Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

65 reviews

oatmilktea's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

2.5

I don’t know why, but I expected this book to be lighthearted and cosy, going in. Probably because of the German title, which roughly translates to “Small Town, Big Dreams”. A bit misleading imo, but on me for not looking it up prior to reading. Also, I don't think I would have picked it up if I had known that most of the book is about SA and how the town handles it (not well. At all.), but that's also on me.

All right, let's do this. I did not really enjoy this book but I can recognise it for what it is and/or tries to achieve. The way I see it, it’s mostly a character study as well as an analysis of society, in the broadest sense. There are almost as many themes as pov characters, so, a lot: (club) hierarchies, peer pressure, esprit de corps, hush-up/rape culture, abuse of power, classism, sexism, homophobia, lynch law, child abuse… I could go on. Some themes take the spotlight, others are only touched upon, but overall there's value here.

Despite not being a fan of an omniscient narrator with an unlimited pov, especially one who keeps jumping back and forth in time and place, I thought the author handled it rather well. I may not have liked the narration style, but there were only a few characters, like Benji’s sisters, that I failed to tell apart from one another. Most characters were discrete, and I don’t think that’s easy to do.

However, I have gripes. This book is way too long. It could have easily done with a hundred pages less. It moves very slow and I get it, it’s all about the characterisation, but then the book is so repetitive in places that it added unnecessarily to the word count. Especially with the constant foreboding, ice hockey analogies, and telling-not-showing statements about friendships or how things work in this town. Because, you know, it’s Björnstad, after all, and ice hockey is ice hockey, so... cherry blossoms?

I found Bear Town intriguing enough, but for the most part I wanted to finish it for the sake of moving on to another book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Transphobia, and Death of parent

liinaps's review against another edition

You don't need to say words to the effect of "but nothing would ever be the same after the terrible event that is about to happen" at the end of every paragraph to build suspense. 

I also would never have picked up the book if I had known the entire plot centres around a girl being raped. I'm tired of men writing about assaulting women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia

desireewoodwhite's review against another edition

emotional fast-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

3.75

It made me cry happy tears, tears of sorrow and devastation — and I loved it all. 

Check out the trigger warnings if you haven’t already!! 

I hadn’t checked them for myself so  frantically I was taken aback by some parts.       

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, and Xenophobia

sima92's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

ccrease01's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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 and Sexual assault

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Xenophobia

haaaleybeee's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book is filled with juicy small town drama, but big TW for a sexual assault being a huge part of the rising and falling action. 
I am hypercritical of fiction that is going to make SA a major or minor plot point, this book doesn’t receive any less criticism. 

While I thought the flaws of Beartown and its inhabitants were enthralling and kept me hooked, I couldn’t help but feel like the SA lack of resolve seemed weak. However maybe that’s the point? Overall was a decent book but a little hard to push through at times. If you like insight into many characters lives, a morally gray environment, and, lest we forget, hockey; this book may be for you. Definitely an out of my comfort zone read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

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

gemstonejasper's review against another edition

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. Just woe. Beautiful story book kind of feel. The story is much more about the town rather than any specific character. Even with the huge cast of characters, it really tells the story of the town, it's community, values, and culture. 


Content Warning Clarification-Adult/minor relationship

a 17 year old boy rapes a 15 year old girl. I put that there because the age of consent where i live is 17

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse, Racism, Suicide, and Stalking

gabi_715's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

um_erca's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Violence, and Xenophobia