Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

134 reviews

hayleyvharrington's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

prairiefairie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Classism

noble_editorial's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism

sarahkhager's review against another edition

emotional 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

This book is one of the most beautifully written pieces of literature I’ve ever read. It was all captured so perfectly that I felt every moment & every heartbreak. This story & these characters will never leave me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, and Classism

This book describes explicit sexual violence that is vital to the plot of morality & community. It’s hard to stomach, but written in a way that as a woman I feel is important.

jkohls's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I felt like it was very slow at first but once i was hooked i really started to like the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Vomit

ohnoohkei's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Classism

potmom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Rape

Moderate: Sexism, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

bibliomich'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? It's complicated

UPDATE: After a meaningful conversation with @ashsaxreadsstacks, I'm pulling my stars for this book. (Not giving it 0 stars, just unsure of how to rate.) I'm also adding this addendum to my review: I'm not really sure how to think or feel about this book now. Perhaps Backman (a cishet white man) was not the right person to write a story about the SA of a young girl. Maybe stories about rape, especially those that delve into the feelings and perspectives of the victims, should not be told by people who don't share those lived experiences. I also obviously don't know what Backman's experiences are. But these are now questions I'm asking and wondering.

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Fredrik Backman is a brilliant writer, and my only regret after finishing this book is that I didn't pick it up eight years ago when it was first published. This book very much felt like if Backman finished watching all five seasons of Friday Night Lights and then chose to write FNL fan fiction set in the world of competitive junior hockey. And while that may sound a little derivative, FNL is one of my favorite shows of all time, and if I could have chosen anyone to write a book with similar themes, characters, and even conflicts, I probably would have chosen Backman.

For those who have read his other popular works, especially Ove and Anxious People, just know that this book is thematically darker. The entire book revolves around the rape of a young girl by a rising hockey superstar and the events that follow. I'm not sure how I feel about a man writing about the feelings and experiences of a young girl who has survived sexual assault (not great, I think), but I do feel that Backman consistently tries to approach his writing with empathy and intentionality.

My favorite part of the book (and my favorite part of Backman's writing, in general) is the way he is able to create an entire town of characters, create distinct personalities for these characters, and then show the different ways these characters interact with each other in different contexts. I was so invested in these characters' stories, particularly Benji, Amat, and Maya, and I'm looking forward to reading the next books in the trilogy.

I also highly recommend listening to this one on audiobook, as Marin Ireland is a brilliant narrator who has never failed to captivate me with her storytelling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

errie's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, and Homophobia

mountaineer77's review

dark emotional relaxing sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Beartown is so unexpected & beautiful. There's a beauty in the wordsmithing that Backman does. It's not entirely perfect, but it's a story that makes you think & dream & wonder about humanity. That I love! I wanted a book about sports, about hockey, instead I got a tale about community and rights and wrongs and giving a shit about people. There's tests of loyalty to club or to the individual and there are dynamic characters to get fully enthralled in. 

Admittedly when I read the first page, I was disappointed. As I progressed I almost got irritated at how many new characters Backman seemed to introduce. (ie. 2 new ones on page 102 & 104!) A hundred pages in, a fourth of the way through & you're still giving me new characters to fall in love with??!! Well, fall in love with them I did. All of the characters, even the most flawed of them all. There are several trigger warning for this book... see storygraph rates for that, but beware - those become big spoilers. I would recommend if at all possible not engaging with the trigger warnings, but it makes it *oh,* so much more powerful!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Suicide

Moderate: Classism