Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

58 reviews

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The saga of Beartown comes to a tragic and triumphant close.

“This hurts too much to touch with words.”

I knew from the first page of The Winners that it was going to wreck me. I was not prepared. 

It took me over a month to read this book partially because work has been crazy and I haven’t had much time to read, but also because I was dreading the end of Beartown, saying goodbye to this town, these characters - especially one in particular. It was rough, but what a beautiful ride. Backman is my favorite for a reason. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, Medical trauma, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Gaslighting, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

thehmkane's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Dammit Backman, you've done it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Addiction, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Suicide, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Ableism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Miscarriage

chamaeleontis's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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 have no words right now. This book is amazing. It’s the perfect ending to the story of Beartown, as much as I did not want that story to end.

It’s delightful. It’s painful. It’s so very very human. It took my heart and stomped on it and gently pieced it back together.

I rate all the books I read too high and I don’t have the patience to fix that. So just know that this one is one of the best I’ve ever read, even if my rating doesn’t reflect that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Animal death, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, Fatphobia, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Body shaming, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Cursing, Drug use, and Gaslighting

j3ss1's review

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

Loved it and hated it in equal measure, loved it because of how emotionally wrecked it left me. Hated it for the same reason!
It speaks to how beautifully written it is and how well the characters are brought to life that I didn't get tired of the slow pace, I was hooked. I was also completely sobbing by the end. I really enjoyed having Hed characters who allowed us to see Beartown and the events of the last two books through a different perspective both in terms of how these new characters experienced those events and showing a comparison to other people's similar but different stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Mass/school shootings, Rape, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Sexual violence

Minor: Drug abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug use, Car accident, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, and Suicide

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

In this final book, we find both Benji and Maya returning to Beartown after being away for years. As the future of Hed and Beartown hockey is debated, some turn to love, some turn to family, and some turn to hate. 

As with the previous two books, we get an incredible story filled with complex and flawed characters. We get to revisit all of our favourite (and not so favourite) characters, along with a few new ones. 

Though there is so much loss and grief within this trilogy, it is also filled with so much hope and love. This trilogy is all about the power of community and how when faced with a crisis, we can put aside our differences and come together support one another. Backman has such an amazing understanding of human nature, grief, and relationships.

The conclusion to this story is absolutely heartbreaking, yet we still manage to get a satisfying ending.

The loss of Benji was was devastating. He was my favourite character in this trilogy. His death, though unthinkable, was fitting for his character. He died protecting someone he loved. There is nothing more Benji than that.

My only criticism, is that the beginning was a little slow and repetitive. That said, it is still an incredibly beautiful and intricate story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse

marypetrushko's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, and Gun violence

kallsypage's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Addiction

Minor: Alcoholism

likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Animal death, Child death, Gun violence, Grief, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Addiction

edgaranjapoe's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Addiction, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Rape, Murder, Grief, Classism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Blood, Homophobia, Car accident, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abandonment, Stalking, Self harm, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Fatphobia, Abortion, Body shaming, Cancer, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Vomit

hermoine7's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

2.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Bullying, Child abuse, Murder, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment