A review by stellahadz
The Winners by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This series broke my heart and put it back together a dozen times over. Backman writes excellent characters and strikes a perfect balance between the humor and tragedy of life in Beartown, a place that basically becomes a character by the end of the series. I didn't think either Us Against You or The Winners was quite as good as Beartown, if only because they delved deeper than I thought was necessary into the politics/gang violence plotlines. The Winners specifically had too many plotlines that were not necessary to the overall story at all and only served the purpose of creating drama between characters (the
fraud
plotline, for example). I think if the middle third of each of those books had been edited or maybe even removed entirely, the series would have more narrative consistency. That being said, The Winners was an enjoyable read, and I'm truly going to miss the characters of this trilogy. I'd love to read more of Backman's work (although maybe I need to palate-cleanse with some more lighthearted books beforehand!)
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