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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
This trilogy is horrifying. It will break your heart a hundred times and leave you gasping. People are awful and terrible things happen and you just have to wait and watch with your heart in your throat the whole time. This trilogy is also glorious. It will touch your soul a hundred times and leave you gasping. People are amazing and wonderful things happen and you just get to wait and watch with your heart in your throat the whole time. Backman’s writing is beautiful and the way that he just SEES people is incredible. It’s a long book; the story weaves in and out and around until it pulls a single thread and all comes together. I love that; it’s my favorite kind of writing. But if you want him to just get to the point you’ll be disappointed. He never gets to the point— he gets to the heart of things, and that’s another matter entirely.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Fredrik Backman but this one didn't do it for me. I wasn't sure if this installment needed to be told. It felt like it was more manipulative and tragic with no purpose. I felt like that message he was trying to get across with this book was already accomplished in the previous ones. Overall, I would skip this book.
This is the conclusion to the Beartown Trilogy, but it is not the conclusion Beartown or hockey.
This may be my favorite of the three, defiantly the most emotional for me. Despite the constant foreshadowing (which is a staple of Backman's writing) the ending still lands like a solid punch to the gut.
Backman always writes about relationships, but he also wanted to write a book about the worst aspects of hockey (applies to all sports) and The Winners continues to strain and bond relationships of Beartown and Head population through the good and mostly bad of hockey.
I 100% cried reading this book and am not ashamed to admit it. Great art makes you feel, and Backman produced a great piece of art.
This may be my favorite of the three, defiantly the most emotional for me. Despite the constant foreshadowing (which is a staple of Backman's writing) the ending still lands like a solid punch to the gut.
Backman always writes about relationships, but he also wanted to write a book about the worst aspects of hockey (applies to all sports) and The Winners continues to strain and bond relationships of Beartown and Head population through the good and mostly bad of hockey.
I 100% cried reading this book and am not ashamed to admit it. Great art makes you feel, and Backman produced a great piece of art.
emotional
informative
sad
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:
Complicated
Sorry to see the Beartown series end. Long book with lots of retelling of parts from the previous two books (which can be either useful or annoying). Very dark in spots. Many things come together or get explained at the very end. When it was over, I just felt drained; a bit happy, but mostly sad.
The Beartown series is so different from all of his lighter books it is hard to believe it is from the same author.
The Beartown series is so different from all of his lighter books it is hard to believe it is from the same author.
emotional
sad
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:
Complicated
Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors of all time. His books make me feel all the feels. His character work is astonishing. Particularly with the Beartown trilogy, he takes the reader through such a range of emotions that at times, I needed to put the book down and take some deep breaths.
The only thing that brought this book down to 4 stars was the length. At almost 700 pages, the book felt a little bogged down in places.
Did I still cry my eyes out? Yes.
The only thing that brought this book down to 4 stars was the length. At almost 700 pages, the book felt a little bogged down in places.
Did I still cry my eyes out? Yes.
Incredible finish to a well crafted trilogy. So sorry it has ended.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Homophobia, Rape
Minor: Child abuse