Beartown (Beartown, #1) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jun 11, 2017 Maria rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2023, own, 2023-read-my-shelves, library, book-club, 2017

On my reread of this novel, I really appreciated Backman’s writing even more. So talented in writing complicated relationships and just keeping me intrigued till the very last page.

Reread in November 2023 for the library book club.

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Jun 17, 2017 Katie rated it really liked it

What I didn't like:
How some characters didn't have names but, rather, were "the club president" or "her colleague."

What I liked:
Everything else

This may mature to a five-star book. ...more

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Oct 25, 2017 Mary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: format-audio, read-harder-2017

Read Harder - about sports. Hockey is certainly one of the characters in this story, but it's not the main one. Backman has done a beautiful job telling a very ugly, and sadly all too true and prevalent story. This book seems especially relevant right now, with the #MeToo stories coming out fast and furious. ...more

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Sep 11, 2017 Lia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: available-cnl, bookclub, translated

Book club read. So amazingly compelling.
Need time to make cohesive comments.
Stay tuned for review.

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Oct 04, 2019 Dana Berglund rated it liked it

Shelves: books-for-grown-ups, audiobooks

I’m still catching my breath after finishing. This is such a painful book, triggering as hell, and full of both darkness and grace about isolated communities. There’s a great deal that men- young men - could learn from this book about loyalty and its limits, about consent, about enabling bad behavior, about real strength vs abuse of power. Some passages and reveals are quite masterfully done. I think, though, that there’s too much that’s drawn out, and I don't know that I would recommend this to ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Jillian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-golden-trio-reading-challenge

Five stars, not necessarily because I loved it (I liked it quite a bit, but I definitely didn't *love* it) but because it screams out to me that it's a very important book to read.
Seriously. This should be required reading in high school. For any boy on a sports team, and for his parents. For anybody who likes sports. This book has important things to say and does it by holding up a mirror for people to really take a good look at themselves.
Do you know right from wrong? Good from evil?

Quidditch: ...more

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Jul 27, 2017 Denise Cormaney rated it liked it

Shelves: arlington-55plus-book-group

3.5 stars. I heard only rave reviews about this book, which may have set my expectations too high. It's not a spoiler to say that there is a major event in the book that serves as the lynchpin; it took over 200 pages to get there. I started to get bored. I didn't like the halting writing style, although this may have been more of an issue with translation. I'd recommend it, but be aware there are triggers in this book that may be upsetting to some people. ...more

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May 18, 2018 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

SO good. A must read.

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Nov 21, 2017 Joanne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I wanted to like this book but, oh man, was it a struggle to read. There are 50 chapters and it only got interesting in the last third of the book and then only barely. Maybe if you're a hockey fan, you'll enjoy the love letter to hockey? ...more

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