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irinis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty
bribaxa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Animal death, Rape, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
tinytrashqueen'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Violence, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Vomit, Addiction, Sexism, Animal death, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
nikimorr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I will say, I had a harder time with Winners versus the first two books in the Beartown series. Fredrik Bachman has so many deep, powerful, and thought-provoking messages to relay; however, sometimes it can feel like these deeper messages bog down the story and slow the development of plot. The ending, despite the length of the book, felt like a rush - as if most of the book was asking the reader to contemplate these deeper messages that the plot had to all be thrown in at once at the end. The ending was foreshadowed throughout, almost like you knew the ending before it happened, but it took about 600 pages to get there. Overall, I was not entranced by the storyline.
All this to say, I still love the Beartown series. I always leave these books with a feeling of understanding and appreciation of community. The good, the bad, and the ugly in us and within our communities. Nothing is ever black and white, and I appreciate that recognition in this fictional town and within their relationships. As is said frequently by Lev - good people can do very bad things, and bad people can do very good things.
A question Frederik Backman always takes us back to: why don’t we believe and support our women victims? It’s a real issue in today’s society, and I appreciate a male voice recognizing and questioning it.
SPOILERS. My favorite addition to this final book was the introduction of Hannah and Johnny. I found them to be far more relatable than most characters and both sweet and heartwarming to read about - a couple very much in love, with wildly important and time consuming careers testing which often test the balance of their family.
SPOILERS. Another addition I both appreciated and hated was Bang, Sune’s dog. As an avid animal lover, I felt every word about the love a person can have for a pet. Sune puts it best - was he my dog, or was I really his human? The animal abuse and death of Bang had me also hating this chapter - nothing gets to me more.
SPOILERS. The evolution of Matteo was both terrifying and fascinating. Well done by Fredrik Backman for creating an “enemy” that made the reader, at least sort of, understand how he got to a place of doing something so horrifying and to get you questioning the role that everyone played in shaping the events that led to the horrible gun violence ending the series.
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Death, Stalking, and Murder
karimorton33's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Violence, Homophobia, and Sexual violence
Minor: Medical content, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
- 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
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
slireads'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
Moderate: Sexual assault and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Animal death, and Alcoholism
wordsofclover's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The final book of Beartown and this one did no disappoint - it was full of all the emotional angst and torture I would expect from Fredrik Backman who has skillfully crafted a town and its neighbour to life so well, I felt like I was part if it all. The characters in this book are so sad, happy, lovely and tortured all at the same time - every single one of them is going through something whether they be at the end of their long lives like Ramona and Sune, the middle like Hannah, Kira and Peter or at the beginning like Maya and Ana.
We see events from Book One which revolved around Kevin and Maya come back into focus as we learn about another girl who wasn't as 'lucky' as Maya and a brother who was left alone to be tortured about what happened to his sister. Backman shows what makes a hero and what doesn't - in acts of true bravery such as forfeiting a life for others, and other small ones like paving the way for others behind, admitting when you're wrong and swallowing down long-held grudges for the happiness of your children.
I thought I'd might have been 'emotionally manipulated' out by the end of this book as we all know what's about to happen - we have been told constantly what's going to happen since the start of book one yet when it did happen I was still devastated. And seeing the pieces of everyone left behind, and the shadow that was left, the friend they always felt walk beside them but could never see UGH!
I really loved this trilogy - so expertly crafted and you can tell the author put everything he had into this and all the characters. I'm not sure I'll ever be emotionally ready to read the books again but I do know I'm not ready to say goodbye for good.
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Animal cruelty
chamaeleontis's review
- 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
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.
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
lindsaymcneely's review
- 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
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Alcoholism