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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
A little more exposition than per Bachman’s usual. Felt he was trying too hard to make a point, without continuing the realism of his original Beartown characters.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
I wanted to love this as much as I did Beartown, but I could never really connect with this book. It wasn’t the characters, it was the style. It was very distracting with mini summaries and reminders about what kind of town or story it is, the narrator who leads us into foreshadowing that is misleading, the constant shifting of characters and timelines….and it just really kept me from connecting. Not my favorite Blackman. Maybe I’ll like the next in this series better.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fredrik Backman just gets people.
Like Beartown, this book isn’t just about hockey—it’s about love and loyalty, grief and rage.
Every emotion, every character, every heartbreak feels real.
He doesn’t just write about people; he sees them, flaws and all, and somehow makes you love them even when they’re at their worst.
I loved this just as much as the first one. The writing is fantastic- full of those quiet gut-punch moments that sneak up on you.
One minute you’re turning pages, and the next, you’re sitting there, staring into space, feeling everything. Whoof.
The rivalries, the friendships, the pain of wanting to do right but not knowing how—it’s just so human.
So far in 2025, no one writes about the human condition better than Backman.
Translated lit for the win!
Like Beartown, this book isn’t just about hockey—it’s about love and loyalty, grief and rage.
Every emotion, every character, every heartbreak feels real.
He doesn’t just write about people; he sees them, flaws and all, and somehow makes you love them even when they’re at their worst.
I loved this just as much as the first one. The writing is fantastic- full of those quiet gut-punch moments that sneak up on you.
One minute you’re turning pages, and the next, you’re sitting there, staring into space, feeling everything. Whoof.
The rivalries, the friendships, the pain of wanting to do right but not knowing how—it’s just so human.
So far in 2025, no one writes about the human condition better than Backman.
Translated lit for the win!
3.75 stars but I'm feeling generous today.
I continue to love Backman and his prose. Oh how I wish I could read it in it's original Swedish. I bet his books all sound lovely and poetic. He is one of the few authors who can write in present tense and not send me up a wall...usually it doesn't work, but for Backman it does.
Welcome back to Beartown - a town with triumphs and flaws. We are back a few weeks after the completion of the first book and everyone is kind of living with the fallout from their choices in the previous book. Though, beautiful, I thought this book got bogged down a bit in the details, especially the political stuff and the foreshadowing. It was just too much for me. And then when the foreshadowed event came to pass I found it slightly anti-climatic. Sad, but not shocking.
Despite these qualms, I still love Backman and Beartown.
Recommend for people who need a good cry, love pretty prose, or want a book about deeply flawed individuals.
I continue to love Backman and his prose. Oh how I wish I could read it in it's original Swedish. I bet his books all sound lovely and poetic. He is one of the few authors who can write in present tense and not send me up a wall...usually it doesn't work, but for Backman it does.
Welcome back to Beartown - a town with triumphs and flaws. We are back a few weeks after the completion of the first book and everyone is kind of living with the fallout from their choices in the previous book. Though, beautiful, I thought this book got bogged down a bit in the details, especially the political stuff and the foreshadowing. It was just too much for me. And then when the foreshadowed event came to pass I found it slightly anti-climatic. Sad, but not shocking.
Spoiler
I think this is in large part because Vidar wasn't really a main character. We knew his brother loved him. We knew he was a good goalie. And we were just starting to get bits and pieces of his and Anna's love story. But he doesn't make an appearance until well into the second half of the book. We only have a few back stories. I just didn't understand him like I understood Benji, Maya, Peter, or even Tema. So when he died it was sad, but I was not yet fully invested in the character. So much of the first half was about Leo and then he kind of drops off to make way for Vidar. I think Vidar should have been introduced sooner.Despite these qualms, I still love Backman and Beartown.
Recommend for people who need a good cry, love pretty prose, or want a book about deeply flawed individuals.
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I still love all of the characters. The character development is still extraordinary. Heavy storyline but not as heavy as the first one. On to the third book.
I finished this book about an hour ago and I’ve just been laying in my bed, looking up at my ceiling, and thinking about it ever since. The amount of times this book gave me chills shocks me, I never wanted to put it down. Fredrik Backman created a town with true passion and drive for something as simple as hockey. The relationship between the characters has honestly changed some of my own relationships for the better. This book, as well as Beartown, has taught me how to fight and not give up. I will never forget this book.