Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

19 reviews

theelliad's review against another edition

5.0

Never would I have expected to find a book so triggering and love it so dearly- this was so specific in its traumas it became somewhat healing and I fell in love with the parts of me I saw reflected in these characters. This story of a small town and it’s hockey obsessed people branches into accountability, power, social norms, grief, the exploitation of children in competitive sports, sex and assault politics, homophobia (internalised and external), secrecy, systematic and institutional failures and family dynamics without ever feeling too full. Backmans writing is so easy to love and I will be thinking about this book for a long time 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Addiction, Death, Homophobia, Drug use, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Child death, Suicide, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

leelaamanda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Rape, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

coybean's review against another edition

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

xiggy's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought I was going to hate this book. It’s not a book I would typically pick up. I hate so many of the characters in this book and the mentality but that’s the point. The good characters continue to grow and be good and the bad ones well some grow up and learn something and some don’t. Most don’t. I wanted so badly for justice if there wasn’t any I would still hate this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Racism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

stepnic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

homealone2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Blood, Rape, Death, Mental illness, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Lesbophobia

jadedjill's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Mental illness, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, Outing, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Classism

singalana's review against another edition

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

edgaranjapoe's review

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

prairieraven's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Child death, and Homophobia

Minor: Toxic friendship, Racism, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Body shaming, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Child abuse