Beartown

by Fredrik Backman

The 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 Beartown 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.

• ISBN10: 1501160761
• ISBN13: 9781501160769
• Publish Date: 25 April 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

This book had been on my TBR list for some time. I had heard so many wonderful things about it, and it's written by the same author that wrote [b:A Man Called Ove|18774964|A Man Called Ove|Fredrik Backman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405259930s/18774964.jpg|21619954], which is another book that I loved. For those that didn't like Ove, you should give Beartown a try because they are vastly different.
When I first started reading it, I was a little worried that there would be too much hockey in it and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, but they all began to click for me rather quickly. The book is not so much about hockey as it is about the people whose lives center around the junior hockey team. Without giving anything away, something happens between two people and the effect it has on the town is sadly not surprising and that's what sucked me in. I rarely stay up late reading a book, but I couldn't put it down. There will be characters you love and root for and those you shake your head to in disgust, but that's what I liked about it. I enjoyed the psychology of understanding why people do what they do. This is one of those books that will stick with me.

[Bianca]

Culture is as much about what we encourage as what we actually permit. (...) That most people don’t do what we tell them to. They do what we let them get away with.

— An infuriating look at sports and rape culture: how one town, whose world revolves around hockey, has cultivated a culture that protects the sport (and its players) at whatever cost. A powerful story with really beautiful writing. Great read!

[jamiereadthis]

Five stars, if not ten, for Marin Ireland’s narration. I can’t even judge the book independently of the way that she reads it. She’s one of my favorite actresses for a reason.

[Mercy]

I'm still a bit confused about how I feel exactly about this book but let's just say that I liked it.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Fredrik Backman takes us to a small rural town in Sweden known as Beartown. Hockey is the heart of this isolated town where winning is everything and parents pray their child will be picked up professionally. A place that when something dark happens involving the town's star player their world divides. Powerful and poignant Backman weaved a tale that will take the reader through an array of emotions.

The tale that unfolds revolves around hockey, and parents devoted to seeing their child succeed and escape their dead-end town. Sponsors, town politics and the hopes and dreams of their economy all rest on their teams and coaches shoulders. Backman skillfully characterizes the small-town and bringing key characters to life.

I went into this blind, and at first, I wondered what direction this story would take. Surely it couldn't be a whole book on hockey? If I had read the synopsis, I would have been on edge waiting for the "event, " but in retrospect, I am glad I went in cold because said event and the fallout offered a compelling read. Backman took us to the darker side of ourselves with a subject matter and subsequent reactions that reflected a relevant and timeless issue. It exposed the pain the victim feels and the painful accusations that follow.

BEARTOWN allows us to get to known individuals both young and old within the town. From them emerge, villains, prejudice, and quiet heroes. Some struggle between what the outcome means to the town's survival and others debate behind closed doors. Backman brilliantly captured all sides, exposing both the dark and the light of humanity.

Marin Ireland is a new to me narrator but she delivered a powerful interpretation of the tale and the characters. She captured emotions from tone to pacing offering the listener a delightful, captivating listen.

Audio provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[rohshey]

This book has ruined me for every other book out there.

Fredrik Backman, You’ve left me drained, almost completely bereft of words. As the last words had sunked into my soul, I had emphatically said, thank you! This one is to be treasured.