“Why does anyone care about hockey? Because it tells stories.” In “Beartown” Fredrik Backman uses hockey as the framework for his novel, but it applies equally well to any sport in any community that has an out-size impact on players, their parents, former players, and ordinary residents. In Beartown, the junior boys hockey team is the heart and hope of the community. Residents believe that if the team can win the national finals (and they have a very good shot at doing so), it will bring a new hockey academy, conference center, malls, and jobs to the dying town. But everything changes when one of the players commits a violent and brutal act, one which deeply divides the town.

“Beartown” was a little slow getting started because Backman has so many characters to introduce. But that slow build-up really pays off in the richness of the characters, characters that could be straight from your life, and most importantly, characters you really care about. The book focuses on some extremely powerful emotional issues, but never gets bogged down in moralizing or cheap sentiment. “Beartown” has a darker tone and story line than any of Backman’s previous books, but courage, love, and the bonds of family and friends shine through. His empathetic, sensitive, and insightful understanding of the human heart, with all it’s fears and desires, truly makes his work stand out, and he’s one of my favorite authors to recommend.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 5/10/17.

As I read the first third of this book, I found it interesting but, to be honest, I was missing the unusual characters of Backman's earlier novels. Then the story changed and I realized that all before had been prelude! Important prelude to all that would now happen in Beartown!

Beartown exists for and with hockey. They have long had a symbiotic relationship, sometimes healthy for both parties, sometimes not for one, the other or either. Families, businesses, all that remains in the declining town are in some way linked to the ice, to hockey.

In some ways, there are more elements of Backman's characters from prior books present here than I first thought. There are no stock characters; all are individuals with their own tics and warts or complexities. The quirkiness is more internalized here than in Ove or Grandmother or Britt-Marie, but it is still present. But in Beartown, Backman has delivered a novel with a more complex and a more full story...and actually more complex characters, though I continue to love so many of his earlier ones.

Here the town is a living breathing entity, almost separate from all of it's human members. It's master is winning hockey games and survival of the town. Each of the individual human beings, be they the high school age players, their classmates or parents or siblings; the business men who control the local economy; the leather-jacketed toughs who seem a force unto themselves; the coaches, managers or opponents, has to struggle within this town to find their place. And the defining moment of this novel affects everyone of them.

I recommend this book to all who have enjoyed Backman in the past. And to those who have not found what they were looking for in past books by Fredrick Backman, I would suggest giving Beartown a try. I suspect it will grab you as it did me and not let you go.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Beartown4.5 out of 5 stars to Beartown, a 2016 contemporary novel by Fredrik Backman. Although the book had a bit of a difficult start for me, it developed into an emotionally-charged hot bed, triggering anger and frustration over so many things about the human race... and I'm quite glad I read it and enjoyed it. But wow... I haven't a visceral emotional reaction to words like this in a very long time.



Why This Book
Beartown began showing up on a few of my Goodreads' friends book lists earlier this year, intriguing my interest. I read the overview and saw many comments that "although the premise is all about a junior hockey team, it's so much more." I had a hard time believing that to be true, but thought it might be worth a chance if I could get it from NetGalley. And then I was approved to read it in early April. It took me a few weeks to find the right time in my reading schedule, but it all fell into place last week when I finally took the book on.

Overview of Story
Beartown is a very small town in the middle of a forest far away from everywhere else. It was once bigger and stronger, but the economy has pushed it further and further down a hole -- to the point where all they have left is the possibility of a good junior hockey team in the future. Everyone in the town gets involved to some degree, either playing, supporting or raising the players who range from 13 to 17 years old. It's the place where agents sometimes go to find the next great star of the professional leagues.

But the lack of resources and funding has led to a bitter passion among the residents, who seem to stop at almost nothing to ensure their kids have an opportunity to win their games. Some of the residents are fair and honest. Some are rude and malicious. It's a typical American sports town, breeding team camaraderie fueled in some cases by hatred and anger, but in a few, promoting acceptance and tolerance.



Each of the key team members (8 to 10) has a personal story. Each of the parents and coaches have a vision. Rivalries and favoritism shine all around. And with each passing game, the school decided what side of the coin they're on... supporting the team and accepting hockey will always comes first, before education, or fighting back to keep a fair balance. But when someone is attacked, sides must be taken within the school, the team, the hockey league and the town.

It's a story about hope, control, loss, jealousy, anger, and desire. It's about parenting styles. It's about looking the other way for the sake of long-term goals despite what you may be letting someone get away with in the short term. It's about how people treat one another. And in so many cases, it is not the way it should be.



Approach & Style
Beartown is told by an omniscient narrator who can look into any characters head at any moment.

It's told in the present tense with a few small reflections on the past.

Point of view changes and hops around within chapters, defined by a few spaces between paragraphs.

It's mostly short sentence structure and paragraphs. Told the way people speak.

Strengths
1. I am not a big sports fan. I played on a soccer and baseball team when I was younger. And I worked for a sports arena for nearly 20 years. But I have never been interested in hockey. And while the story is too focused in the beginning on the pertinent parts of the sport and rules, it generally has a very good approach to building a fever for the team among us readers. When an author can do that, it's a strong book.

2. The characters are fairly vivid, each representing a difference slice of life and personality. You will like a few. You will hate many of them. It's another good thing when an author can deliver this level of emotion. As an example, Maggan Lyt supports her son no matter what he has done. And she's rude to everyone, lies, believes her own lies and has no sense of morality. She wasn't a huge part of the story, but she is the epitome of what I hate about what sports can do to a kid. She's the worst kind of mother and should have been taught a bigger lesson. (I rarely go off on topics, especially like this... but she is what is wrong with so many things right now about how people behave in this world...)

3. The setting is described nearly perfectly. You feel the despair. You see the emptiness. You can tell it's a freezing cold pit of fear.

4. Views are told from everyone's angle. And even though you will have pure hatred for some of the people, part of you has a small understanding of why they do what they do. You won't accept it or like it, but you can see how it happened in Beartown. And you will wonder if that's what's happening in so many other towns across the country.

Open Questions & Concerns
During the first 60 to 75 pages, I was a little frustrated at the focus on hockey as a sport the town rallied around. It was slightly boring and difficult to connect. I trudged through, reading 75 pages the first night and the second night. By the third night (last night). I was 35% through and starting to feel that intense sensation where you just don't want to put the book down, and I finished the last 300 pages all in one sitting (in bed). Intense because I was so angry at the people, the actions and their beliefs. It made me feel sorrow for any town who focuses on sports as the center of their life. I've always thought high school sporting teams were full of nonsense. I don't want to alienate any readers of the book or even my reviews... but I really have to ask the question... Do school sports breed teamwork or do they breed arrogance and nasty habits of accepting things just because you're on the same team? I'm sure there are good examples of a team building positive traits in children... but this was not one of them. When they're proud to have injuries... when they support someone who has clearly done something bad because they are on the same team... when they use derogatory language in a locker room because it helps create a bond... that's not teamwork. That's humanity at its worst... that's people thinking they are above others because they have some physical talent for playing a sport. I have little if any tolerance or patience for people like that. Even when I played on teams, sure, I bought into the "rah, rah, let's win" concept. But the second it crosses that line and because a situation where it's just bad behavior or the thoughts of the uninformed and lazy, ridiculous politics of small minds, I wish they'd all go straight to hell in a hand-basket. And that's how this book made me feel - it conjured up those feelings.... and it was really well done. It hit all the hot spots I have about awful sports parents, horrible team members who think they can do anything because they're a "hero."

I couldn't push this up to a 5 for a few reasons:

1. Some of the characters felt too similar / duplicate. I had a bit of a hard time distinguishing them from one another, e.g. which parent is that, what happened to that kid before the game? It could have been a little tighter in this area.

2. I'm a bit unclear on the ending... it was like there were 2 possible versions... and I wanted to know exactly what happened. It also didn't feel like every character had a proper ending... a few open issues left for me.

Author & Other Similar Books
I haven't read any other sports-themed books, so I don't have anything to compare it to from that perspective. But as far as the intensity of your anger or hatred for some of the characters... I would liken it to how I felt about James K. Morrow's The Philosopher's Apprentice.

Final Thoughts
I've ranted a bit here. It's a powerful book. It showcases many of the fears I have about a good portion of the country. I'm all for team spirit and finding hope in an activity when there seems to be nothing else available; however, if this is a commentary on what it's like for many towns across the world... my fears are justified. And when a book can share and show that... it's a really strong one... and worth the read.

P.S. No offense intended to anyone who is a big sports fan, sports parents or sports player themselves. The anger I felt in reading this book is for the negativity steaming off all the wrong things about sports and how they make people act. I'm all for a positive, character-building team sport where the intensity is on the field... and the only thing left off the field is friendship, fair and honest support and an ability to know when to draw the line.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

While I think Backman is an amazing storyteller who really understands human nature and the subtleties and nuances of the human condition, and this was an excellent story, something about his writing style in this book (not his others) bothered me. It felt a little gimmicky, all the foreshadowing, and opening and closing sentences to sections, the reminders and the aphorisms. I don't know. Very interesting story, though, and he is such a unique talent.

Review I'm posting on Goodreads:
Boy, did I agonize on how to rate this book. I’ve liked all of this author’s other books, found them very different and enjoyed reading them. Therefore, I was really looking forward to reading this one.
I started reading in April but the story seemed to get ‘bogged down’ and a combination of being busy as well as having couple of books to finish for book discussion groups and the fact that “Beartown” did not pull me into the story right away meant that it took me a while before I got back to it.
I felt that there was too much ‘hockey stuff’. OK, yes, hockey team and culture was huge part of this book and I ‘got it’ however, I felt it was too much. I never played team sports as a child (did play on tennis team as an adult) but my three sons played on various teams including state championship teams, so I could identify with some of the culture and how parents can get wrapped up in the road to victory.
That said, I felt this was a sad book sometimes. But, I really did like some of the characters, especially Maya, Ana, Adri and Benji. Also some of the more minor characters.
I found myself highlighting many paragraphs on my Kindle. For example: “The worst thing about having power over other people’s lives is that you sometimes get things wrong.” And “It’s only a game. It can only change people’s lives.”
And, another one: “Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing.”
(this man can write!)
I am very glad that I was able to pick this up again and finish it. In fact, once I got past a certain point I really got into the story and picked it up whenever I had a few minutes
My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Aboslutely Incredible, May 5, 2017
By
Lovetoread

This review is from: Beartown: A Novel (Hardcover)
One of my favorite books for 2017. If you haven't read one of Fredrik Backman's books yet, this is a great one to start with. This author is so outstanding in his telling of stories, that once you've read one you won't stop there. Everyone of his books are so well told. This book is about hockey and yet so much more. It's about a small town where hockey (and this could apply to any sport) is the main course. I'm from Canada, so I get it. While reading, the author so expertly weaves in scenes that effortlessly flows from one to another. It was like watching a movie as I read. Anyways, I cannot say enough good things about this book except read it. You will not forget this book, I promise you that. Highly recommended.

This is very different from Backman's other works. It has his beautiful style of writing and rich, bold characters like in his other books. This one I didn't like as much though because of the things it was dealing with. I think it is harder to take in everything that is happening and the characters do jump around a lot.
I liked the community feel and how he talks about the wilderness around Beartown and how it affects the people of the town. There was a lot of growing together and growing apart as a community. I think Backman does a good job of working all the pieces together throughout.

After reading the fantastic Ove, this one was somewhat of a letdown. It was a good book, and one I rated 4 of 5 stars, but it wasn't compelling and moving to me like Ove was. I didn't care as much about the characters and felt that the storyline bogged down in places. It helped my overall view of the book that I liked the last parts of it best. The Andersson family members were my favorite characters, and I wanted the best for all of them.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

"There are few words that are harder to explain than “loyalty.” It’s always regarded as a positive characteristic, because a lot of people would say that many of the best things people do for each other occur precisely because of loyalty. The only problem is that many of the very worst things we do to each other occur because of the same thing."

On the surface, this book is about a small town that is obsessed with ice hockey, but it is so much more. If you are not interested in team sports, don't be deterred. There is a lot more going on beneath the surface. And don't make a premature judgement as I did. The beginning gave me the wrong impression and I almost stopped reading. I'm not a sports fan and thought this would be more about hockey than it was. Keep reading. You won't be sorry.

Important questions brought up by this engrossing story are quite relevant today. Who is your team and what does loyalty to your team involve? At what point should you choose a higher good if it means you must be disloyal to what you perceive as your team?
In practical terms....Is your political party your team, and should you be loyal to them no matter what they do? Should you obstruct the other party even if you agree with their ideas? Is your particular variety of religion your team? Are people of other beliefs wrong and your enemies? Is your family your team? Should you defend them even if they are guilty and your denial will cause damage to someone in another family?

Beartown is a small town that is so identified with their hockey team that they do terrible things in the name of loyalty. Nobody wants to believe that one of their players could be guilty of a crime. The victim of his crime is attacked instead. Anyone questioning this is called disloyal, and threatened. Finally, one courageous young man stands up for the truth, knowing that the whole town will see him as an enemy, and he will most likely no longer be able to play the game he loves. His courage inspires other people to stand up for justice as well, and in the end, this act changes the destiny of Beartown for the better.

"There will always be people who won’t understand his decision. Who will call him weak or dishonest or disloyal. They are probably people who live secure lives, who are surrounded by people who share their own opinions and only talk to people who reinforce their own worldview. It’s easy for them to judge him—it’s always easier to lecture other people about morality when you’ve never had to answer for anything yourself."

This would be a great selection for a book club, sure to generate interesting discussions. Once I got past the first part, I was hooked and liked it very much. I recommend it to sports fans as well as those who'd like to better understand sports fans. I have to admit, I'm still baffled by what hard core sports fans get out of it, and their beliefs and behaviors still strike me as strange and sometimes destructive, but I think I've gotten a little more insight into why it means so much to them, and gained empathy for the times when they let loyalty out of hand.

Note: I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one but it's definitely at least 4 1/2 star read for me. I've never read any of Backman's other books but I was anxious to dive into this one. It might seem like this book is mostly about hockey and while that is the primary activity in the book, it is about SO much more than that. This book absolutely blew me away. I couldn't stop thinking about it and I was so anxious to find out how the events would affect everyone in the story.

Since it takes place in a small town that doesn't have much going for it besides a hockey team on the verge of championship, all of the characters are quite closely connected. This is both a good thing and a bad thing, as is played out in the plot. There were a lot of delicate relationships that stood to be tested. Numerous small actions led up to an event in the middle of the book that had ramifications for many of the characters.

I loved the way this story was written. The language was incredible. The plot was quick-moving. The characters were so unique, and the setting really enabled that uniqueness. I would highly recommend picking up this book whether you have enjoyed Backman's other works or not.

Frederik Backman has been one of my favorite authors since the day netgalley granted me access to what is now one of my favorite books of all time Britt-Marie Was Here. Backman has the ability to create characters that get into your mind and touch your very soul. They are quirky, endearing and become so very real to you. While I found the story of Beartown a little more serious than the stories I am used to ftom Mr. Backman he still manages to create characters that draw you in and a story that you can't put down.

Beartown is a town where hockey is what matters. The hockey players on this year's junior team are going to be the redemption of the town when they win the finals. Beartown will no longer be the town that leaves you wanting. They will be the town that everyone wants to come to and they will be chosen as the place where the new hockey training center has it's home.

When the star of the junior team is accused of a horrific act on the morning of the big game the town is divided and innocent people are blamed for not putting hockey first. Tensions are high as everyone in town takes a side. Families and friendships are at risk of being torn apart, a victim feels as if they have no choice but to take matters into their own hands and the hopes for the town's revival are crushed. You feel the hope, love, despair and pain of everyone in this odd little town the whole way through this book.

This book was such a departure from Backman's other novels, it was almost shocking. What was truly shocking was how deeply the story affected me. I grew up in a small, dying town. The atmosphere was spot on here; the desperation, hope and despondency was genuine. As uncomfortable as the true plot became, this is NOT a story about hockey, I felt compelled to read, to finish. It's impossible to not compare how you would react as a parent in this situation. How you would react as a bystander, as part of the community. Backman always makes me think, well after I've finished reading. This is doubly true for Beartown.

I have enjoyed all of this author's other books, especially his first one. However, this book was not a favorite. I couldn't get into it and didn't really care about the hockey teams. There were a lot of characters and it changed back and forth very quickly between them.

Beartown

I was introduced to the work of Fredrik Backman by a surprise delivery of A Man Called Ove from our daughter who had seen a strong resemblance between Ove and her father and thought her parents should read the book. That touched off one of those word-of-mouth promotions that soon had a number of people in my church entranced with Ove, a showing of the movie in fellowship hall, and an ongoing watch among these friendly bookreaders for the next Backman work. Imagine my delight when Net Galley offered his newest novel called Beartown as an ARC and my even greater delight when the publisher accepted my request to read!

My first revelation involved gaining understanding that in some communities ice hockey can rule the public psyche as much as football does here in the South. The beginning of chapter 16 reflects the theme of the book, “Pride in a team can come from a variety of causes. Pride in a place, or a community, or just a single person. We devote ourselves to sports because they remind us of how small we are just as much as they make us bigger.”

To be up front, since I can’t leave out things that bother me, I almost stopped reading about a third of the way through in chapter 17 when there is a series of pointless lesbian jokes. I am offended when any group of people is held up to ridicule since I live with an understanding that people who are in some way different from me are still my fellow travelers on the road of life. I have some understanding that Backman was characterizing the people who were making the jokes, but still.

The real challenge for Beartown arises when the star hockey player rapes a young girl in a drunken after-party. Personal reactions of community members follow – the coaches and fans, the girl’s parents, the perpetrator and victim, their friends, and the outside onlookers. Like A Man Called Ove, the book gets more riveting as it goes along with the reader wondering if anything good can come of this dreadful situation.
I’ll not spoil the ending except to say, I’m glad I didn’t stop at chapter seventeen.

By now, you probably recognize the name Fredrik Backman as one of the world's favorite emerging authors. This book holds up to his canon of fantastic works, but it is quite different from his others. It has the usual Backman qualities in that it will make you laugh and cry, but this one seems deeper and more complex. Beartown deals with the struggles of an entire town trying to become significant again. This is a book about hockey much like how Friday Night Lights is a series about football. It is there, but the human aspect of the story is much more important than the sport. Beartown will break your heart.

It's been a long time since a book has made me feel so much. I had so much concern for characters at the end that turning each page was almost painful but beautiful at the same time. This is the story of a very small hockey town whose livelihood depends on its junior team winning an upcoming semifinal game. On the night after that game an event occurs that severs the town. This town is made up of so many great characters. It takes a bit of time to set the story and characters up in the beginning but once it reaches the day of the game you are so vested in their lives that it is hard to put down. Backman is a master. Somehow he made each and every one of these townspeople have an important story. This book is about extreme loyalty and how it can be both good and bad.
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I have read all but Backman's first novel and loved everyone. This hockey story is quite a departure from the other novels, and is actually my favorite so far. I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an ecopy to review. This is definitely one that will be purchased for my favorites bookshelf.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC of Beartown.

"We are the Bears! The Bears from Beartown!" How far will a community go to protect one of their own? How far will they go to protect someone that they know is guilty? Beartown asks some serious moral questions about what goes on in a he said/she said sexual assault. She is the daughter of the hockey manager. He is the star player. I felt outrage, heartbreak, hope and the slightest bit of redemption at the end. I don't know that there would have been a good ending for a story like this. It wasn't completely satisfying, but I do believe that the author meant for that. This is not an unrealistic portrait for rape victims, a serious problem that needs to stop.

