Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

270 reviews

brynnalys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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 fell in love with Fredrick Backman’s writing from the first few pages. He gets you in a grip and holds you there, ending every chapter in a way that makes you pause and say “well now I have to keep going” every time you think just one more chapter for now. The story was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking and outraging at times, and Backman handles difficult, horrible topics and circumstances with such empathy and understanding. I was nervous that the topics which deal with women specifically wouldn’t be understood or written well by a man, but he blew me away, and it is evident that he has researched and discussed these things with real women to gain understanding. The way he blends a dozen character narratives with each other seamlessly had me floored. This is a book that will always have a place in the 5 star shelf for me and I will never forget the way it made me feel.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

rafdee13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

I was recommended this book by a friend and all I knew was that it is about hockey. It is about hockey- and everything else a life entails. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Homophobia

pammuribe's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Beautiful. Reflective. Heartbreaking. I don’t know and don’t really care about hockey, BUT SHIET DID I WHILE READING THIS BOOK. My heart was either in my throat, pounding, breaking or lifted with hope that some of these characters gave me. wow. wow. wow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

chalmy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

c_alexander's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Self harm

sallamaariv's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense 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

3.5

This book is great, but wayyy too long. I nearly gave up at 40% because the plot wasn't progressing. Hours and hours of character introductions and world building got exhausting and repetitive, and there were too many characters. The plot itself was captivating!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Grief

kathrynshields's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I had a hard time getting into this one, but it ended up blowing me away. The first several chapter were full of slow exposition and characters that were hard to keep straight. Then the story quickly picked up and it was brilliant and devastating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment and Alcoholism

roe_bookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, and Racism

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

tlaynejones's review against another edition

slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Classism, Bullying, Rape, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts