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A review by shivani_n
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"have you ever seen a town fall? ours did. we'll end up saying that violence came to beartown this summer, but that will be a lie; the violence was already here. because sometimes hating one another is so easy that it seems incomprehensible that we ever do anything else."
i was so excited to reconnect with the characters in frederik backman's sequel to beartown, and my god it did NOT disappoint. sequels sometimes have a tendency to fall flat compared to the first book in a series, but that wasn't the case with this at all. us against you was an absolutely perfect sequel to beartown. to me this book is perfect and i will accept no criticisms! it's everything!!
frederik backman is genuinely one of the most talented writers i have ever come across; his words are so rich and powerful, yet so simple and blunt. the way he reveals such subtle yet obvious truths about humanity is so clever and my copy of us against you is HEAVILY annotated, just like beartown. there are so many lines that just live in my head rent free because they're so beautiful. i especially love how he uses foreshadowing alongside the commentary of the characters.
the plot was also incredible, i loved how this one delved deeper into the rivalry between the two towns and their hockey teams, because backman gives a lot of insight into how sports culture can affect a community, especially when it's taken seriously to a high degree. it was really enlightening for me, too because i'm not much of a sports person, but this allowed me to dig a lot deeper into sports culture and why it is so important to people, as well as the consequences it presents. at the end of the day it's largely about human nature, the people we choose to be and the people we can't help being, the choices we make and how they affect ourselves and those around us. it's about believing in something bigger than yourself.
lastly, the characters of beartown are SO SO SO special to me they will always have a place in my heart. i was rooting for so many of them throughout the book and i'm so excited to see where the finale of the trilogy will take them, especially because it's about BENJI!!! he's my favourite.
i cannot recommend this serious enough, please please PLEASE read it it's incredible!!!
i was so excited to reconnect with the characters in frederik backman's sequel to beartown, and my god it did NOT disappoint. sequels sometimes have a tendency to fall flat compared to the first book in a series, but that wasn't the case with this at all. us against you was an absolutely perfect sequel to beartown. to me this book is perfect and i will accept no criticisms! it's everything!!
frederik backman is genuinely one of the most talented writers i have ever come across; his words are so rich and powerful, yet so simple and blunt. the way he reveals such subtle yet obvious truths about humanity is so clever and my copy of us against you is HEAVILY annotated, just like beartown. there are so many lines that just live in my head rent free because they're so beautiful. i especially love how he uses foreshadowing alongside the commentary of the characters.
the plot was also incredible, i loved how this one delved deeper into the rivalry between the two towns and their hockey teams, because backman gives a lot of insight into how sports culture can affect a community, especially when it's taken seriously to a high degree. it was really enlightening for me, too because i'm not much of a sports person, but this allowed me to dig a lot deeper into sports culture and why it is so important to people, as well as the consequences it presents. at the end of the day it's largely about human nature, the people we choose to be and the people we can't help being, the choices we make and how they affect ourselves and those around us. it's about believing in something bigger than yourself.
lastly, the characters of beartown are SO SO SO special to me they will always have a place in my heart. i was rooting for so many of them throughout the book and i'm so excited to see where the finale of the trilogy will take them, especially because it's about BENJI!!! he's my favourite.
i cannot recommend this serious enough, please please PLEASE read it it's incredible!!!