Review by bookishbakerbex - Beartown

bookishbakerbex 's review for:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

4.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

This was a difficult book to read because of the explicit content. I was recommended this book by a friend after reading A Man Called Ove and I wish I had looked at the content warnings beforehand - reader beware.
That being said, I love Backman's writing and characters. This book centers around a dark and painful topic, but Backman is able to incorporate humanity and hope into the story and characters. I loved how the book was woven together seamlessly from so many characters perspectives, it felt a bit overwhelming at first but once I let myself get swept up into the story it was effortless. There were certain scenes that will stay with me: Ramona's absolute rage was everything and Benji destroying the bathroom to protect Maya so no one knew she broke the mirror was moving. I'll likely continue the series as I feel connected to the characters and want to see where they go from here.

"We become what we're told we are."

"People feel pain and it shrinks their souls."

"We can talk about loss, we can treat it and give it time, but biology still forces us to live according to certain rules: plants that are split down the middle don't heal, they die."

"Bitterness can be corrosive. It can rewrite your memories as if it were scrubbing a crime scene clean, until in the end you only remember what suits you."

Content Warnings