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zimzil's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
coybean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Hate crime, Bullying, Grief, Homophobia, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Stalking, Murder, Self harm, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
ejwilliams's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Xenophobia, Violence, and Homophobia
lucakocsis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Homophobia, and Xenophobia
jenhawkins's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
This book was nothing like I expected, and yet everything I have come to experience from this author. Fredrik Backman has a skill for creating the most compelling, most fleshed out crew of characters, very similar in some aspects to James McBride’s “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store”. He differentiates the more central voices and stories from others, but does not narrow his scope at all. The Beartown team, their friends, their parents and their parents’ friends, the woven tapestry of the town comes into full focus in this novel. The community has sharp, contrasting characters, some to root for and others to bristle up against.
I went into this book expecting a heartwarming tale about a hockey team fighting against all odds to succeed in a world that sees them as the underdogs. This is not that book. This book shines in its portrayal of the spectrum of human kindness and human fallibility, in spotlighting what distress and challenge does to different people. How their environment is not just a passive sleepy town in the forest, but a living and breathing PRESENCE in their lives, with expectations all its own. At its heart, this novel is about how perspective shapes the stories one tells to the world and to themselves. Passion, the destructive and healing powers of community, and a loss of innocence at all ages are fiercely returning themes as well. It was heart-wrenching and raw and persevering. I was hooked immediately.
The faults I had with this book were minor but bugged me enough to keep this one floating around 4 stars for me. One thing I noticed that gets on my nerves a bit in books is that some of the characters, the children in particular, did not speak to each other or to adults like people. They often said things that, while profound, did not match a natural person’s thoughts and opinions. Lines were often delivered for emotional impact and commentary on society rather than if they were being delivered to a best friend, or a mother. I also thought there was a bit of a leaning to wrap some of these story threads up too neatly. Some characters “learn their lesson” clean and clear, almost to give the book some strong sense of a hopeful ending. Perhaps this is part of the message of the novel, but I found it less compelling than the rest of Backman’s writing.
Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Bullying, Homophobia, and Rape
Minor: Xenophobia, Gun violence, and Sexual content
psdarlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Violence
sofia_miss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Rape, and Misogyny
pallasreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Racism, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Addiction
foxmulders's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Rape
Moderate: Xenophobia, Classism, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I borrowed Beartown from my library through the Libby app. It is the first Fredrik Backman book that I have read.
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Bullying, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Medical trauma, Racism, Self harm, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Domestic abuse