Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

412 reviews

thehannahclaire's review against another edition

4.25

emotional reflective 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

prairiefairie's review against another edition

4.5

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Classism

jennyatesfoley's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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This was an infuriating book to read. It is full of misogyny, and toxic masculinity, and a "boys will be boys" mindset. Boys are taught that violence can solve anything, women only exist for one thing, and consequences don't exist if you're good at hockey.
I do understand that making the reader uncomfortable may be the point of this book, to present a commentary on these very real dynamics that exist in real life. However, I also think that it's possible to write about social issues and also tell a compelling story that is enjoyable and digestible to the reader. Reading is a hobby, and hobbies are meant to be enjoyable, after all.
Also, something about the writing style didn't jibe with me. Maybe it was just lost in translation, I don't know, but I felt it was odd that many characters didn't get names. It was just "the bass player" or "David's girlfriend". And often when the POV changed, the new paragraph would start with "a mother and daughter" or "a boy" instead of just saying the characters name. It just felt clunky and unnecessary to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts

sonjaelisee's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Rape

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

emilyschneider99's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault

Minor: Child death

roxannima's review against another edition

2.5

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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First book of the year done, and I wish I’d left this one in 2024. I loved Backman’s “A Man Called Ove” and “Anxious People” but this was boring and cringy. Its ending is clearly meant to be celebratory but instead comes off as simply unbelievable and overdone. Recommendation: skip it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death

january_one's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Ok so I wasn’t prepared for what this story was really about and I wouldn’t have read it if I have known ahead of time, but I did like it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

I thought this was going to be about hockey but instead it was about rape and the repercussions of that rape.

elevent11's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

sarahkhager's review against another edition

5.0

emotional 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: Yes

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This book is one of the most beautifully written pieces of literature I’ve ever read. It was all captured so perfectly that I felt every moment & every heartbreak. This story & these characters will never leave me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Classism

This book describes explicit sexual violence that is vital to the plot of morality & community. It’s hard to stomach, but written in a way that as a woman I feel is important.

m_harbaugh's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Self harm, Xenophobia, Blood, Outing