Contemporary Fiction
Adult
I have been a big fan of Fredrik Backman since reading and being absolutely captivated by his first novel, A Man Called Ove. So I didn’t hesitate when I learned he has a new novel, Beartown. I’m happy to report this novel is as mesmerising as I could have hoped. It is, however, quite a different style of writing. Ove, Britt-Marie and Every Day could all be described as gentle reads, albeit with often irascible protagonists. This is not a gentle read. It grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you from any smug and comfortable perch. Beartown is a hockey town. It’s dying economically, but when the junior boys’ team (there is no girls’ team) makes it to the semi-finals, the entire community rejoices and pins great hopes on their success. Winning the cup will mean a lot to the team’s financial sponsors. It could also cement the promise of a hockey academy for Beartown, and even draft offers for the team’s best. So when one of the star players and the GM’S daughter are involved in a violent encounter, the ensuing fallout impacts virtually everyone in Beartown. How each reacts is a raw and telling commentary on community, leadership, family, friendship, loyalty, and more. Backman doesn’t judge; he offers a nuanced and thoughtful perspective as he describes how simple and how complicated it can be to play our various roles and responsibilities in life. How much truth there is in this observation: “Being a parent makes you feel like a blanket that’s always too small. No matter how hard you try to cover everyone, there’s always someone who’s freezing.” Simply brilliant and brilliantly simple, this story resonates on every page and long after you finish. Neil Smith deserves great kudos for his translation. This is not, as I’ve said, an easy read. There are descriptions of brutal violence and deeply offensive jokes and comments about gay men, lesbians, and women in general, but they are anything but gratuitous. This is not a criticism of hockey culture specifically, but it does cause you to contemplate the many ways we communicate to others what we believe in and what we stand for, and what we are willing to ignore. Powerful and memorable, this is one of my favourite books this year. Loved it. My thanks to publisher Atria Books for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33413128

A junior league hockey team carries a small town’s pride into the national semi-final match. When someone accuses the star player of a heinous act, the residents of the town will need to decide what matters most to them: hockey or their integrity. Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and other gems, returns to readers with the thoughtful, heartbreaking novel Beartown.

The people of Beartown, Sweden, know one thing for sure: hockey. They live and breathe hockey. No matter that the outside world deems Beartown a dying place. No matter that others see them as gruff and uncommunicative. When the junior league team takes the ice, the residents of Beartown come roaring to life.

And now the team has the opportunity to pull Beartown out of oblivion for good. Ten years earlier, when local star Peter Andersson came home after a short stint in the NHL and became the team’s general manager, he promised to build a hockey club so deep that the team would reach the national level. No one believed him; they laughed at him.

But they’re not laughing now; they’re worshipping his every decision. The junior league team is just days before the national semi-finals, and there’s no doubt in the entire country who will win. Peter vacillates between excitement and crushing disappointment. The sponsors and the board have made one thing clear: If they win, he needs to ask for the resignation of the longtime, old-fashioned coach who had coached him all the way to the elite level and acted more like a father to him than his own father ever did.

Peter doesn’t have much of a choice, however. Hockey rules Beartown, and everyone understands the most basic tenet: club before individual. If it’s good for the team, then it doesn’t matter who gets hurt along the way.

No one realizes just how deeply this tenet has been driven into the town until the night of the semi-final match. At a party, a girl flirts with the team’s star player, Kevin. Kevin has always enjoyed his reputation and how much girls want to be with him. His position on the team as well as in the town convince him that he can do absolutely anything—even ignore when someone tells him “no”—without consequences.

The girl accuses him of rape. He denies everything. All of a sudden, everyone in the town is forced to take a position: players; parents; ardent fans. As the situation develops, each person will have to toe that line and will have to decide whether putting the club before the individual really is the correct guiding principle.

Author Fredrik Backman brings his lyrical style of prose to a small town that may exist in one particular country in the book but could exist anywhere in real life. He tackles the issues of male dominance, the status quo, and internal moral conflict in a way that seems deceptively simple. Yet the longer readers spend time with the characters of Beartown, the more they will understand the universality of the dilemmas those characters face.

As with his previous novels, Backman asks his readers to pay attention. The twists and turns as well as the slow-drip fashion of story revelations will all force readers to stay alert. With a story as important as this one, that alertness is wholly warranted.

Once again, Backman’s narration shares equal time in the limelight with the story he wants to tell. His writing style feels whimsical in even the most dire of situations, acting as the perfect counterpoint to the biggest and toughest questions the book poses. Many of his metaphors will make readers exclaim out loud with their simple complexity, an oxymoron that fans of Backman’s work will recognize and appreciate.

In Beartown Backman digs deeper, giving readers not just one or two characters to care for but an entire town of them. His measured approach may require some patience, but it’s certainly worth it. I recommend readers Binge Beartown.