I have not read the other 2 books in this series. I honestly didn't know this one was tied to the Beartown series until I was well into The Winners. I kept reading even though this book was super long. Backman is a beautiful storyteller and I don't know that I really missed out by not reading the first 2 books. I am interested enough now to go back and pick them up. The sorrow in this small town can be physically felt by the reader of this book. I highly recommend, especially if you are a fan of Backman's writing style! Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read and review!

I expected to be emotionally destroyed by this conclusion and I was correct. Once again Fredrik Backman weaves together a story in a masterful way, and the result is tragically beautiful. It’s a book about the nature of life and the human spirit, and I am just very honored to read this book.

I laughed, I cried, my heart was ripped out and stomped on, if this was a physical book I probably would have thrown it across the room, and yet felt satisfied with the ending so obviously I just finished the latest Fredrik Backman book!

What a master storyteller! He has such an insight into human nature and I love everything I’ve read by him and will continue to sing his praises and recommend any of his books to all I meet.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Wow. I held my breath listening to the last hour of the audio and had to walk away from it returning to a better time where my headspace could process how the ending was unfolding.

The trilogy ended with a BANG BANG BANG. The ending was not unexpected but surprising given the state of the world right now, mainly that of the US, not the setting of the story but still I am surprised that Backman ended the story the way he did.

I loved the addition of new characters, the continued strength of the female leads and the exposed vulnerabilities of the male characters. In that way, it was very well-rounded.

I question the creation of the last short storyline seemingly inserted to help wrap-up the series. It did work but was repetitive so that was surprising.

This last one was messy, sad and very violent with triggers abound so tread lightly.

I look forward to a return to lighter fare from Backman, a return to his earlier works that made me fall for his writing and wit.

Thank you Net Galley for this early copy.

I’m probably in the minority but this book was just too long. It was a fitting end to Beartown I enjoyed all 3 books and happy to revisit Sweden and all the local residents. The storm was the main focus of the book and how everyone reacted to it. Fans will love this Beartown book.

“Do you want to understand people? Really understand them? Then you need to know all the best that we are capable of.”

The Winners is the third book in the Beartown trilogy by the iconic philosopher-novelist, Fredrik Backman. In the afterward, he tells us, “To you who have read this whole of the saga, I’d just like to say that I hope it gave you something, because I gave it absolutely everything I had.” I am one of them, and I believe him, and yes, it did. My thanks go to Net Galley and Atria Books for the invitation to read and review. It’s been an honor.

I began reading with a certain amount of trepidation, because everything I’d heard and read, some of it by the author himself, suggested that this wasn’t going to be gentle reading. Here’s how he opens it:

“August ends with sultry, ominous heat before autumn kicks the door in at the end of the month and the temperature tumbles in free fall. The natural world around us becomes erratic and aggressive, the dogs and hunters feel it first, but soon everyone else does too. We notice the warnings, yet still the storm arrives with such force that it knocks the breath out of us. It devastates the forest and blocks out the sky, it attacks our homes and our towns like a grown man beating a child.”

Woof.

The characters we’ve met in the first two books, Beartown and Us Against You, are all present and accounted for, and now that his faithful readers already know most of the central characters, Backman gives us a few more. The new hockey coach is Elizabeth Zackell, a quirky individual if ever there was one, and smart as hell. We are introduced to a family from Hed, the nearby town whose club is Beartown’s archrival; we become attached to these people, too. But ultimately, we see the way that great love and passionate loyalty can go hand in glove with violence and even evil.

It's a story that can take your breath away.

I won’t try to address the whole story or individual characters; that’s Backman’s job, and he does it quite nicely. I had a quibble with the way the first book ended; I said in my review that it was over-the-top, bordering on glib. I see now that this was deliberate, and he wants us to see that not every family responds to a crisis as well as the Andersons have, and not every victim of a violent crime is able to see justice done; not everyone has the heroic instincts of Amet, the player that runs toward the fire rather than away from it.

The hallmarks that make Backman’s work so special are all here. I can count on one hand the number of male authors that genuinely respect women and are willing to go to the mat for women’s rights, and he is one of them. He is a vocal champion of the rights of gays and lesbians, and his prose shows keen understanding of the struggle they face, even now that their legal rights are protected in much of the world. His capacity to juggle a large cast of dynamic characters, developing nearly every one of them in a way that is consistent, along with their relationships with each other, makes me feel as if I could recognize them on the street; I don’t mean one character, or two. I mean at least a dozen of them. There are a number of characters that do bad things or make bad choices, but only a couple are genuinely bad people, and though we see little of them, they cast long shadows on these two communities.

He got the ending exactly right.

Can you read this book without reading the other two first? Don’t be a dick. Of course not. Without familiarizing yourself with the characters in the first book before the second, and the second before the third, you won’t be able to keep everyone straight; also, this third volume is about the same length as the first and second combined. Start with the first one.

Highly recommended.

Well, Fredrik Backman has done it again. In the last of the Beartown books, The Winners, the stories of all the people he has been writing about come together. A huge storm comes through the area and sets off a chain of events - people meeting and helping one another, other people going unnoticed, a death, and more. These events lead to more drama than the town has seen in a long time. Beartown and Hed are still fierce competitors and the local politicians and council are constantly trying to find ways to blame one another. So really, nothing has changed, but everything quickly does. In his usual manner, Fredrik Backman weaves a story of love and loss, friendship and sorrow, and of a small town trying to survive the unthinkable. I’m sad this is the last book of this series and will miss the characters and their stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This tome brings to a close the trilogy that is the story of Beartown and Hed, two small towns where hockey rules everything. The towns are now a couple of years past the tragic events that occurred in book one. There continues to be a strong rivalry and sometimes hatred between the two townspeople. Fortunately we get to see the goodness that also lives. While there is still more tragedy to live through, there is also a positive outcome for many of the people we’ve come to spend so much time with.

I would not have read all three books if I didn’t feel some connection with the characters. The author’s writing is very descriptive. I must admit that I am a reader who like action and dialogue. By book three I did find myself skimming through some of the overly long paragraphs. I thought this story was a good representation of the intensity of small town sports and the extremes that people will go to in battling for something they love.

ARC from Netgalley.

After reading and loving Beartown and Us Against You, I wasn't sure if I was more excited or nervous to read The Winners. I couldn't wait to revisit the world of Beartown that Backman has created, but I was devastated at the prospect of saying goodbye to these characters forever and worried that The Winners wouldn't live up to the beauty of the first two books in the trilogy. I quickly found that I had nothing to fear. Backman's prose is as gorgeous and lyrical as ever and his character development has reached a new high. I'm mournful to say goodbye to my friends in Beartown, but I eagerly await Backman's next novel.

Fredrik Backman once agains delivers a book that readers will want to inhale. This is the third book in his Beartown series. Even though the good majority of the book is of a slower pace, The Winners does start off with a flurry of excitement and ends with some more.

Much more than his other previous books, I found Backman heavily used foreshadowing in this story. I could feel the tension building. I knew that once again Backman was going to filet me emotions all over the place by ripping a beloved character from the book. The foreshadowing was palpable.

For those, like me, who love Backman's unique style of writing will not be disappointed with this book. He continues to have a beautiful way of describing people, place and events in a way that resonates with me. He is a master at his craft and once again he has proven that I will read anything and everything this author writes.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. My only regret is that I didn't read all three books closer together so I remembered more of the characters before diving in to The Winners.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another masterful take by backman. I love this author and can't wait to see what he comes up with next

At 688 pages, this weighty tome gives readers a conclusion befitting the beloved series. I wanted more faster from Backman, but he keeps perfect pace closing the chapter on the bears from Beartown. This is definitely one I'll read again and treasure.

Many thanks to Atria Books, the author, and NetGalley for sharing this gem with me.

I adored 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 5⭐️ read all the way!

I liked 𝘜𝘴 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 very much, 4⭐️ only due to a slow start.

This finale drew me in right away, thanks to my deep love for the characters, especially Ana, Benji, and Amat.

However, as the prose continued on and on and on…it began to lose me. I wondered frequently, where was the editing? I’ve got some red pens I could’ve loaned out to cross out all the repetition!

It felt as if the plot meandered afar, trying to find its way. Honestly, this might’ve been a far better book at 380, instead of 680.

I still love the characters; they will always live in my heart. I’m just not convinced we needed more stories from Hed and Beartown?!

Fredrik Backman is one of my favourite authors. I’ve read and loved almost everything he’s written, so I was excited to get a copy of Winners to review.

Backman does a masterful job of revealing the inner workings of everyday people. When he describes in Winners all the deep and fearful and beautiful feelings of being a parent, I know exactly what he is talking about. Backman gives his readers an opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes and (hopefully) become a more understanding and compassionate person from the journey.

Winners tries to takes us on that familiar, enlightening journey. However, it falls a bit short. For me, Winners doesn’t have that lifting sense of hope or those glimpses of beautiful humanity that seem to weave through Backman’s other books. I wasn’t moved by Winners like I was with Beartown and Us Against You. It’s good, it’s just not as great as Backman’s other works.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the third and final book in the Beartown Series. If you loved Beartown and Us Against You, you will also love this book. Fredrik is a gifted storyteller, bringing you into this small hockey loving community in the woods in which you to get to know the people and the families there and their trials and tribulations, In it we see how a terrible event in the first book continues to have a ripple effect on the people of Beartown. Take your time and savor this one. It’s worth it.

“This hurts too much to touch with words.”

Of all the book mail I have (*gratefully*) received this year, it’s fair to say this #gifted copy from @atriabooks is my favorite. As soon as it arrived, I cleared my schedule and lost myself (one last time) in the world of Beartown.

It was like being embraced by an old friend. A reunion that is a true comfort to the deepest recesses of the soul.

I could’ve easily devoured this book. But instead, I savored it. Every morsel. The rivalries, the friendships, the two towns, and, of course, the hockey. Slowly. Steadily.

It’s the end of the series after all. A heart can’t process both the immense joy of a long awaited return and the overwhelming grief of a definitive end too quickly.

Since closing the last page (weeks ago, I might add), this book has filled my soul with a multitude of complex emotion. Backman’s books always break my heart only to mend it, somehow even better than it was in the beginning. The Winners managed to do that in an even more powerful way.

A small, isolated town deep in a big forest inhabited by complex people living ordinary lives. It sounds so simple. Yet it’s everything.

Oh but the review… it continues to go unwritten. Mere words fail. The English language falls short.

Where my words fail, Backman’s do not. Simply put… read this book.

Of course, I could not get through the first chapter without tearing up. Backman has a way of getting to the heart of the matter, but still leaves more exploring to do. I was glad there was a brief refresher of the previous two books since it has been four years since 'Us Against You' was published.

This book is a commitment. At almost 700 pages, where the atmosphere is as much a character as the community of quirky and damaged people. No matter how much a person tries to get away, Beartown and Hed bring their people home. With a beloved member dead, those that have gotten away will find themselves drawn back, and the old wounds will be ripped open for yet another challenge to their grit and fortitude.

When a second death occurs, the town has decisions to make and secrets to keep. More tears, both the town and the reader, will be shed. Backman ties up the loose ends, but it is a bittersweet ending since many have finally found their happiness in a town that has only given them grief.

I just finished this book and it has me sobbing. No one but Fredrik Backman could write a book about a sport that I have zero interest in and yet touch me so deeply.

Fredrik Backman manages to infuse the entire Beartown series with a heavy atmospheric sensation, brimming with tension, sacrifice, heart, and the weight of a community. I can feel the cold wind deep in my bones, and I can see the people in these forest towns, trying to do the right thing for themselves, their families, and their town. In this last installment, we are also introduced to a family from Hed. We are able to see the rivalry from both sides and how competition can turn into hatred.

Fredrik Backman is known for his ability to cleverly drop breadcrumbs and red herrings throughout the story, constructing cliffhangers and incomplete stories masterfully, never contrived, and disclosing details in his own perfect timing. The chapters are short and plentiful, but Backman manages to end every chapter with a momentous and weighty reveal, making us, as readers, catch our breath each time. The characters are distinct and well-rounded. Backman highlights, rather than hides, their flaws, and it is used to portray their humanity.

These are books about a hockey town, but the books are not about hockey. They are about relationships - those between parent and child, husband and wife, teammates, friends, rivals, and between man and nature. They are about growing up and finding your identity, letting go of past demons, and mustering up strength you never knew you had. They are about choosing the important things in life and what happens when you choose wrong.

This series is a masterpiece. Fredrik Backman's storytelling ability is exceptional. Even though the story is serious and atmospheric, his sense of humor shines through brilliantly. Backman is able to make me laugh and cry, often in the same chapter. I'm sad to say goodbye to Beartown and all of the characters I've fallen in love with.

It's Backman, what can I say? Not a lot happens in the book, but at the same time, everything does. Lovable characters, lots of emotion - I"ll read whatever Backman writes.