Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

24 reviews

shopwood's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Grief

mbrogs2024'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

quistn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

I love the pacing of this book. It’s slow, but necessary. I feel it’s a must read for anyone. It captures a real life culture in a small town well. Very sad and tense at times, deals with dark topics. The way that the author writes about the experiences and thoughts of the characters is impeccable. I think, anyone who grew up or lives in a small town will relate much more to this book. If you grew up in a larger town, you may not connect with it as much.

strong content warnings about rape, Suicide, murder, gangs, alcoholism, fighting

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

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

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

leelaamanda's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

coybean'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

xiggy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

I thought I was going to hate this book. It’s not a book I would typically pick up. I hate so many of the characters in this book and the mentality but that’s the point. The good characters continue to grow and be good and the bad ones well some grow up and learn something and some don’t. Most don’t. I wanted so badly for justice if there wasn’t any I would still hate this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

stepnic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Vomit and Murder

homealone2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol