Book Review: The Winners by Fredrik Backman

Title: The Winners

Author: Fredrik Backman

Series/Standalone: Beartown Series (Book #3)

Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Adult

Pages: 671

Publisher: Atria Books

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there's something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life's big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?

As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home?"

My Rating: 5/5

I can't recommend the audiobooks enough for this series.  The way the author's story lends itself so well to audio narration is fantastic and the characters seem to jump off the page or the earbuds....? You get it. I have felt so deeply throughout this series. The pain, joy, fear and overall strength that the main characters in this series exhibit. The setting lends itself perfectly to the story and I would highly recommend anyone interested in picking up the books.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

Title: Us Against You

Author: Fredrik Backman

Series/Standalone: Beartown Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 448

Publisher: Atria Books

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that'll the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown's new hockey coach.

Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you'll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.

As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will to be forced to wonder if, after all they've been through, the game they love can ever return to be something simple and innocent."

My Rating: 5/5

This book was so much more than I anticipated. I didn't expect this to hit so hard. It was hard to imagine how the author was going to make this a series, but once again the small-town hard-hitting contemporary vibes. Since I grew up in this kind of small town all of this hit a little too close to home. The characters in this series felt so deep and realistic. I look forward to continuing the series and seeing how the author wraps up the town's story overall.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Title: Beartown

Author: Fredrik Backman

Series/Standalone: Beartown Series (Book #1)

Genre:  Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 432

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook

"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove returns with a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream- and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartwon is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world."

My Rating: 5/5

I have read another work by this author and enjoyed it thoroughly, this book was a different feeling. The subject matter is obviously more intense, but the author's ability to write dynamic multi-sided characters continues to floor me. As someone who grew up in a small town, this hit very hard for me. The way the town reacts to accusations and how rape culture is a huge part of our society, even still. I plan to continue this series as soon as possible, as well as watch the HBO series.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny