A review by jcpdiesel21
Beartown by Fredrik Backman

5.0

I've grown to love Backman's work while slowly making my way through his oeuvre and come to expect certain elements when starting something by him: strongly drawn characters, a setting that plays a vital role in the story, humor, occasional satire and a whiff of sadness. This book incorporates all of these elements while taking on a more serious tone and subject, and while I previously regarded [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg|21619954] as a high water mark, this may be even better. I admit to feeling a bit of impatience during the first third, as the stage is painstakingly set with a wide cast of characters and there is much foreshadowing, some of it heavy-handed. However, once everything is established and a major event occurs, my interest was fully ignited and I was loath to put the book down. Backman makes it obvious what he thinks is right and wrong with regard to all that happens, but does a wonderful job showing the ripple effect of a complex situation on a tightly-knit community and how it can make people react in a myriad of different ways. Only the best stories can provoke strong feelings out of me, and I often felt angry, frustrated and heartbroken about the acts of these individuals and how others are impacted. While this ends on a hopeful note and could have easily functioned as a stand-alone novel, I am very curious to see where the story goes from here since Backman puts the pieces in place so perfectly for a new chapter and if it measures up to this one.