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A review by medievalfantasyqueen
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Beartown is one of the most powerful books I have read in a while, and that is coming from a full-time SFF fan such as myself. I saw many good things being said about this book all over the internet for about two years now and initially, I was a bit hesitant about picking it up, but I am very glad I finally did.
What can I say? Just... wow. What a fantastic and utterly raw exploration of the intrinsic and complex relationship between misogyny, sports culture, racism, homophobia, locker room talk and rape culture.
I notice that some people are not very keen on the lengths to which Backman had gone in the detailing of the hockey matches and practices, but that is the very heart of the book - and Beartown. A small town whose entire existence and faith lies in their hockey team, so cleverly encapsulated in this description:
"It is a moment shared between people and hockey, between a town whose inhabitants want to believe and a world that had spent years telling them to give up. There isn't a single atheist in the whole building."
Hockey is not just hockey to the residents of Beartown, it is very much the essence of life itself.Maya faces the problems she does, and gets literally no proper justice at all precisely because her rapist was star hockey player, Kevin. And it is because the rape happened before the final and Kevin's absence during his police questioning and investigation causing the team to lose became political because it is hockey in Beartown.
I highly reccomend this to anyone who wants to read something very raw and poignant though, of course, there are many triggers in Maya's case - with sexual assault and women not being believed by the police, and the usual.
A 5* read for certain.
What can I say? Just... wow. What a fantastic and utterly raw exploration of the intrinsic and complex relationship between misogyny, sports culture, racism, homophobia, locker room talk and rape culture.
I notice that some people are not very keen on the lengths to which Backman had gone in the detailing of the hockey matches and practices, but that is the very heart of the book - and Beartown. A small town whose entire existence and faith lies in their hockey team, so cleverly encapsulated in this description:
"It is a moment shared between people and hockey, between a town whose inhabitants want to believe and a world that had spent years telling them to give up. There isn't a single atheist in the whole building."
Hockey is not just hockey to the residents of Beartown, it is very much the essence of life itself.
I highly reccomend this to anyone who wants to read something very raw and poignant though, of course, there are many triggers in Maya's case - with sexual assault and women not being believed by the police, and the usual.
A 5* read for certain.