Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

17 reviews

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

It’s been a bit since I read the first book, but the 2nd installment did such a complete “previously on…” that I immediately felt right back in it. The specific voice of this series, 2nd person omnipresent POV, is so interesting and really works for the over the top drama that occurs in this story.

 Sometimes the look into the future (“and she will regret it” etc etc) felt a little cheesy, but this book is kind of inherently cheesy, so it works. I did have some issues with the future tense constantly teasing something terrible and then nothing would happen (or the thing would happen but to a character we didn’t even know existed), it often felt like cheap emotional manipulation just to provoke a response, but never going so far as to actually reap consequences for the characters/story. I was definitely kept on the edge of my seat, but after crying wolf so many times I eventually felt as if there were no meaningful stakes.

This felt like a very natural continuation from the first book, similar themes and turmoil and small town politics, so in some ways it felt kind of repetitive and unnecessary, but mostly it was nice to come back to Beartown. I will definitely finish out this series and am excited to get to some of Blackman’s other titles.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Death, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Car accident and Gun violence

minionmariann's review against another edition

I just need something happier right now 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Gun violence

claranasman02's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Gun violence, Death of parent, Outing, and Car accident

Minor: Grief and Fire/Fire injury

marippe's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

"People we love will die. We will bury our children beneath our most beautiful trees."

fredrik, you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. i’d say i’m surprised but i know who you are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Car accident, Homophobia, Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Violence, and Hate crime

notlikethebeer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm somewhat in two minds about a lot of this book... It was really beautiful, like really really gorgeous. But equally, it was so wordy! - at times the beauty of it felt maybe a little overdone, by labouring the points a it too much? I don't really know how that could be reconciled though, and I also don't know how much is a translation thing! It was, as with Beartown, an incredible exploration of a whole town - albeit with a few too many characters at times - and a really interesting look into a world I know nothing about. It was also fascinating in the ways that it looked at nuance, at the ways that good people do bad things, and how maybe there is no such thing as a good or bad person.

I am, however, gonna die salty about that ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing and Gun violence

verafey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

This book had way more political aspects than the previous one in the series and still not quite sure if I liked that or not. This book was also very very sad and depressing for a long time and that was a bit too much for me. It took 300 pages to finally get to see some light at the end of the tunnel. I did really like the themes of (found) family and unconditional love, friendship, sexism/feminism and lgbtqia+. This book was definitely an emotional rollercoaster.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Violence, Bullying, Cursing, Outing, Sexism, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death, Car accident, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

ate_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Grief, Physical abuse, Outing, Violence, and Cursing

Moderate: Suicide, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, and Drug use

chamaeleontis's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Violence, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Classism, Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Fatphobia, Drug use, Death, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Car accident, Bullying, Addiction, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Outing, Medical content, Homophobia, Hate crime, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Child death, Blood, and Dementia

Minor: Biphobia

busy_bee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Alcoholism, and Death

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

If I'm being honest I was really scared to get into this book because although I really liked Beartown (I read it like months ago). I thought the book was very slow and took a while for me to get into, but I ended up loving it. I didn't know there would be sequels otherwise I would've read them back to back. I hadn't read a book from this author since Beartown so I was afraid that I'd be intimidated by the writing and the length of the book. I'm so glad I was worried for nothing because I ended up loving the book of course.

However, I don't what it was but it did take me a long time to finish it (about seven days). Like for the first few days, I would only read about 30 pages a day and then not have the urge to pick up the book which is weird because the book was still good, I guess I just wasn't in the right mood for those couple days.

What did help was as I was reading this book I was also watching the show that they made for the first book; that also got me into the mood to read the book so that was great. 

I love the themes the book explored and how it handled the aftereffects of Maya's r@pe and how the town's people reacted. Once I got into it again I just couldn't believe but adored the way that Backman wrote in through his multiple third-person narratives. There were parts of politics in this book that I found both confusing and also intriguing. I  really wish I understood politics. I was so invested in what Rochard Theo was planning and how he was able to bend everyone to do what he wanted. Loved Benji and Amat and Bobo! And also I'm really feeling for Leo, I hope we get more of him in the next book. I also like how hopeful the ending (and everything else) was without being all "happily ever after"-like. I think I would've rated it book 5 stars if it were for the fact that it just took me so long to finish it.

Ana outting Benji for being gay was the ultimate sign of disrespect for me. I did not like her character after that and personally didn't feel like she deserved to be forgiven.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Car accident, Homophobia, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, and Outing

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexism, and Bullying

Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Dementia, Blood, Hate crime, and Alcohol