Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

51 reviews

kaydonaldson's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

daslibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Mental illness, and Suicide

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

readwithkye's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

If I could only recommend one book for the rest of my life- It would be this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

branamalyssa10's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

A fucking gut wrenching masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

zayapayaya's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.75

This book was such a beautiful depiction of how deeply complex and yet simple humans are. Bachman is truly incredibly with how he writes people. Everyone is  nuanced and he can make me feel empathetic for anyone’s situation. This story covers an extremely dark topic, so be sure to check the trigger warnings. Bachman made me feel every single emotion. I’m also sooo impressed with how he can showcase an entire town’s worth of characters and I’m still able to follow it. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the heavy topic makes the reading experience…heavy. It’ll be hard to reread but I know I will someday. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

taylorparrott99's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

meganeliz_1214's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

theelliad's review against another edition

5.0

Never would I have expected to find a book so triggering and love it so dearly- this was so specific in its traumas it became somewhat healing and I fell in love with the parts of me I saw reflected in these characters. This story of a small town and it’s hockey obsessed people branches into accountability, power, social norms, grief, the exploitation of children in competitive sports, sex and assault politics, homophobia (internalised and external), secrecy, systematic and institutional failures and family dynamics without ever feeling too full. Backmans writing is so easy to love and I will be thinking about this book for a long time 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

acorny's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Took a really long time to get into this one, almost gave up on it several times. Definitely worth sticking with it though, the characters felt very real from all the backstory given. Check content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts