THE WINNERS
By Fredrik Backman

The third and final book of the Beartown series comes to a beautiful conclusion worthy of a standing ovation. Backman has turned this reader into a hockey fan, but it really is more than hockey, and in each of the installment, the story evolved – the community, the families, the tragedies, the losses, and the wins. I had been attached to the story and the characters within these Swedish towns. It’s completely a triumphant read that will stay with me for a long time.

I will be reading the series all over again. I just love it so much!

Great conclusion (I assume) to the trilogy. Some loose ends are tied up and I was satisfied with the way the characters ended up.

This book took me a month to get through, not because it wasn't good, but because it was so long and the short chapters made it easy for me to finish a chapter and put it down. But I also started this book when I was in the middle of other reads and life was so chaotic that audiobooks were easier for me because I had to travel so much. That said, the stuff into the political corruption and all that kind of bogged it down for me and it made me think that this book really didn't need to be 600+ pages long! Still, I finally broke down and listened to the audio for the last 20% and ended up zipping through it, so part of it is that Marin Ireland's narration REALLY adds to the story for me. Somehow she's able to capture the spirit of the story and what makes Beartown Beartown, and the ending had me bawling.

I loved the way the story began, and I enjoyed getting to know Hannah and her family, and yes, Backman is brilliant at weaving all the threads together. What bogged it down was how slowly everything moved in terms of the corruption. Still, I suspect if I had listened to this book from beginning to end, it would have gone faster for me. I'm amazed at how much I disliked Tails and Lev throughout (but always liked Teemu), but somehow Backman made me feel that they had some redeeming characteristics. I still didn't like them, but I accepted they were part of the place. I loved little Alicia and some of the most poignant moments included her. This book brings back Benji and Maya, which made me so happy. I love the friendship Benji, Maya and Ana have always had, so that was one of the highlights of the book. There were many emotional moments involving those three (sometimes with each other, sometimes with other) that left me wanting more for them.

The book was sad. The trilogy was sad. But after reading the second book, I think this third one really did need to be written. Because there were things hinted at in throwaway lines in the first book that finally came to pass in this book. And even though I knew, I KNEW what was going to happen to one of my favorite characters, even though Backman came right out and said it several times, when it actually happened, I broke down in tears. And yet, it was not all sad. There was beauty in this cold country that was dark for much of the year and the survivors showed why this place was home. As slow as the book was at times, the ending really did it for me and it made the whole trilogy worth reading. I would absolutely reread this book, but I would prefer to listen to it next time.

If you liked the people of Bear Town and you want to know what happens to them, and you don't mind reading about the worst of human nature (as well as the best), this is a trilogy worth reading from beginning to end. I'm glad I decided to take on the trilogy. At the very least, you could read the first book as a standalone, but if you are willing to take the full journey, then I can recommend books 2 and 3.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Phew, what a story. It was nice to catch up with all the characters in the first two books, but for me the side stories of the characters took away from the book. I was totally engaged in the first few chapters and struggled with next 500 pages. The end is where I became engaged again. Long book, but all in all, I am glad I read it.

I really like the Beartown series. This is a well-written and captivating story. Once again, Backman delivers with genuine characters, showing them at there best and worst and simultaneously leaving a trace of warm emotion.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought to myself 3/4 of the way through this book that I was going to be really sad when this book ended. That should tell you everything you need to know.

The last in the Beartown series, I really think this can’t be done as a standalone. I think to get the true appreciation of the book, you need to read the rest in the series. I loved the book and the way it tied the book oks together. Great characters and storyline. My only complaints are: 1. I wish I would have read the books closer together because I had forgotten some of the details from the first two books. 2. The series is now over. 3. Now I have to wait for Backman to write another book!

Words cannot express how much love I have for this book (and anything that Backman writes). This trilogy will forever hold a special place in my heart and Backman completely outdid himself with this final installment.

The witty charm and honesty that has always been present in Backman's books was on another level in THE WINNERS. The characters and setting feel so real and relatable that I was invested in the entire story (all 700+ pages!) If you enjoy character-driven novels that speak to your soul, then you'll love the Beartown trilogy.

I screamed when I got the email from Netgalley granting me early access -- thank you Netgally and Atria Books for making my year! THE WINNERS IS OUT NOW!

If you’ve read any other books in the Beartown series, you know what you’re getting into with Fredrik Backman’s latest book and the final book in the series, The Winners. 

In the final installment to this series, the residents of Beartown and Hed face extraordinary circumstances. Set two years after the events in Us Against You transpire, a funeral calls those who have left Beartown back. One storm and two funerals set into motion heart-wrenching events that end with someone grabbing a gun and walking towards the ice rink.
Someone has to lose.

As with every Backman book, the characters, setting, and plot are impeccable. There is less subversion of expectations with this one— either I’m getting better at seeing through the false leads, or he subverted expectations by not subverting expectations. Honestly, sometimes I feel like Backman is playing mind games with his readers, toying with our emotions, assumptions, and novel structure all simultaneously. It’s part of what makes his books so engaging– you never know what will happen next, anything is possible, and you don’t dare put the book down. You simply must know what happens next.

This novel explores established characters on a deeper level and introduces new characters as well. With classic Backman style, these characters are all unique, yet perfectly fit into the landscape of the world. And that world is still gorgeous, the forest and lake as much a part of the plot as the characters.
Though this cast is expansive, each character is so well crafted they are easy to keep straight. They are endearing, humorous, and nuanced. Backman’s character development continues to be exceptional, with characters practically leaping off the stage and into the reader’s mind.

There isn’t a lot I can say about this novel without going into spoilers. There will be a section at the end with trigger warnings for anyone who would prefer to go into this novel prepared.

Backman has created a heartbreaking allegory for the world we live in. The questions posed are ones that stretch beyond Beartown’s forest and touch all our lives: Who gets to decide who belongs? Can hate be overcome? What will a parent do to protect their child?

Backman’s incredible style permeates every page, drawing the reader in and shining a light on our worst fears and our greatest hopes. Backman highlights the daily bits of joy amidst the seasons of despair brilliantly.

This one will do a number on your heart, or at least it did mine. But you’ll highlight half the passages and think about highlighting the other half, because Backman has an uncanny ability to articulate the most tumultuous of thoughts in a way that not only make sense, but make the most sense. It is quite long, but that’s part for the course with this series.

The Winners is available now. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Atria books for an advanced copy such that I could share my honest opinions.

Content warnings on original blog post on PawPrintsintheSink.com.

ok, i lied, i probably won't do a full review, because what on earth could i possibly say that hasn't already been said? i'm still gutted. my heart is so full and so empty and so sad. just reading the below quotes that i highlighted (in an arc! i never do that lol) made me all emotional all over again.

i can't wait to reread all of them one day :)
------------------------------
full review to come, but good lord. my poor heart. this wasn't an easy, quick read. i probably would have gotten through it faster if i had the audio, but i'm glad i experienced it this way the first time (yeah, i'll probably do the audio when it comes out!).

some quotes i loved even though you aren't supposed to quote arcs:

<spoiler>
The only day you can influence is today. You can't do a damn thing about yesterday and tomorrow, but you can do something about TODAY!

One gets more patriotic about where one is from the farther away from home one is.

For the rest of their lives they will always walk past the display windows of the sports shop and think that there’s one bicycle too many in there. A pair of skates too many. A hundred thousand adventures and trees to climb and puddles to jump in too many. A million uneaten ice creams. They will never be woken too early on holiday mornings, never whisper-shout “Quiet!” when they’re talking on the phone, never put small gloves on the radiator. The greatest fear, the tiniest human being, will never be theirs.

It's so hard to explain that it's more than an animal when you're that animal's human.

</spoiler>

There are few things that I need to mention first and foremost.
-this book is much larger than I was expecting, at almost 700 pages
-its book 3 of the Beartown series with all your favourite characters, plus a few new ones
-the end will break your heart

bang-bang-bang-bang-bang

A few years have now passed. The residence of Beartown seem much changed; family members are in different points in their lives, and even the hockey team looks different.

Discussions about merging two teams – bitter rivals Beartown and Hed. Oh no, this cannot happen. Skates on ice, these two teams will battle it out! But this is not the only drama going on in Beartown. As we look on to this small-town community, we see trauma, failure, change. We see those who are busting their butts to rebuild their relationships, and we see those who don’t know how to start over.

And finally, and most importantly, we see the fate of one of my most beloved character. And I am broken. It’s like you know what’s going to happen, but you keep reading hoping it won’t.

bang-bang-bang-bang-bang

I’ve now read 5 Backman books, and there is no doubt in my mind that Backman is an incredible storyteller. A writer who wants every one of his characters to tell their own story in their own unique way. With each of his books there are always a few characters that you want to revisit long after the book has been read. That's how his books are, there may be a lot of emotion and turmoil, but you'll always end up making a new friend within the pages.
4 stars.

I am a huge fan of Fredrik Backman and have read all of his books. I did this one on audio and followed along on ebook. In order to enjoy this book, I re-read Beartown and Us Against You. Perhaps that was a mistake because The Winners felt quite repetitive shortly after having read the other two.
I wasn't in love with the new characters and their motivations. Johnny/Hannah and their kids were just another family that I had to get used to and there was nothing significant to keep my interest. Mateo and his past wasn't something I cared about. I can see how it contrasts with the Maya rape of Beartown but somehow I felt like it's just another weaker version of Beartown in that regard.
Ultimately, there is politics once again. There is conflict between Beartown and He'd. There's violence. I felt like I wanted something "more". Something new.
Perhaps, I wanted more from the past characters. There was one element of conflict with Peter and Kiera, with the Beartown legal issues but even that felt flat to me.
I loved the scene with Amat going to the draft and that's the scene I cared about
The ending was unsatisfying.
I love Backman, but unfortunately this book did not do it for me.

I was so excited when I heard there would be a third and final book in the Beartown series. I'm not a hockey fan, but I enjoyed Beartown. I loved the quirky writing style, loved so many of the characters. Us Against You is the better of the first two books. Everything I felt in Beartown, I felt a thousand times more in the second book. My favorite character was Benji. So I requested this book and was a little sad to know this was the last time we would spend time with Beartown and its people.

This book did not disappoint. It's not an easy first half, I'd venture to say. In places, it just drags on and I skimmed. Even then, you have to be careful because there are certain sentences you have to catch that set up the end of the book. It helps establish the tension of foreboding. Pay attention to what is said about certain characters. You may have it figured out, but not completely.

I laughed, cried, cheered and cursed all through the first two books. This is no different. I couldn't pick up a new book for a few days after this one. I will never stop recommending this trilogy, nor will I ever forget it. I think the saga of Beartown is one of the most important stories of this decade, if not this century.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited and a bit surprised when I saw that there would be another book in the Beartown series. Though there were some questions left unanswered throughout the series, and I fully expected Backman to break my heart again, the first chapter hurt more than I'd like to admit. Again, this was hinted at since the end of book one, but Backman has such a clear understanding of humans and characterization that losing characters feels like losing friends. Of the series this is my least favorite but only marginally. A lot had to be done in this book to tie up loose ends, so at parts, it felt a bit all over the place. But I don't know how else the story can be told. When reading a Fredrik Backman novel, I always just have to trust the process and cry throughout.

Wow. The Winners was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. I finished a week ago and I'm still emotional thinking about it. This was the perfect ending to a wonderful series and I'm a bit heartbroken to be leaving Beartown. This final book was everything I expected it to be - heartbreaking, heartwrenching, and heartwarming. By the end I went through every possible emotion and left Beartown with a beautiful sense of closure.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced eCopy of The Winners. I'm incredibly grateful to have read the Beartown Series as my first introduction to Fredrik Backman!

Two years have passed since we last visited the town of Beartown. The residents have done their best to move past the events that rattled the town to it’s core. Despite their best efforts some of them cannot move on. Some of them are still struggling. Some must face a new tragedy. Some want revenge. Tragedy strikes and brings Benji and Maya back home. There are some great moments among the old schoolmates and teammates, friendships are rekindled and dreams are shared. Meanwhile the residents of Beartown are faced with challenges that will force them to do what it takes to protect their town, their families and themselves.


