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4.37 AVERAGE
4.37 AVERAGE
Complex, thought-provoking, full of emotion. Loved it all.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not going to lie to you guys, I almost DNFd this book a couple times. Once at like 15% and then at around 30%. But I knew this was a super beloved book and I hadn’t really ever heard anything bad about it so I pushed through and I’m so glad I did.
To start off with this book is about hockey. There’s so much hockey. I don’t care about hockey. It’s also about how close and loyal these hockey teams are, how passionate people can be about their hockey teams and how much a star hockey player can get away with because he’s a star hockey player. To start with I didn’t care about the hockey and I was frustrated with these douchey teenage boys and how they were allowed to act however they wanted and the violence even seemed to be encouraged, on or off the ice. But then I realized that’s sort of the point.
There’s an inciting incident that happens at about 40% into this book and I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say what it is but do check triggers if there are things you don’t want to read about. That sort of gives it away but if it’s something that’s going to trigger you, you should know about it ahead of time. The vibe of the book changes quite a bit after that. It becomes more about the community and how unwilling people are to believe that their precious star athlete could do something wrong. About how people are able to convince themselves that they must be mistaken and he could never have done that. And even if people believe that he did it, is it worth destroying his hockey career over?
This is such a heartbreaking and beautiful look at something that unfortunately happens too often and with similar results. It’s about how a community can come together, either for good or evil and how a few brave people can stand up for what’s right even if no one else seems to agree with them. There’s a quote from the book that spoke to me so much that I’m going to paraphrase because I don’t remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of “When so many people are silent, the few people who aren’t are screaming,” There were so many people in this book who kept quiet because it was easier than arguing.
By the end of this book I was so surprised by the characters I ended up loving and feeling so much for. A couple of the boys who at the beginning of the book seemed like bullies, by the end of the book were some of the few defending people who couldn’t defend themselves. The people who were willing to stand up and say something were so interesting to me. I’m so ready to continue on with this series and see what else the community of Beartown gets up to.
To start off with this book is about hockey. There’s so much hockey. I don’t care about hockey. It’s also about how close and loyal these hockey teams are, how passionate people can be about their hockey teams and how much a star hockey player can get away with because he’s a star hockey player. To start with I didn’t care about the hockey and I was frustrated with these douchey teenage boys and how they were allowed to act however they wanted and the violence even seemed to be encouraged, on or off the ice. But then I realized that’s sort of the point.
There’s an inciting incident that happens at about 40% into this book and I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say what it is but do check triggers if there are things you don’t want to read about. That sort of gives it away but if it’s something that’s going to trigger you, you should know about it ahead of time. The vibe of the book changes quite a bit after that. It becomes more about the community and how unwilling people are to believe that their precious star athlete could do something wrong. About how people are able to convince themselves that they must be mistaken and he could never have done that. And even if people believe that he did it, is it worth destroying his hockey career over?
This is such a heartbreaking and beautiful look at something that unfortunately happens too often and with similar results. It’s about how a community can come together, either for good or evil and how a few brave people can stand up for what’s right even if no one else seems to agree with them. There’s a quote from the book that spoke to me so much that I’m going to paraphrase because I don’t remember the exact wording but it was something along the lines of “When so many people are silent, the few people who aren’t are screaming,” There were so many people in this book who kept quiet because it was easier than arguing.
By the end of this book I was so surprised by the characters I ended up loving and feeling so much for. A couple of the boys who at the beginning of the book seemed like bullies, by the end of the book were some of the few defending people who couldn’t defend themselves. The people who were willing to stand up and say something were so interesting to me. I’m so ready to continue on with this series and see what else the community of Beartown gets up to.
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A town whose whole being centers on hockey and developing players who will become famous and put the town on the map. When something puts that dream in jeopardy, the people in the town start to pick sides and everyone is impacted … This book is so beautifully written, it’s easy to get wrapped up in each person, their history, the part they play, the emotions they feel, the actions they take … Good read!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"For the perpetrator, rape lasts just a matter of minutes. For the victim, it never stops."
I was blown away. I cried 12 times. Beartown the hockey town was suffocating, yet there were glimpses of moments that perhaps there was still hope. It's infuriating and touching and sad.
Fredrik Backman has such a deep understanding on people that the male, female, old, and young POVs sound so human. The first 40% was slow because he took his time to introduce the dynamics between the characters and the small community, but the build-up was paid off by how careful the rape was handled. It didn't feel sensationalised, instead the response—or the lack of it because being silent is safer than standing up for the victim when the rapist hasn't been convicted, right?—was brutally realistic.
I don't have the words to explain how well-written this is, but everyone should read this at least once. It opens the discussion on how a rape victim is perceived and blamed, how quickly it turns into a he-said-she-said situation, how a teenage guy who does it is just called a "young boy" while the same-aged girl is called a "woman grown enough to know better", how taking a neutral stance can be just as harmful as attacking the victim, and how misogynistic, homophobic locker room jokes are not just jokes.
I was blown away. I cried 12 times. Beartown the hockey town was suffocating, yet there were glimpses of moments that perhaps there was still hope. It's infuriating and touching and sad.
Fredrik Backman has such a deep understanding on people that the male, female, old, and young POVs sound so human. The first 40% was slow because he took his time to introduce the dynamics between the characters and the small community, but the build-up was paid off by how careful the rape was handled. It didn't feel sensationalised, instead the response—or the lack of it because being silent is safer than standing up for the victim when the rapist hasn't been convicted, right?—was brutally realistic.
I don't have the words to explain how well-written this is, but everyone should read this at least once. It opens the discussion on how a rape victim is perceived and blamed, how quickly it turns into a he-said-she-said situation, how a teenage guy who does it is just called a "young boy" while the same-aged girl is called a "woman grown enough to know better", how taking a neutral stance can be just as harmful as attacking the victim, and how misogynistic, homophobic locker room jokes are not just jokes.
A lot of reviewers here are right in saying this story is a bit of a departure from Backman's other books, but the quality remains!
This novel is layered and emotionally intelligent. It's about hockey and yet it is a beautiful story to read even you care nothing or know nothing about the sport.
This novel is layered and emotionally intelligent. It's about hockey and yet it is a beautiful story to read even you care nothing or know nothing about the sport.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Writing style was very choppy. Too many characters without smooth transitions between POVs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
dark
emotional
inspiring