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Graphic: Bullying, Rape
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Alcohol
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Death
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Homophobia, Xenophobia
Graphic: Bullying, Rape
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Turns out you can become immersed in a hockey game, and then a club, without actually really caring about hockey. Or games. And although this book seems to be about hockey, it made me sob halfway through already and then there was so much time left to just become very angry. Because of all the things you know people will say, and you see people say those things, and you still can't get over how stupid they are. But then there are also people who make the analyses and say the things you want and need to hear and even though the people that are supposed to listen to it won't, it does make you remember that they are the ones wiser and stronger than everyone else.
Culture is a recurring theme and Backman skilfully builds a story that reflects the ways in which culture and community grow and shape each other; and especially what happens if a flawed culture is protected by the community in which it is embedded, by which it keeps being nourished.
Above all, this story is about community: not just about club members finding each other in a sport, but about all the smaller bonds that exist. Because if you've shared a small town with the same people for generations, a big part of who you are is how you relate to others. So we learn about parents, children, siblings, coaches, crushes, friends, colleagues, idols and rivals. You will feel parents hurting because their child is in pain, the power of a friendship between fifteen year olds, and the loneliness of those who have lost the things most valuable to them so they can no longer bother to become a part of anything else anymore.
I loved the story and many of its characters so much that I don't even blame the author that much for very obviously manipulating my expectations and feelings. Not even for the fact that he succeeded.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief