A review by essentiallynovel
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

4.0

Backman does a great job with this sequel to Beartown. He really builds upon the characters and the aftermath of what took place in the original novel. In Us Against You more layers are peeled back from those that we were introduced to in Beartown and we see all the ripple effects of the tragedy and choices that were made. I didn't know what to think of Beartown until I was reading UAY, and was able to develop a stronger empathy for some of the characters. I ended up wanting to desperately know what would happen to everyone and to the town. Although there is no triggering situation in this book like there is in Beartown, there are brief moments when the event is mentioned, but nothing detailed. Far less profanity but more violence than it's predecessor, UAY gets into the gritty of how people are wired, how we respond to trauma, wrestling with conflicting emotions, betrayal and loyalty, hatred and love, respect, dynamics of families and towns and sports teams.

Rating: S:2, L:3, V:3