Backman does it again. A rich and compelling read which his fans will adore.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Beartown" by Fredrik Backman and was looking forward to this follow up when I saw the Advanced Reader Copy (thank you netgalley.com, as well as the author and publisher!) was available. And I did enjoy this novel as well, but not quite as much. Perhaps I was now too familiar with the author's literary devices, or perhaps the element of surprise wasn't there. It's well written and insightful, but I think I would have preferred to let Beartown stand alone.

I was nervous for Us Against You because I loved Beartown and didn't feel that it needed a sequel. This one was harder to get into, but Backman has a way with words and characterization that he can do no wrong in my eyes. Once again a tear jerker.

*Thanks toNetgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This should not have been a book I picked up. I do not know anything about ice hockey and the paranoia almost that surrounded the game in this small town of Beartown was not something I could understand!

Having said that, the petty jealousies, the envy and finally the strong emotions that tie people down to a town, a thing or in this case to a sport was hard for me to understand. The town was overshadowed by the sport and the whole book is about how the sport controlled everyone's lives, their attitudes and how they wanted things to work out. That money was involved was obvious but the sport overshadowed it all.

That pranks and minor jealousies could erupt into this with one person dead is quite imaginable but the story did not do anything very much for me. It was almost a DNF but I plodded on. I get books with a lot of difficulty and I appreciate that publishers send them on to us, so I think it is an obligation to give it a fair go.

Considering my negative review, this review will only go on my blog mid May 2018. I did not post on Goodreads or Amazon.

This is the sixth Fredrik Backman book I read. In less than three years he’s become one of my favourite writers, so it’s always exciting to read something new from him.

Us Against You continues to delve into the lives of some of Beartown’s inhabitants. We are acquainted with many of them from his previous novel, Beartown (also known as Scandal in other countries).

Again, at the centre of this novel we have the Beartown Hockey Team manager – Peter Andersson, his lawyer wife, Kira, their kids, Maya, 16 and Leo, 12. What happened to Maya in the past year still affects her, her family and, to a certain extent, the entire town. The only thing that makes Beartown tick is hockey, but they’re about to lose that as well. Many players had moved to the bigger neighbouring town, Hed. There’s conflict between the two towns stemming from hockey rivalry but also due to socio-economic issues. Add a sociopathic, master manipulator politician to the mix, and you’ve got yourself an explosive mixture.

We come across some of the hockey players we met before: Benji, the excellent hockey player, who’s in the closet; Amat – the immigrant, very talented player and his best friend, Bobo, hardworking, less talented but with a heart of gold. Benji gets more play time on the pages of this novel, I personally didn’t mind, as he was intriguing in so many ways. There are some new characters, who are given more or less air-time.

I loved the pacing of the book and how Backman kept adding layer, upon layer, upon layer, creating a tower of tension about to topple.

This is another ambitious novel that deals with trauma, parenting, friendship, small town mentalities, gay issues, sexism, and politics. Oh, and some hockey.

While I agree with every single message of the book, I did find this novel a bit too sanctimonious – it pains me to say that, but that’s how I felt. Also, I would have preferred he’d dialled-down the melodrama. In saying all that, I adore the guy - Backman is a Renaissance man – I don’t say that lightly.

As always, I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. His writing is a treat which I hope to indulge in for many years to come.

I typically really enjoy Fredrik Bachman's books so I was thrilled to see that he had a new one coming out. <i>Us Against You</i> is a sequel to 2016's <i>Beartown</i>, a book that kind of broke the Bachman mold but that I enjoyed very much. The sequel was also good, although difficult to read in some parts.

Most of the characters in this book are well drawn and fairly likable, even the less likable characters are understandable, which I like. All the characters are drawn in sympathetic ways. Benji was one of my favorites in <i>Beartown</i> and continues to be a favorite in the sequel. One gripe I have with the book is that the Benji character is in significant distress and even seems to threaten (or possibly attempt) suicide at one point. Despite his obvious struggles, no on in his life seems interested in getting him help. In fact, his suicidal tendencies area almost romanticized.

I have a great deal of struggle with the Kira Andersson character as well. Peter and Kira's marriage seems to be falling apart and the solution that is presented is for Kira to completely give and and even lose herself and her goals. Everything in their lives and marriage revolves around Peter and hockey. It is very lopsided and even a small resolution at the end of the book doesn't begin to address the marital problems presented in the book.

Maya Andersson is also troubling. Despite continuing to struggle deeply as a result of being raped, (that whole story line is in <i>Beartown</i>) she and her family keep presenting falsely positive fronts to one another. She has been given no support or assistance from her family and really seems to be falling through the cracks. Bachman keeps throwing in small references to her future that, I guess, are supposed to make the reader feel better about the absolutely miserable and unrelenting sadness that Maya's life has become.

