"A tale so interwoven and complex but so very simple at its core; it leaves the reader fulfilled and thoughtful. It is a story about being human, making mistakes and trying to find your own identity in a small town where the only thing that really exists is Hockey." 5 Stars
Pros: Fast paced/Intriguing/Filled with scenes of heart wrenching emotion both good and bad, a true study of what it is to be human/Leaves the reader eager to read the sequel.
Cons: At first there were so many characters that it was hard to keep everyone straight but once the story gained momentum everything fell into place.
Full Review
In Beartown, there is one constant. One thing that brings the people together, win or lose, good or bad and that is Hockey. And this year, their Junior team is set to play a semi-final match, something that hasn't happened in twenty years. Tensions are at an all time high and when the members of the Junior Team are basically celebrities in their own town, they can get away with anything. And that is what takes this novel into a very dark but very real place.
There is no one main character. But the few that stand out are Peter Andersson, the General Manager of the Beartown Hockey Team, Sune, his former instructor and coach of the A Team, David, the superstar coach of the Junior Team, Peter's family, which consists of his wife Kira, Son, Leo and his teenage daughter Maya. And of course, there are the players of the Junior team.
There's the superstar Kevin Erdahl whom the town adores and is the golden boy that can do no wrong but his relationship with his parents is non-existent, his only true friend is Benji. Benji, the hard hitting, defensive sidekick to Kevin; his loyalty is unmatched, until something happens that makes Benji start to question their friendship. And then there's Amat, who's brought up from the younger team just before the big semi-final game because he can skate faster than any of the coaches has ever seen. When he's a witness to a horrific event, he starts questioning whether it's better to be a team player, something that he's always dreamed of, or whether he should do the right thing and help the people that you love.
I could go on and on about all of the players, all of the characters in general. There is not a single character that doesn't somehow impact another and in a small place like Beartown, where most people spend their whole lives, it is so true. Everything is so interconnected and everyone knows everyones business that there are no secrets and when something terrible happens, everyone is forced to pick a side.
Having grown up in a town where the one thing that truly mattered was Football, this was a telling but interesting read. To see the different points of view from the players, to the fans, to those who were once players and failed to make it to the big leagues, Backman truly covered every possible angle. And he made all of the characters, no matter how despicable their actions, relatable and sympathetic. There were some characters that you just wanted to hate but you couldn't find it in yourself to do so, not entirely.
That's what I love about Backman's novels. Even when you think you have it all figured out, he comes and has a character do something so amazing that you're absolutely floored. After finishing this book I sat on the train and stared out the window, just thinking, mulling it all over in my head. And to be perfectly honest, I had chills.
From A Man Called Ove, to Britt-Marie Was Here and now Beartown, Backman proves to me time and time again that though the human race is flawed, there are always good people out there, as long as we are willing to take the time to look.
I would recommenced this book to anyone but especially to those who have already read any of Backman's works because it does not disappoint and to anyone who has ever lived in a small town where it seems as if sports is the only thing that matters. Backman has a great way of making you stop, take a breath, think it over and realize that, maybe things are not exactly as they seem.
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