Reviews - Bjørnstad | The StoryGraph

24.4k reviews for:

Bjørnstad

Fredrik Backman

4.37 AVERAGE

alienhard's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

ziyslocals's review against another edition

5.0

10/10 no comment

chillystreet's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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: Yes

ainsleymagsarili's review against another edition

5.0

Beartown is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel set in a small, hockey-obsessed town deep in the Swedish forest. The story follows a junior ice hockey team on the brink of national success, and the weight of expectation they carry on behalf of the entire community. But when a traumatic event shatters the town’s fragile unity, long-buried tensions rise to the surface. It’s a story that challenges assumptions and explores the complex moral terrain of loyalty, silence, and identity, showing how a single moment can divide or define a community.

This book completely captivated me from beginning to end. The prose is both lyrical and unflinchingly honest—so addictive and immersive that I found myself lingering over sentences just to experience them again. Backman has a rare gift for weaving life’s harshest truths into moments of quiet beauty. The characters felt painfully real, and the emotional depth of their struggles often left me reflecting on my own life. There were so many quotes that stayed with me—lines that felt like they were written just for me, full of insight, heartbreak, and hope. Beartown isn’t just a story about hockey—it’s a story about people, choices, and the gray spaces between right and wrong. I gave it five stars without hesitation, and I know it’s a book that will stay with me for a long time.

kdoggdawgyman's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful informative reflective 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

Review to come…

For the trigger warnings, there is an on-page rape that occurs during chapters 21-22. While it isn’t the entirety of the chapters or extremely graphic, it does happen. The rest of the book deals with the aftermath of it.

Content Warnings