And don't get me started on Leo. I just want to parent that child. Someone should.

I have feelings about this book, you can tell. That's how you know it's a good book!

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. It comes out June 5, 2018.

Beartown was one of my top five books of 2017 and </b> Us Against You </b> I'm happy to say is definitely making the same ranking for 2018.

After finishing, I took the night to collect my thoughts. Backman makes so many subtle observations about relationships and group dynamics that even a day later I'm still processing.

Benji, Maya, Peter, Ana, Kira... They all make appearances in Backman's new release and again when they shattered, so did I. Backman begins just a few weeks after he left off in Beartown. Maya is still healing, Kira and Peter are still trying to cope, Benji is trying to sort of where he fits in. Nothing in Beartown will ever be the same when Backman is done telling the story this time, yet nothing will seemed to have changed either. The Pack will always be there, hockey will always be the pride of the small forest town, and while some faces will come and go there will always be those there that remain the same.

Fredrik Backman did not disappoint. This story was captivating from the very first chapter. Though the subject of sexual assault is serious and complex this book manages to be witty and entertaining with out being crass or condescending. I love family dynamics and Backman is a master at capturing the raw and real.

The sequel to Beartown, Us Against You is similarly dark, but with moments of humor and joy. The town is on the verge of losing it's hockey team, and struggling economically as well. In the midst of the sports related drama, a Machiavellian city councilor is involved in bringing industry to town while playing all the different factions (political and sports rivals) against one another. Families are struggling in the aftermath of the events of the previous book, friendships have become fragile and threaten to shatter. Mr. Backman brings us relatable characters to cheer and to mourn. I can't recommend Us Against You highly enough.

I received the English version, Us Against Them, as an ARC from the publisher and net galley.com

I was so excited to be chosen to read this. Beartown is one of my all time favorite books (and I am a huge Frederik Bachman fan in general). This book continues the second part of what is going to be a trilogy with Beartown being the first book.

It was nice to fall back into the same characters as before and hear about their lives continuing. Beartown is not an easy place to live and all the characters are damaged in some way. In this book, there are new sets of tragedies that befall the characters and the town. You definitely don't have to be a hockey person to enjoy this book.

Frederik Bachman's insights on parenting and just human nature in general are spot on at times. This book could make you cry and make you fearful, but it is well written and well done.

I cannot wait for the 3rd book to come out! Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

I feel like I could almost copy my review of Beartown, because I have very similar reactions to both books. I was happy to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of the sequel, Us Against You. Once again, I could do without so much hockey, but Backman makes his readers care so much for the characters that I couldn’t put the book down once I got into it. It is a very intense read, and worrying about the characters made it very suspenseful. I found reading about many of the disturbing and depressing issues in the book difficult; this was not a happy book, but the interpersonal relationships made it worthwhile. There are many ethical issues which are addressed, and it would be a great choice for book discussion groups.

Unlike Beartown, in Us Against You there are more tears and people are more emotional. At the same time, people are crueler and the atmosphere is more charged. The novel felt heavy and I kept wondering if it could get any worse. It could and it did. The turn the events took made me gasp quite a number of times, it made me stop and reread, but it definitely made me turn one more page.

It was interesting to see how some of the characters I met in Beartown evolved. A few new ones are introduced, and one character in particular is so bad, it adds to the gut-wrenching feeling. To do this, however, he uses a politician, and for this political aspect I did not care too mcuh. In the end, it didn't influence the novel very much, except make it longer and winding. Some characters were introduced too late to fully get to know and like/dislike them, and some characters were just plain extra (see: Teemu and Vidar). I did like how he created tension by presenting the two teams, the Beartown hockey team (the greens) and the Hed hockey team (the reds) as enemies; you see the lows and the highs of the human nature as a result. I also liked how he presented the obvious "bad" characters from different perspectives to see how easy it is to judge, and they aren't as bad as you're tempted to think.

Us Against You seemed at times unlikely. Not every action the characters engaged in had authenticity, and I am sure people don't usually speak like that, but in the cold Beartown people are so different that you let this slide. Speaking of the town, it's so unlike any city or town I have read about. Even compared with Hed, the other town in the novel, it seems very different and out of place.

The shorter chapters are so full with emotion (and I don't like this cheesy word, nor cheesy emotions) and dripping with feeling, that you can't close this book untouched. Of course, you have to give the writing style some time. I see how Fredrik Backman's writing may not appeal to every reader, but once you see how he uses language smoothly and apparently effortlessly to draw you in, you can't help but applaud him. There are moments when you expect the plot to go in a certain way, but he shifts it and it takes a different direction.

