Washington Square Press Beartown

Must read. It's a trilogy and you can't wait to read more.

Really poor quality paper and print

best

"Community is the fact that we work toward the same goal, that we accept our respective roles in order to reach it. Values is the fact that we trust each other. That we love each other.For me, culture is as much about what we encourage as what we actually permit.” When I started reading this book, I was expecting a warm uplifting story of a small town hockey club like the previous works by this same author. Let me tell you, I was in for quiet a shock. The story begins in a small town called Beartown, which is largely dying due to the lack of oppurtunities and resources. The one thing that holds the town together is the hockey club, which is their pride and joy. The hockey players are idolised and treated like legends. Multiple characters who play a crucial role in the story are introduced in the beginning. We get to have a glimpse of their loves, their dreams, hopes and fears in the initial pages of the book. What follows after that is the incident, that impacts the entire town and shakes it down to its core. Its raw and its heartbreaking. It will test beliefs, loyalties and friendships. “Most people don’t do what we tell them to. They do what we let them get away with.” The story is told in a matter-of-fact almost detached style and that is what makes it so poignant and heart-rending. But even at the height of despair, there is always an underlying thread of hope weaved through the entire story that makes this book unputdownable. The true beauty of the book lies in that ray of hope which makes you laugh even in the midst of tears. Many serious issues like rape, bullying, small town politics and ostracisation are dealt with a lot of sensitivity and empathy. When I finally turned the last page of this book, it left me with a profound sense of hope which is the best possible thing a book can gift you. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend you to give this book a chance. I promise you, you won't regret it. Meanwhile, I will be counting down the days to the release of its sequel. Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aborda temas importantes usando a temática do esporte. Li em dois ou três dias. Recomendo o livro e também sua continuação "Us Against You".

Beartown by Fredrik Backman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This has solidified my opinion that Fredrik Backman is truly a favourite author for me. He has a way with creating characters you can’t help but love and also making you feel very seen with all the relateable quotes about how hard day to day life can be. Beartown is a hockey community. Beartown has been falling apart year after year. The economy dwindling and jobs becoming scarce. The town believes the Junior hockey team is the best the town has seen in years. The community is riding on teenagers to help bring more business and attention to the town by winning the in the finals. But when an act of violence happens that leaves a young girl traumatized and the whole town in conflict. With no one wanting to believe her story because that would mean the end of this chance. The whole town is left affected from this tragedy. I truly loved reading this book. It is a hard one to read, and please check trigger warnings if you are sensitive to topics such as these. Don’t let the slow beginning fool you. At some point this book will be impossible to put down. Most of the characters in this book will make you fall in love and just want the protect them from the harsh realities they are going through. Backman really showed how a sport can bring people together regardless of the circumstances. I personally truly connected with this book as it focussed on the Hockey community. I played Ringette growing up (similar to hockey but not really) and I got to see the good and the ugly of the community. The community would band together with the best intentions even when it was the wrong thing to do. I can’t wait to continue to read the next books in the series. And follow these characters on their next adventures.

This is book two of "Us Against You" by Backman. Excellent reading. All his books are magnetic.