Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

213 reviews

lonka's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Rape, Suicide, and Violence

ashleighday3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a character-heavy book, it took me a little while to get all the characters straight in my head but once I did they were so vivid and real. The pacing of the book was great, there were quick changes between all the characters' lives and it was all told in third person.
You felt like you were there in Beartown with them. There were heavy topics in the story and became frustrating in ways not because it was unrealistic, but because it was very realistic and reflective of what happens in a lot of similar cases in real life.
This is one of the most well-written books I've read in a long time, I believe I'll be thinking about this story for a long time to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Alcoholism

oceanwriter's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

3.0

I’ve really enjoyed other books by Fredrik Backman and his writing never fails to speak to me. I wasn’t super into the plot of this one not being a hockey fan (or sports fan in general), but there were a lot of passages and moments I really liked. I did go into this thinking my heart was going to shatter completely… I think I made it more devastating in my mind than it turned out to be. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death

daniela_09's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Racial slurs, and Rape

emilywemily6's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

This book was emotionally heartbreaking but also heartwarming. Many tears were shed, both joyful and devastated. It’s mostly a story about hockey and how the members of a small rural community put hockey above all else, even morals (sometimes). It was hard to understand who was who are the beginning of this book because the cast of characters is huge and the backstories blend together, but the characters became more distinct over time. This writing is very different than Backman’s more lighthearted, fun writing. Lots of really good one-liners about moral implications of people’s thoughts and actions. This book felt very human, but was a bit difficult to read sometimes. Read when you are in a good place personally! Also winter vibes because of hock eye and the setting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Violence, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Gun violence

reeccees's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I still have goosebumps. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, and Grief

agirlnamedellie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

First audiobook so took a while to get used to. The plot was quite a difficult subject matter to listen to but I really enjoyed the ay the story unfolded. It highlighted the pressure put on young people in a small town where everyone knows each other, and shone a spotlight onto victim blaming. It also brought up the topic of conversation around if people of prominence are a lot of the time dismissed from the crimes they have committed because they have money, fame, sporting prowess etc. Lots of different important topics covered in this book against the backdrop of an ice hockey town. Loved the character of Benji. Enjoyed the ending too. Probably will leave as a stand alone book although i know it is a series.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Child death

erinreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What can I even say about this book? I don’t even know if I can say I “enjoyed” it because that implies I had an inkling of joy. Rather, I thought it was incredibly moving and captivating and I was crying nonstop for the back half of it. Reading this book felt like watching a car crash in slow motion while wondering which party was going to survive, if any. I haven’t really read anything that was like this book, from its style of prose to the tricky way the author writes that is constantly faking you out, making you think people are one thing when they’re really another, more complex thing. The characters all felt real and complicated and unpolished, which made the events feel all the more believable and heart wrenching. This book hurt to read, but I know I will be thinking about several passages I highlighted for a long time. 

Read if you like poignant, moving, challenging stories about people and what drives them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Racism, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

natasha_dean's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Child death

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail