A review by eleasofia
Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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

5.0

i loved this book so much. it's beautifully written. every other sentence was one i wanted to highlight. the writing isn't overly complicated but it's also not simple. it's precise and beautiful and contains lots of amazing quotes about life in general.

the story totally gripped me from the first page. it's carefully crafted, every little detail is told for a reason that will be revealed as the story goes on. the story is complex and often hints at things, but in such an ambiguous way that it's hard to predict what's going to happen. the ending is satisfying and has a bit of a full-circle moment, so the book can absolutely be read standalone even though it's part of a trilogy.

i loved the way all of the characters are introduced and described. they all have unique stories and personalities. everyone's good and bad sides and actions and thoughts are shown, so it's hard to completely hate or love anyone. which i assume is the whole point and i loved it. my opinion of a lot of the characters changed throughout the book as they faced challenges and had to make decisions. 

and no, you absolutely don't need to know anything about ice hockey. you can love this story even if you don't care about sports at all. it's more about community and morality and personal relationships than it's about sports.
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