Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

219 reviews

eleasofia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

a good ending for the trilogy - an ending that makes sense for the story, even though it really, really hurts. with some exceptions, it's a very satisfying ending, providing more glimpses into the far future, expanding on things that have already been mentioned in the previous books. it's definitely worth the read even though the story might have simply ended after the second book.

the writing was beautiful, once again, even though it stood out more to me in book 1 and 2. 

i loved every second of reading this book and the previous ones. i'm sure it's one i'll re-read eventually. it's most definitely one i won't forget. i might not remember all of the story, but the characters will always have a special place in my heart.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

siebensommer's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

i cried through the entire final hour of this series. these characters have a space in my lil heart forever 

sometimes the greatest leadership is knowing the way home

sisterhood‘s capacity for simultaneity

one day, women throughout the country will know who they are. that, too, is a sort of cathedral. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Child death, Death, Rape, Murder, and Sexism

Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicide

caseylovett's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Gun violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Car accident, Suicide, Blood, Drug use, Bullying, Pregnancy, and Vomit

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gaslighting, Addiction, Car accident, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Outing, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Murder, Medical content, Rape, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal death, Blood, and Suicide

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Gun violence, Blood, Rape, Animal death, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Violence, Sexual content, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, and Grief

cathem2's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, and Rape

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I loved this series, and this is a fine ending, but it definitely felt like this book was about 200 pages too long. This book repeats many of the plot lines and themes of the first two books, and although the way Backman describes characters and their motivations will always be interesting and intriguing, I felt a little run down by this last installment.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Sexism, Drug use, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, Body shaming, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Classism, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Death, Murder, Rape, Racism, and Sexual violence

_pauline's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he demands as Hannah climbs into the backseat and starts whispering to the woman. 
"What's your job?" the midwife asks in a controlled voice. 
"Painter," he replies, clearing his throat. 
"How about I decide how we help your wife give birth, then you can make the decisions next time we paint a wall?"

• yet another example of Fredrik Backman single-handedly curing my big book fear
• it’ incredibly dark & sad but some scenes are just so funny (like the forest scene with ana & hannah)
• page 1 and
  644
  broke me
• I‘m not ready for this series to be over & I‘m gonna need 5-7 business days to recover (or maybe I just won’t)
• flawlessly translated - I keep forgetting I‘m not reading his books in the language they were initially written in 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, and Animal death

Minor: Child death

lizschultz24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Gun violence

Minor: Homophobia

emiliegrace's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

We have finally come to the closing of this series and the dread death of Benji that we knew was coming since the first book. It was still somehow more devastating than I had prepared myself for. This series has truly shattered me, but I have a feeling I will come back to it time and again as it is such a beautifully interwoven series of stories that reflects upon the complexities of a community and its extremely human experience.

Winners in particular posed the question of how we can come to forgive and understand people and what they have done to us or those we love. The story of Matteo and his sister Ruth is one of anguish and failure at the hands of their parents and those around them that did not do what they could to save them. 

Amat’s story is extremely satisfying in its exploration of how we deal with success and what feels like the weight of the world on our shoulders. Bobo’s little love story was a breath of fresh air throughout all the violence and turmoil and I could not be happier for a fictional character quite honestly.

And we come to Benji’s story. While the ending is devastating, I am so incredibly grateful to have known this character and to experience his coming home to a town that loves him despite what he thinks. He truly dies as he lived - a hero, putting himself in front of others to save and protect them.

So so beautifully written and so so beautifully devastating. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Animal death, Miscarriage, and Sexual assault