficult questions, simple answers. What is a community? It is the sum total of our choices."
[I listened to the audiobook this time. It is well narrated and I enjoyed it a lot, but definitely prefer reading this story myself so I can reread sentences and paragraphs to my heart's content.]
Moderate: Homophobia, Classism, Rape, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse