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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
Reread** I enjoyed rereading this second Beartown novel in preparation for the newest book. It is just as deep and moving as its predecessor. I love and care about these characters so much.
This was not as good as Beartown. I didn't even get mad at Matt once!
Pretty early on in the book, I had a thought: I don't know how Backman manages to break my heart and irritate the crap out of me in the same sentence. He continued to do that throughout the book; his omniscient narrator kept dragging me out of the story, and his continual fake-outs drove me nuts. He couldn't be trusted to just tell the story. It made me wonder if it had been translated by someone different, but nope. Same author, same translator. I would have made some different editorial decisions, but no one asked my opinion.
Even so, Backman still knows how to make tears spring to my eyes, even if I'm not letting them fall or yelling at my husband because MEN. I'm a different person than I was when I read Beartown. I have a better understanding and appreciation of some of these characters, and a different understanding of grief and community. Maybe that's ruined me for the ways Backman has previously been able to rip my heart out, or maybe I just didn't need a sequel to Beartown and no sequel was ever going to be as good as the original.
Pretty early on in the book, I had a thought: I don't know how Backman manages to break my heart and irritate the crap out of me in the same sentence. He continued to do that throughout the book; his omniscient narrator kept dragging me out of the story, and his continual fake-outs drove me nuts. He couldn't be trusted to just tell the story. It made me wonder if it had been translated by someone different, but nope. Same author, same translator. I would have made some different editorial decisions, but no one asked my opinion.
Even so, Backman still knows how to make tears spring to my eyes, even if I'm not letting them fall or yelling at my husband because MEN. I'm a different person than I was when I read Beartown. I have a better understanding and appreciation of some of these characters, and a different understanding of grief and community. Maybe that's ruined me for the ways Backman has previously been able to rip my heart out, or maybe I just didn't need a sequel to Beartown and no sequel was ever going to be as good as the original.
sad
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Violence
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
I was dubious about this sequel to "Beartown" - was it necessary? Would it be any good? I needn't have worried, this was possibly better than the first book, and well worth a read. Backman's very blunt style spells out the emotions and questions you should be feeling and asking yourself, but it somehow works.
A story of sports, sacrifice, morality and love.
A story of sports, sacrifice, morality and love.
This was a little harder to get into than the first book but well worth reading!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes