A review by carolynbruce
Beartown by Fredrik Backman

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It took a while for me to get really interested, but once the first match begins, I was drawn into the story. I liked the narration style, constantly shifting to focus on different characters. One particular moment in the first act—a tasteless joke made in a locker room—told me everything I needed to know about the big reveal (the incident) halfway through the story, and tipped me off on the rest of the book. While the story was compelling, I was constantly taken out of it by the dialogue. So many lines were too…scripted. They didn’t speak like real people, too polished and sage and poetic. That style works beautifully for in Backman’s prose describing the town, but it felt unrealistic and stilted in the dialogue. The ending also felt a little too corny—not everyone has a happy ending, but they all have grand, symbolic moments or conversations that wrap up their story in a kind of clumsy bow. The flowery writing style didn’t help matters here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders

The entire second half of the book hinges on the rape of a main character. The town devolves into he-said, she-said nastiness and she is frequently discredited and further traumatized.