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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.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, and Xenophobia
christiegirl11's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
A very enthusiastic five stars. Fredrik Backman’s books always take me a minute to get into. His writing style is very unique and you have to really be paying attention to know what’s going on. But boy is it always worth it.
Beartown is a hockey town where hockey rules over all. Being from the southern USA, this is mirrored in football. These athletes are kids, but they hold the weight of the entire town based on a game. These kids make mistakes which have an immediate widespread effect. In this book, Kevin makes a massive mistake and the resulting consequences change the whole fabric of the town.
My favorite part of the book is the very beginning because it sticks with you the entire book. I wondered and kept trying to figure out who it was the whole time I read. I thought it was the obvious answer, then I came up with a bunch of outlandish ones. In the end, I never would have guessed where that beginning line would become.
Backman does a great job pointing out the faults in society without being preachy. He crafts characters that make human decisions and react in ways you wouldn’t expect. By the end of the story, you have a true feeling about the characters. Some you disgust, some you want to go on to a happy life.
Read this book. It’s awesome.
Beartown is a hockey town where hockey rules over all. Being from the southern USA, this is mirrored in football. These athletes are kids, but they hold the weight of the entire town based on a game. These kids make mistakes which have an immediate widespread effect. In this book, Kevin makes a massive mistake and the resulting consequences change the whole fabric of the town.
My favorite part of the book is the very beginning because it sticks with you the entire book. I wondered and kept trying to figure out who it was the whole time I read. I thought it was the obvious answer, then I came up with a bunch of outlandish ones. In the end, I never would have guessed where that beginning line would become.
Backman does a great job pointing out the faults in society without being preachy. He crafts characters that make human decisions and react in ways you wouldn’t expect. By the end of the story, you have a true feeling about the characters. Some you disgust, some you want to go on to a happy life.
Read this book. It’s awesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Rape
jillybar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.75
I can't believe the same man wrote A Man Called Ove. Both were masterful in their prose and storytelling, but the two could not be any more different in subject matter. And yet, I can believe it, because both left me reeling and feeling so strongly connected and sympathetic to a whole cast of multi-faceted characters. I cried. I seethed. I laughed (although more rarely than I did reading Ove).
Love Benji. Love Maya. Love Bobo??? Love Amat.
Knocking it a but because of aspects of the flash forward at the end, but overall such a good read.
Love Benji. Love Maya. Love Bobo??? Love Amat.
Knocking it a but because of aspects of the flash forward at the end, but overall such a good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
breannaschnurr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Rape
besidemyshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault
sofxaim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story was a little bit infuriating to listen to, and I've walked away from it hating 98% of the men in it. There are characters that I love so much and I enjoyed seeing them develop.
I wasn't a huge fan of the style/tone, but it was still a good story.
I wasn't a huge fan of the style/tone, but it was still a good story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse
corporatelobotomy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
don't think my heart will ever fully recover from reading this. i had no idea what the book was about when i started, and i have finished it as a changed person. backman's prose is stunning; i will be thinking about beartown and its sad, tough, strong people for the rest of my life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
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.
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
tg_rubi's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide