Beartown by Fredrik Backman Series: Beartown #1
Published by Simon and Schuster on April 25, 2017
Genres: Fiction / General, Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Small Town & Rural, Fiction / Sports
Pages: 418
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
"From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here, comes a poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it could attract government funding and an influx of talented athletes who would choose Beartown over the big nearby cities. A victory like this would certainly mean everything to Amat, a short, scrawny teenager who is treated like an outcast everywhere but on the ice; to Kevin, a star player just on the cusp of securing his golden future in the NHL; and to Peter, their dedicated general manager whose own professional hockey career ended in tragedy. At first, it seems like the team might have a shot at fulfilling the dreams of their entire town. But one night at a drunken celebration following a key win, something happens between Kevin and the general manager's daughter--and the next day everything seems to have changed. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected. With so much riding on the success of the team, the line between loyalty and betrayal becomes difficult to discern. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear. Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and in this emotionally powerful, sweetly insightful story, he explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders"--
Reader, I do not even know where to start with this book. Have you ever read a book that just sticks to you? I have had this happen a few times throughout my reading life, and I am happy to say that this book is one of those times. I finished this book in January, so I can’t say it has stuck with me for a long time, but I can say that it has stuck to me. I am confident in saying it right here, and right now, Beartown will be a BEST BOOK of 2025 for me. There is no other way around it. In fact, I loved this book so much that I told my husband he needed to read it because, dang it, I needed someone I could talk to about it.
I first heard about this book from Ann Bogel on her podcast What Should I Read Next? and it sounded good to me all those years ago. I then heard about it again recently from a BookTuber I watch named Taylor Tippett, and she was gushing about the series. I decided that the next time I headed to the library, I would check it out, and well, lo and behold, it was already checked out by someone else. To say I was disappointed might be an understatement, but I put a hold on it, and within a couple of weeks, it came in. When I was checking it out from the library, the librarian told me it was one of her favorite books and that she hoped I would enjoy it. As you can see from above, enjoying it is an understatement for sure. I friggin loved this book!
“The only thing the sport gives us are moments. But what the hell is life, Peter, apart from moments?”
Beartown is a book about a small dying town in the woods where hockey is life for the community. Let it be known here that I am not a sports person, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story, nor am I a competitive person. So, Reader, if you are also like me, do not worry because this story is wonderful, and the sports and competitiveness do not take away from it in any way. Ok, back to the description. Hockey in this town is, in a way, what is holding the town together, and this year, the team has a real chance of winning the semi-finals and bringing life back into the community. It seems as though the whole town’s hopes and dreams fall upon these teenage boys, so there is no pressure, right? This kind of pressure can really mess with a kid and their reality of who they are, their understanding of right and wrong, and how life is really done. With all this being said, a tragedy occurs that tears the town apart. The actions of one individual affect everyone in the community in one way or another. I, for one, was PISSED at the way the townspeople behaved. I think being able to spark that kind of emotion in a reader is a sign of a truly gifted author. Which I believe Mr. Backman to be.
Hate can be a deeply stimulating emotion. The world becomes much easier to understand and much less terrifying if you divide everything and everyone into friends and enemies, we and they, good and evil. The easiest way to unite a group isn’t through love, because love is hard. It makes demands. Hate is simple.
This story has tragedy in it, but it is so much more than just this tragic instance. It is about people and their lives. It is about community, all the good it has to offer, and all the bad. It is about some truly wonderful characters who have gone through some very difficult things and being able to watch how they navigate through their lives. It is about strength and bravery in very difficult times and going against others no matter the consequences. It is about standing up for what is right and not what is popular. It is about rooting for the underdog and seeing beyond the actions of certain individuals to get to the heart of who they really are as a person. I will say it here I am always a sucker for the “troubled” characters in a story. The character that the town sees as trouble but the one that always has the biggest heart and the most trouble navigating life. The character in this story that I am thinking of truly snuck into my heart. I do not believe he will ever leave because my heart just broke for him. I am not going to say who it is because I do not want to give anything away, but I hope if you decide to pick this story up, you will know who I mean rather quickly. I also want to say that this book had the best opening paragraph I have ever read. It had me hooked right from the first page. I am sure it will do the same for you, and if it doesn’t, I will be shocked.
Reader, there is not much more I can say about this book without getting into the nitty-gritty of it and giving spoilers, which I do not want to do. All I can say is that I really hope you pick this book up and enjoy it as much as I have. In case you were wondering, my husband has now read it as well, and he also enjoyed the story very much. There are some things you should be aware of before picking this one up and that is the trigger warnings. I will list the ones below that come to my mind, but I would do a quick Google search just to be sure I did not miss any. This book is heavy-hitting, but in my opinion, it is well worth the read. I will definitely be carrying on in the series because I need to know what happens to my favorite character. My question for you, Reader, is, have you read anything by this author, and if so, what have you read? I am always interested to hear. Until Next Time, Reader, Happy Reading.
Trigger Warnings:
- Sexual Assault
- Alcoholism
- Abuse
- Sexism
- Racism
- Classism
- Death of a Child