A review by ashylibrarian
Beartown by Fredrik Backman

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

3.5

Well...I was really expecting to be totally sucked into this book and have the raving reviews I always see, but, I have to be honest, this did not reach the expectations I had set for it. 

The story started a bit slow and was really weighed down by the emphasis on hockey (which I understand is basically one of the main plot points of the book), but I felt like it took a good third of the book to go by before I became invested in the characters and plot. 

I will say that I found myself really mad and frustrated. Mad at the situation. Mad at the turn of events. Mad at the characters. Mad at the pure lack of support given to Maya from the majority of the town. But I think this was a good mad. A mad from good writing. A mad that made me keep thinking about the book and the depth of the characters and how Backma reflected what reality can look like for someone in Maya's situation. 

This is a chaotic review, but this is still a book I will tell others about (with some reservations). 
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