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A review by brendan813
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An incredible followup to the magnificent Beartown, Us Against You is a poetic tale of the people of Beartown and explores the fallout from the trials and tragedy from the first book. The atmosphere of the town created in the book is magnificent, it builds a living world where you feel the history of the families and the community. You understand what's guiding their current actions, what motivates their belief systems, and all of their actions feel true to the characters created. I grew attached to many of the characters after just the first book, I jumped right back in here, feeling like I never left, even though it's been a few months since I read Beartown. The characters are all memorable, often lovable, and always fascinating.
There are these excellent little moments of foreshadowing throughout the book at the end of chapters, they are always true, but often point to it happening to a different person than what we see later. These create immense tension, and hook me into the story. I just want to keep reading, but I never feel mislead, I'll have the moment where I go, oh wow, this is what that line was about. Every line is beautifully crafted, there is so much told through a few words. There's nothing superfluous, it's all important. It's a real treat to read a story written this well, with precision and focus.
There are these excellent little moments of foreshadowing throughout the book at the end of chapters, they are always true, but often point to it happening to a different person than what we see later. These create immense tension, and hook me into the story. I just want to keep reading, but I never feel mislead, I'll have the moment where I go, oh wow, this is what that line was about. Every line is beautifully crafted, there is so much told through a few words. There's nothing superfluous, it's all important. It's a real treat to read a story written this well, with precision and focus.