I must say, though, I am not sure I want there to be a #3. (Although of course I will read it!) The story dragged a little bit in this novel, and if I think about it, not much was actually going on. There isn't really a happy ending, but better times for some of the characters are hinted at. Maybe Beartown is made to be tough, but without being a winner and champion. I am afraid that another book in the series will be just a commercial one, without the depth Beartown had. Comparing Beartown and Us Against You, the first one is much better. It was good to see how the characters recovered from/dealt with what happened in the first book, but we don't need to see them more than we already did, despite the unfinished feel the second book has. Also, the moments where the author has to make a paranthesis to help everyone catch up with the characters and events in the first book are annoying.

For fans of Fredrik Backman, yes, you must read this. It does add a new layer to the story, albeit not a crucial one. I hope this is it with Beartown; we know the people and the town, but farewell. I like the author's writing better in stand alone novels. Harsh? Maybe, but I like to think I'm a picky reader.

I will one day sue Fredrick Backman for all the emotional pain he has given me. This is his most painful book he has written. The citizens of Beartown are still cruel to people who should be treated better. Last book and part of this book they showed how they felt about rape victims, now they show their homophobia. This book is so beautifully written that I wanted to highlight parts.
My one problem was that we had a villain in a book that didn't need one person to play the part because two towns were already acting villainous enough.

I first read Beartown, which is a prequel to this book. I really believe a reader needs to read Beartown first in order to connect with the many characters. I am a big Benji fan, mostly because of the character development in Beartown. Beartown left us hanging as to what happened with several key characters. While I liked finding out the answer, I felt the author repeated too frequently, "Hed hates Beartown" and "Beartown hates Hed." I felt I was repeatedly getting hit over the head with those words, rather than just letting the story get most of that message across. It felt like the author truly had a novellette, but had to repeat words to make it long enough to make it a novel.

Another solid Backman! This one and its predecessor, Beartown, were a little harder reading than his earlier works, but he is one great storyteller and I am a faithful fan forever.

'....hockey...When you strip away all the nonsense surrounding it, the game is simple: everyone gets a stick, there are two nets, two teams. Us Against You' ____ Fredrik Backman

I really enjoyed Beartown. However, it felt like a complete book and I really didn't see the need for a sequel, so it was with some reluctance that I read Us Against You. There is no denying that once again, it is an extremely well written book and the characterisation is excellent, but as much as I enjoyed it, I still feel that my initial concerns were correct and I just didn't enjoy it as much as Beartown. However, don't take my word for it, as looking at the numerous 4 and 5 reviews here, I'm very much in the minority with this opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

I almost feel guilty saying that I didn't love Us Against You . I absolutely loved Beartown and it was one of my favorite books of 2017 because it was so different than Backman's usual books. However, Us Against You was just too much for me. While Beartown was intense, it still had moments of lightness that distracted from the really dark central plot. That's lacking in Us Against You which is pretty much all intensity, all sadness all the time. It's almost overwhelming with darkness to the point that it feels like grief porn. Ultimately, I don't feel that Us Against You added anything to the experience of reading Beartown. I don't regret reading Us Against You although if there's a third book in the series I can't say that I'll be in a hurry to read it.

My Goodreads review, shared via Facebook & with my online book club:

Wow. Another great book by Fredrik Backman. I just love this author. And Beartown.

Loved this almost as much as Beartown. it's a wee bit heavy handed on the clever old geezer narration, but not enough to spoil the joy of reading about these lovable, flawed residents of Beartown and their love of the game hockey. Which is so much more than a game.

Definitely 5* I read “Beartown” last year and while not a hockey fan, I got past that part because my sons played a variety of sports most of their school days. This book is even better than the author’s other books that I also enjoyed! He keeps getting better and better! One plot device had me hooked! In a short paragraph or even just a phrase I’d read something that hinted at what was to come. Barely a hint or comment. Had me turning the pages! Couple of times I though, “Oh No!” “Or, not Benji!” Benji is my favorite character in both of the Beartown hockey novels. Although I liked so many other characters. Mr. Backman has such a great talent in writing characters I actually ‘feel’ for. And really care what happens to them. I noted so many sections of the book that if it was a print book the post-it notes would be all over the place! Such a way with words! (Obviously I do not share this talent). I’ll not go into the plot because others have done so and much, much better than I can. I want to add that one not need to be a hockey fan or even a sports fan (IMHO) to enjoy this book. Emotions are all over the place too. Yes, hockey is a big part of the book but so is local politics yet it did not detract from the story for me. I rarely, if ever, re-read a book but this one might just get a second reading some day!
A great big THANK YOU to Atria Books through NetGalley.
(posted on Goodreads)