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A review by ktmac0821
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book intrigued me from the first page. I wasn’t expecting it to be what it was about necessarily, but it makes sense.
I really loved the structure of this book. You only get a few paragraphs most of the time on one person/people, before it switches to another perspective. That really keeps you on edge, because all of the stories are interesting. It made it hard to put the book down because I was so desperate to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed the way the author wrote about how small towns work, and what happens when you take on the “promising young man” in town, the town hero. I was very pleasantly surprised at how the author handled that rape, and the aftermath of it. It felt very real to what happens in our lives, when something like this happens. It’s always the girl who is at fault, for not reporting it sooner, for being scared to speak up, for what she was wearing or what she had to drink. Even with a witness, no one wants to ruin a promising young man’s future.
I’m very interested to read the other books in the series. I haven’t looked at their descriptions yet, so I have no idea who or what they’re about, but I hope they’ll keep my attention the way this book did.
I really loved the structure of this book. You only get a few paragraphs most of the time on one person/people, before it switches to another perspective. That really keeps you on edge, because all of the stories are interesting. It made it hard to put the book down because I was so desperate to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed the way the author wrote about how small towns work, and what happens when you take on the “promising young man” in town, the town hero. I was very pleasantly surprised at how the author handled that rape, and the aftermath of it. It felt very real to what happens in our lives, when something like this happens. It’s always the girl who is at fault, for not reporting it sooner, for being scared to speak up, for what she was wearing or what she had to drink. Even with a witness, no one wants to ruin a promising young man’s future.
I’m very interested to read the other books in the series. I haven’t looked at their descriptions yet, so I have no idea who or what they’re about, but I hope they’ll keep my attention the way this book did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence
Moderate: Classism