Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

15 reviews

katliana's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Sexism

xiggy's review against another edition

dark emotional 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 thought I was going to hate this book. It’s not a book I would typically pick up. I hate so many of the characters in this book and the mentality but that’s the point. The good characters continue to grow and be good and the bad ones well some grow up and learn something and some don’t. Most don’t. I wanted so badly for justice if there wasn’t any I would still hate this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Alcohol, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Racism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

sofiam19's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

2.5

Wasn’t really for me. Read this for a book club knowing there would be heavy subject matter. I found myself very bored and didn’t care for most of it, the writing felt forced in some spots and there was a lot of filler imo. I can see how others may have loved it, but there was something missing for me to be able to emotionally connect to any of the characters. The second half of the book made me mad but it was very realistic, I’ll give it that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Violence, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Racism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

annakh16's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense

• 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? Yes

4.75

A masterpiece in character studies. A lot darker than I expected (please do note the trigger warnings) but handled with great empathy. 

Backman brings each character to life beautifully - and there are a lot of them -, showing the many depths of their motivations and creating an ever more complex web of relationships. The writing is straightforward but stunning - philosophical at times, when discussing concepts such as loyalty, love, friendship, family, community and more, but also full of vivid descriptions and images that really help bring the stories to life. The book makes clever use of flashbacks and flashforwards, which are revealing enough for the reader to make their own guesses about what will happen, but obscure enough to allow the story to unfold at its own pace. In fact, the book is full of small plot twists along the way, which are really aided by these small hints, that are often subverted at the last minute. 

The only thing I‘d say is that it‘s a little bit slow to get into, as it starts with a lot of character description before the plot gets moving. But (as Backman always manages), soon both characters and places are laced with depth, so that you can’t help but root for them (or despise them, alternatively). As the plot picks up, so does the pace and by the end of the book, tension is running thick. 

This is no doubt my favourite of Backman’s books so far. I loved this and would really recommend (even if you‘re not even slightly interested in hockey).

I especially appreciated Backman‘s almost sociological study of the dynamics and events surrounding Maya‘s rape. Backman explains, without justifying, the many factors which encouraged complicity and silence surrounding the event. His descriptions of the impact of the events on Maya‘s life and that of her family are devastating and moving. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Bullying, and Physical abuse

Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Classism, Drug use, Child death, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

homealone2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Blood, Rape, Death, Mental illness, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Lesbophobia

kananineko's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Alcohol, Gun violence, Child abuse, Classism, Body shaming, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder

Minor: Drug use, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Alcoholism, Child death, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death

ericaw212's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

i ❤️ fredrik backman and now apparently hockey

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Gun violence

prairieraven's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Child death, and Homophobia

Minor: Toxic friendship, Racism, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Body shaming, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

ellejo3's review against another edition

The casual misogyny and homophobia was nauseating, but a friend highly recommended it, so I tried to continue. I couldn’t get past the graphic rape scene, though. Men shouldn’t write stories about girls who are raped. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Rape, and Misogyny

hawkguyscoffee's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A thoroughly interesting story, I couldn't take my eyes off the book the moment I got into it, Though slow paced and repetitive, these are the things that make the writer's writing style really charming and unique and what eventually you come to love. Though I don't entirely agree with many views expressed in the book, I can clearly see that it mostly tries to analyse where someone comes from and what makes them think and do what they do, even when it looks senseless to the outsiders, rather than analyse wether is was wrong or right. I also loved how even on a book so focused on the aforementioned, it still unequivocally condems things like 

rape, homophobia and misogyny

  because, as the book itself states,   

  "This town doesn’t always know the difference between right and wrong, but we know the difference between good and evil" 

 . Another thing I thoroughly loved was it's treatment of friendships and how it was captivated perfectly in both the adults and the youngsters. Finally, I'd like to add that I loved the descriptions of both the town and the players feelings, who were so vivid you could feel the cold on your nose and the passion for the sport in your heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Classism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism