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challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Vomit, Murder
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Physical abuse
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me by surprise by how much I enjoyed it. The writing was captivating, I couldn’t put it down. Even though this is a “sports book” there were so many heartfelt and gut wrenching moments- maybe that’s what sports is and I am separated it from lack of involvement? The ending was very satisfying as a reader though I wouldn’t say it’s HEA. Looking to continue the series in the future. Content warnings *child death*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Racism, Rape
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Stalking, Alcohol
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Words are not small things"
True to his form and style, Backman delivers a story much more about humanity and who we are in the dark than hockey. Beautifully written and easy to read, though tough to handle. This book and it's lines have stuck with me for years and held up just a well on a reread. It is fine as a standalone, but the next book is also worth a read.
"Never trust people who don't have something in their lives they love beyond all reason."
You will get mad, you will yell at characters, you will cry, you will hope, and you will love.
His foreshadowing is perfection. His insight into human motivation is haunting. Each chapter jumps around to touch different characters - it's his writing style, and it's not for everyone, but it is a necessary reprieve in places. Rather than use comedic relief where it would be insensitive, he gives you a break from heartbreak to see hope somewhere else.
"Everyone has a thousand wishes before a tragedy, but just one afterward."
TW: an on-page rape plays a significant part in the rest of story, though you could skip the on-page chapter and not miss mich, mild homophobia, locker room talk
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Medical content
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Context:
I borrowed Beartown from my library through the Libby app. It is the first Fredrik Backman book that I have read.
I borrowed Beartown from my library through the Libby app. It is the first Fredrik Backman book that I have read.
Review:
Beartown is a long book, but I read it in a couple of days. Backman’s writing is compelling and easy to digest. The book’s strength lies in its ability to capture the small-town, hockey-obsessed culture of Beartown convincingly and quickly in the reader’s imagination. Despite the book’s large cast of characters, each person feels believable, and it is easy to keep track of everyone. Backman then uses this setting and this cast of characters to tell a heartbreaking but powerful story about the double-edged nature of a town that fosters a close-knit sports culture of ferocious loyalty, spirited work ethic, and conspicuous silence. He manages to capture the complexity of moral situations and sheds light on why certain people make certain choices, but nevertheless asserts the necessity of morally correct actions rooted in integrity and empathy.
My one issue with the book is Backman’s writing style. Although he appears capable of “showing instead of telling,” he often opts to “show” the reader something through a scene and follow it up with him “telling” them what it meant. He’s a huge fan of punchy concluding sentences that hammer in a point about morality or human nature, which can be effective if used sparingly. Unfortunately, Backman uses this device constantly, which dilutes the effectiveness of these lines considerably. If he cut them down by about 75-80% and kept only the best ones, he would be left with some pretty devastating lines that feel like a punch in the gut. More bizarrely, he sometimes repeats these lines within a chapter, with an effect similar to someone repeating a punchline of a semi-decent joke over again in the hopes of generating more laughs.
Fortunately, I appreciated the other elements of the book enough for me to ignore his annoying writing quirks. That being said, I feel no desire to continue with the Beartown series. I devoured this book like it was a decadently sweet dessert and decided to quit when satiated instead of making myself sick by eating further.
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Beartown if . . .
· You want to read a book that captures the small-town feel
· You like well-developed and damaged characters who must choose between doing what is right and what is easy
· You appreciate a story that has something to say and understands the complexties of human nature
· You are interested in the impact that masculinized sports culture has on wider society
You might not like Beartown if . . .
· You dislike shifting POVs or a large cast of characters
· You can’t stand didacticism or a heavy-handed writing style
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts