Just wow. Another heart stopping book by this author. There is literally no one who can evoke the feeling he can with his wonderful writing. This book brings us back to Beartown with same characters dealing with the aftermath and new issues. Compassionately written. I wish there were enough words to say how much I love this author, but I really do!

I thoroughly enjoyed Beartown even though I have no interest in either hockey or indeed sport of any kind but Us Against You blew me away. Fredrik Bachman has exceeded himself. This novel takes every character and brings him or her to life, The characters are so finely drawn, the Prowse so beautiful, the story so emotional, I would hate to live in Beartown but I love these guys to bits.
Mr. Bachman I toff my cap to you and to your writing. Bravo.

Wow, Fredrik Backman has once again blown me away!! One of my favorite books from 2017 was Beartown and I remember not being able to put those characters away in my mind after finishing. So when I learned Fredrik Backman had written a follow-up novel, I was thrilled and couldn’t wait until I could get my hands on that book! Us Against You lived up to all of my expectations and far, far exceeded them!

Initially, I wasn’t sure If I should do a re-read of Beartown prior to starting Us Against You, but Fredrik Backman did a fantastic job of organically refreshing us on all of the characters and their situations/circumstances. In saying that, I loved being able to jump in and immediately get sucked into the storyline because I was already emotionally invested in the characters.

In true Fredrik Backman fashion, Us Against You is packed with with an enormous amount of depth and emotion. Woven throughout the storyline was the importance and power of commitment and loyalty- to family, to friends, to mentors, to our community, and most importantly, to ourselves. As I read the journey Fredrik Backman had created for the characters, I found myself many times self-reflecting - I love when can author can do that! Fredrik Backman’s writing always evokes so many emotions and I will recommend having some tissues ready! Us Against You is a complete 5+++ star read and I highly recommend everyone read this series!

Beartown is a hockey town by a forest in Sweden, but that won’t tell you much unless you know what it means to be a hockey town where lives are dominated by the sport and the thought of losing the team is devastating to so many. In “Beartown”, Backman says: “Why does anyone care about hockey?...Because it tells stories. " Indeed it tells stories once again in this sequel. This town feels familiar - the place in the forest, this hockey town , a community of parents and children still reeling from what happened there a couple of months before, characters that I came to care about. I was anxious to know what has happened with them - Maya, Leo , Amat, Benji , Ramona and others.

Beartown is about to lose its team and the resources will go to their rivals in the town of Hed. It’s a loss for the Five Uncles who sit at the bar each day and now won’t have anything to talk about . But for others, the pain and sadness is not because of hockey. It may seem that way at times but the pain that these characters are burdened with and the secrets they carry have more to do with life than with hockey. Leo is angry because he couldn’t protect his sister. Peter is devastated about his daughter but doesn’t really know how to show his love for his family and they are falling apart. Maya will forever be changed by what happened to her, silently breaking. Benji, the star hockey player and fighter is sad and angry over his dad and is keeping the secret of his true self. Ana, left by her mother and dealing with her alcoholic father on her own is a life saver to her best friend Maya.

It’s a slow churn at first and I thought somewhat repetitive, not with “Beartown” but within this book itself. I was feeling a little disappointed, but then something changed. I was captivated once again by Backman’s talent as he moves from one character to the next, as he creates a suspense which had me waiting for something awful to happen. It’s so introspective as we become privy to the thoughts and feelings of so many characters, so in-depth for such a cast of characters. The simple phrases that depict profound thoughts on what unconditional parental love is, about the depth of friendship, about marriage and ambition, expectations, rivalry, loyalty, love and hate are stunning. It’s so hard to really understand how hate can give way to violence in the guise of a sport rivalry, and perhaps it’s something more. In spite of my early reservations, I have to give this 5 stars since the rest of the book more than makes up for the slow start. Backman remains one of my favorite writers. If you loved ”Beartown”, this is a must read.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley.

“Communities are like ice, not water. They don’t suddenly flow in new directions because you ask them to, they change centimeter by centimeter, like glaciers. Sometimes they don’t move at all”.

When winter comes to Beartown and Hed....everyone talks about Hockey. Some people support the red team - others the green team. Both teams have had their share of wins.

I thought “Beartown” was *exceptional* - Backman’s darkest most complex book — It had ‘everything’: incredible stories about each of the characters.....centered around ice hockey- but it was much much more than that. We got to intimately know the kids - the parents- their struggles. It was soooo emotional ...
At times I felt angry as can be - other times sad, hopeful, afraid, fearful, worried, inspired....hanging onto every ‘emotion’ WITH the characters. “Beartown”was a big time favorite book for me.

In “Us Against You”....it took me longer to authentically feel emotional ‘with’ the characters. For the longest time - I felt I was reading ‘the news’ and more recaps of ‘the news’. I knew everything going on, but I wasn’t getting that ‘buzz’ feeling. I had the facts and information - but my heart wasn’t connected in the same was it was in “Beartown”.

The first place that I genuinely felt ‘something’ —13% into my Kindle book- was when I was imagining- Maya - YEARS LATER - in her future - writing music - performing songs she had written from years back when she was a teenager - about her good friend Ana. I imagine Maya doing well - a successful singer - grateful - opening her concerts with a song she wrote about her friend.....from the summer they spent hanging out on the island. I was really touched.
Something in Backman’s writing at that moment just got to me. Even after finishing the entire book - it was still one of my favorite moments in this book.

There are many characters in this story we re- visit from Beartown -- and new characters who join in.
I didn’t think the new characters were nearly as well developed as the original characters. Or as emotionally felt. As times, I even got a little bored with some of the star characters from the last book.

Overall we see how a sport can make people break - ( we clearly saw this in “Beartown” too)...Add more politics to “Us Against You”, ...and we see the problems elevate. - more evil - violence - bullying - prejudice- jealousy- anger - all elevated ...but I just didn’t ‘feel’ the intimacy in the storytelling as much this time.

The 2nd half of the book picked up for me....and ‘my heart’ became more invested, as the tension did.
One of the characters I really liked throughout this entire novel was Kira - wife of Peter Anderson ( who was General Manager of Beartown’s Ice Hockey team in the last book).
Peter - ‘not’ a warm cozy guy - feels betrayed by the entire community in Beartown ...but is offered a job in Hed. I was quietly screaming at Peter most of the novel to listen to his wife Kira!

Elizabeth Zackell is the new female coach hired. I liked her strength - her fearless attitude- but I still would have liked to know ‘her’ more.

Bobo was a character I adored ....he just took my heart. Everything about him....from the type of son he was to the type of big brother he was.

Amat, Benji, ( and his three older sisters), Leo, Ramona, Maya and Ana - etc. I definitely still cared for everyone in “Us Against You”....but - for me - there was no where near the deep emotional punch as in “Beartown”.

3.7 rating — a little shy of a full 4 strong stars. STRENGTHS & FLAWS.....but glad I read it!!! Backman is still one of my favorite authors. I’ll read every book he writes!

Backman at his best. This sequel to Beartown surpasses the original story. It is moving, poignant and, as always, so tuned in to the things that make us human. The good and the bad and how those things can get mixed up inside each of us. Beautiful. I want to immediately start again because I'm not ready to leave Beartown.