Beartown
Ratings218
Average rating4.3
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
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3 primary booksBeartown
Beartown is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2014 with contributions by Fredrik Backman.
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I will not be rating this because 1. I can not know what to rate this book b. I wanted to read a book for personal enjoyment instead of obsessing over the rating I'd give.
This is technically my second book by the author, as I had dnf'ed a man called ove. This took me a bit by surprise and inserted me into the story. I laughed, well, didn't exactly cry, but my heart broke so many times for some of the characters while I wanted to kill others.
Haunting, infuriating, and hard to put down.
But PLEASE BE AWARE: SEXUAL ASSAULT TRIGGER WARNING
Fantastic. You ever have a feeling like you are reading something important? Not in a preachy, political, or agenda-driven fashion, but just meaningful beyond the words on the pages or what's being delivered on the surface? It doesn't happen often for me, but it was clear early in the book that this one was special...at least to me. It was a combination of the complex, realistic characters, the interwoven storylines, writing style, setting, and content...really everything.
I'm not gonna go deep on a review. Just do yourself a favor and read it. I love sports, but hate hockey. I think being able to relate to the love of a team did play a part in my experience, but I'm not convinced that tie is essential.
Can't wait to read it again.
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2,856 books#406 in What are your favorite books of all time?
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