I could not wait for this book. I have loved the Beartown series and have been anticipating this for months. This was such a great story. There was just so much to absorb in this story. Many feelings of pain, anger and bittersweet happiness.. Backman’s books are like quilts—each character and sub plot is a piece of a beautiful story that when put together create a unique unforgettable novel. This series ended perfectly, I might of teared up a bit but I will never forget the emotional journey that Backman has led me on.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TheWinners #FredrikBackman

With how much I adore Beartown and even Us Against You, it absolutely pains me, PAINS ME, to say that I did not love The Winners.

Don't get me wrong, I will always love Beartown and it's characters, but something felt off to me with The Winners. It felt like Backman had so much he wanted to get across that he kept repeating the same phrases just differently, over and over and over again.

It was too long.

I never thought I'd say that about a Beartown book. WHICH IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME.

Excuse me while I go cry in a corner.

This story grippped me and wouldn’t let go. I became so lost in it and that is my definition of a great book.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this third book in the Beartown series, although you don't have to read the first two books for this one to make sense. Lots of great insights about the best and worst of humanity woven through an engaging story. Giving it four stars because I thought it was longer than it needed to be.

It's been a couple of years since the assault that tore Beartown and Hed apart. Some people are trying to move on, while others fight to hang on to what life was before everything fell apart. A tempest blows and brings with it some change. A local is killed as a result of the storm and a stranger and a hero roll into town with the promise of making a winner from one of the most skilled local hockey players.

But not everyone is looking to move on. At least one person is hanging on to some of the most devastating events of the past, letting hatred and anger fester and grow. Life doesn't stop in the event of a tragedy, and sometimes that's a tragedy in itself because people need the time to recover.

Once again Fredrik Backman shows us that he understands people ... he understands what it means to be human and he can show us so many different sides, the dark and the light, the frustrations and the dreams, of humanity. Not since Shakespeare has one writer consistently captured the essence of humanity. And for this, I will continue to read Backman's books.

But unlike Shakespeare's tragedies, where the bad things that happen don't seem as real or as direct, the tragedies in Backman's stories are immediate and they happen to the innocent and the caring. They happen to the good people more so than those we might think of as 'deserving' of punishment or ill-will. And this makes Backman hard to read sometimes.

What caught me with this book was the heavy-handed way Backman lays out this story. His very narrative style here is set up to lay it on thick, cover it with sweet syrup, tease us with it, and then pull it all away. "It" being the tug of heartstrings, the playing with emotions, making us react with our hearts rather than our minds. And I didn't appreciate that.

Yet while I didn't like the method by which the story was told, I still really liked spending time with these characters. I know them all. You know them all. These are people who live in every small community. The names may be different than the people in our towns, but their behavior and their motives remains the same. For the most part, I think I liked these characters as they appear here more than I did in the previous two books. The new-comers to town bring some much-needed positivity.

Backman's books are pure gold. In general, you can't go wrong with a Backman book. But some will weigh heavier on you than others. This one weighs a lot.

Looking for a good book? The Winners, by Fredrik Backman, brings about some closure to the Beartown trilogy but not all stories have a happy ending.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through both Edelweiss and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Beartown series is one of my favorites. I never reread books, but I can see myself rereading this series in the future, perhaps to get me out of a reading slump. The author is a master at his craft, and I can truly say that I have never read more beautiful words on a page than those of Fredrik Backman's.

At first I was intimidated by the length of this book, but it is so engrossing that the pages just fly by and I found myself not wanting it to end, savoring every last word. I knew that The Winners was the last book in the series. and I didn't want to say goodbye.

The author will preface very early on in the book the demise of one of the main characters. I am certainly glad he did this. I do not think I would have been able to handle such a loss so suddenly and without warning. The character development is so well done that I felt like I really knew the characters in real life. I felt their emotions, their trials and triumphs.

Both Maya and Benji have left Beartown in this last book. Maya has headed off to college and Benji is just looking for an escape--a fresh start, but their absence is short-lived and they are pulled back to Beartown after the death of a loved one. In this last installment, the author reunites you with past characters and introduces new ones, all of which are perfectly imperfect.

Towards the end, I felt like Maya was on the road to healing after the events that transpired in the first book, which made me so happy for her. If anyone every asks me for a book recommendation, I will always recommend the Beartown series. It's a story filled with characters that will stick with you for a while.

Special thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.