9.98k reviews for:

Us Against You

Fredrik Backman

4.42 AVERAGE


I loved this MORE than Beartown and it broke my heart… I don’t even want to read the last book yet.. my heart needs a minute 😭❤️‍🩹

It’s hard to think that the author could follow up the serious topic of rape in book one with a topic as serious, but the author does with this portrait of bias against homosexuality. Just as thought provoking as Beartown.
dark emotional funny sad fast-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: No
emotional reflective tense medium-paced
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book felt much more wandering litfic style than book one, but I loved getting the perspectives of all these characters as they’re all going about their own way to heal. Of course, there’s more scandals and the town is really struggling. Even though I’ve been taking my time and reading this for a while, I was actually sad this book ended. Thank goodness there’s a book 3!

3.5
adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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
emotional medium-paced
challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

Why does anyone love team sports? Because we want to be part of a group? For some people the answer is simply that a team is a family.

Another amazing book by Fredrik Backman! Family, marriage, friendship, love, loss, sports, enemies, community... the list could go on for the million relatable storylines in the Beartown series. I felt like this one was even better than Beartown, #1.

What’s love if we aren’t prepared to make sacrifices?

Backman does an unbelievable job of character develop. I was constantly wanting more, oh and the emotions were a whirlwind! From rooting for Maya and Ana's friendship to constantly wanting Richard Theo's plan to fall apart to hoping Leo, Benji, Bobo, Amat, Zacharias would find their happy endings.

you have to be a good friend to the kids who haven’t got any friends. And you have to defend the ones who are weaker. Even when it’s hard, even when you think it’s a nuisance, even when you’re scared. You always have to be a good friend

The other aspect I love about how he wrote this book was that he gave you 1 or 2 sentences that gave you pieces of what might happen in the future without giving anything away. He kept creating that cliffhanger that doesn't allow you to put the book down. I often fall asleep reading at night after about 20 pages, the last 80 pages I read in one night, I couldn't put it down!

Love and hate. Joy and sorrow. Anger and forgiveness. Sports carry the promise that we can have everything tonight. Only sports can do that.

Sports have always been a huge part of my life, this book is all about hockey but you could replace hockey with any sport you love and it fits.

All sports are fairy tales, that’s why we lose ourselves in them.
challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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