Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

11 reviews

paperbacksandsnacks's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Medical content

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

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

yulecogs's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Grief, Stalking, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Classism, Murder, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Drug use, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

idajoh's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

helt syk

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Blood, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Bullying, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, Vomit, Stalking, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

linkamarisa's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Bullying

Moderate: Child death, Classism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Homophobia

wellreadjill_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Self harm, Child death, Sexism, Grief, Classism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual content, Homophobia, Medical content, and Misogyny

chamaeleontis's review

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Violence, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Rape, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Cursing, Bullying, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Cancer, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Self harm, Body shaming, Cursing, and Gun violence

emusing's review

dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Blood, Medical content, and Self harm

For many of these things, they are not described graphically, but they are central to the premise of the book, so if you don't want to think about rape or violence, you will have a problem. There are also several moments which Backman writes around to make you think that one thing is about to happen, but in the next section reveals that it was not part of the plan all along.

For example, Zacharias goes into the school thinking about suicide and carrying a bucket to stand on when he hangs himself (you think), but it's actually a bucket of water to wash hate speech off of lockers. There are also fake-out moments about homophobia when David discovers that Benji is gay, and when Maya goes out, supposedly to kill someone.