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Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief
Moderate: Child death, Eating disorder
Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol, Classism
Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder
Minor: Child death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail
It’s chock full of thoughtful and insightful commentary on the difficulties of being a person. What life does to us and what we do to each other. It’s cautionary tale after cautionary tale about all the ways we fail ourselves and one another. Backman uses his characters to point out our own foibles and blind spots. And I love how often he uses metaphors and similes to get across ideas and themes. There are so many and they’re so well done. They’re my favorite aspect of the book. [“Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing.”]
I love how unabashedly feminist the book is. It has a lot to say about the perils and insidiousness of misogyny without really having to SAY anything at all. I think Backman does an amazing job of showing how often women are casually disrespected, how often their talents are written off, their opinions dismissed, how they’re subject to the whims of violence and power of the men around them, how few people are willing to stand up for them. He also shows different ways they can take back the power that’s been taken from them and how hard it is to do so. Kira, Maya, Fatima, Adri, Jeanette, Kevin’s mom (who, rather appropriately due to her lack of agency, is never given a name) among others, all give us examples. Misogyny makes for a sinister background presence in this book.
I found it a little slow at times but Beartown is an extremely well written, powerful and thought-provoking work with important messages, great storytelling and excellent characters.
4 stars out of 5
⚠️ I honestly had no idea this was basically a story about Brock Turner. If I’d have known that, I probably wouldn’t have read it. This book was probably not one I should have picked up and I had a hard time getting through it. Heed the TW/CWs on this one, folks. 👇🏼
https://booktriggerwarnings.com/index.php?title=Beartown_by_Fredrik_Backman
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Fredrik Backman has a way of throwing you into a community and really, really making you understand it. Almost as if you’ve lived there your entire life. I find that fascinating about his writing. There’s a LOT of characters, but you feel like you understand all of them. (even if you hate them)
This story follows a team of hockey players, their families, friends, and the people who’s lives revolve around them in one way or another. It’s really, really honest.
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Gaslighting, Classism
Minor: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent
Graphic: Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Vomit, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder