This broke me. I don't think I will ever recover. I love Backman so much, but not as much as I love these characters. I did think it was a litttle too long, but I really did enjoy the time I got to spend with these characters (probably for the last time).

A big thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book!
'The Winners'. A totally great, more-than-I-can-comprehend kind of book. A comfort book, this one, for sure.

I normally really enjoy Fredrik Backman's books, but this one was not a winner for me. First off, the book is gigantic-it clocks in at 688 pages and gets to be absolutely tedious with the overwrought emotions of every single character that has ever graced the series. Just in case there weren't enough intense emotions in the first two books in the series, <i>The Winners</i> will hit you over the head with them.

I don't know if Backman has reached the JK Rowling stage of his career where he doesn't work with an editor, but you could probably skip the first 500 pages of <i>The Winners</i> and not miss anything plot-wise. The book also falls into the overplayed trope of <spoiler> Bury your Gays by killing off the only gay character in the series just to make sure you really understand that people are both bad and good and complicated.</spoiler>

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I love this series. Backman manages to break my heart in every single one of his books and yet I keep coming back for more. I'm so invested in these characters and towns that the ending of this book physically hurt. I cried as if someone I knew died. A very good ending to a very emotional and well written trilogy.

A riveting sequel! Backman takes us right back to Beartown where we left off and through a new series of events that rattle and shake the town all while interweaving characters and their lives as only Backman can. Two thumbs up!

I will always cherish any time I get to spend in this particular literary universe. The author is truly a gifted storyteller and handles difficult themes with nuance and skill. This is a gripping story about family (both blood and found), trauma, love, perseverance, tragedy, and the indomitable human spirit. The characters will grab you right from the beginning and they’ll rip your heart open along the way - but what a journey it is.

Challenge yourself to follow the many plotlines of this third and longest book in the Beartown trilogy. There are many characters facing many difficulties, but in this small town they all affect each other, and the rival small town isn't nearly as different as the residents like to think. Unlikely partnerships emerge and star-crossed relationships begin as the barriers between the two towns are broken down- first by a storm and then by the interactions of inhabitants of all ages and occupations. And it all leads back to hockey.

Thank you to netgalley.com for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I was so excited to read the third book in this series. Backman is one of my favorite authors and I will read anything he writes. He just seems to get people and their thoughts and motivation. This book was no exception, it was nice to get back into the lives of these characters and the town. This book will make you cry and make you smile. There is sadness but there is a lot of hope too. I found it to be a satisfying ending to a wonderful trilogy of books.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman really impacted me when I first read it. I came to care so deeply for most of the characters and was anxious to see how the story would play out. With the sequel Us Against You and this book, The Winners, I still loved getting to check back in with the characters. But I didn’t feel the same urgency that I did with the first book. Some of the focus on citywide political corruption didn’t interest me as much as the interpersonal stories between the characters.

This takes place two years after Us Against You, so it’s great getting to see how different characters were coping with earlier events years down the line. As always, I found Benji, Maya, and Amat’s storylines to be the most interesting. But I was hoping to see even more scenes of all the younger characters hanging out together.

I definitely don’t think that this book needed to be almost 700 pages. At times it felt like some scenes were getting pretty repetitive. While I do think that this series is really impactful in talking about sexual assault, violence, who is believed, who is protected, and grief… I don’t exactly know how I feel about the way this book ended. Especially the outcome for one particular character. I still think this is a worthwhile read, but it didn’t quite live up to the standard of Beartown.

*Advanced reader copy*

🚨TW: rape, hockey

I’ve been so excited to get my hands on this! The closing chapter of the beartown trilogy.
The winners picks up where we left off with us against you. This character driven series finale was filled with issues that surround many hockey towns, big and small; corruption, fraud, politics, hockey culture, and the fall out for both Hed, Beartown, and their members.

It took me a LONG time to get into. There are many characters to remember! Fredrik Backman makes readers read through fog…the understanding of what is happening is there, but you can’t quite grasp it until you do. And when you do 😭😭😭.

Definitely recommend this one!*also highly recommend reviewing the first two books before diving into this!*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ because of the time it took to get into it.
*However* it is a heavy read with major rape story lines, death, and despair. Grab your patience and your tissues for this one😭🫣

Fredrik Backman has scored a hat trick with the Beartown series. The Winners just may be my favorite of the three. I was left with a serious book hangover and the need to just sit and think. The foreshadowing of a beloved character’s death gripped me every time I picked up the book (and I rarely put it down). This is one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. The character development. The setting. The plot. The interchange of dark and light, despair and hope. All combine for a classic Backman.

My eternal gratitude to NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the end of an incredible trilogy. I loved seeing where the characters from the previous books were after two years had passed. In addition, the new characters were brought into the story in such a seamless way that it didn't feel like they were intruding. Fredrick Backman is an incredible writer and this book clearly displays that. I loved it and would recommend this series to anyone.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman is the emotional conclusion to the Bear Town series. It is filled with strong prose, realistic characters, and so much heart.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite dark and depressing and also very very long. However, you find yourself rooting for pretty much everyone except maybe the politician. Each person has a story and Backman does a fabulous job if interweaving them with each other. Lots of bad choices are made, but they are forgivable because they seem also like the right choice at the time. There are good guys and bad guys, but they are interchangeable and as a reader you empathize with them equally and want the best for them. There's so much hurt and also so much love. This book is overwhelmingly emotional and intriguing. I want to go visit Beartown and Hed. I want to help these two towns heal and realize they are the same, but different. So good. I'll read it again one day.

Oh, My Heart. Do I still have one? I’m not exactly sure. It has been wrenched out of my chest more than once reading the Beartown Trilogy by Fredrik Backman and it happened once again reading The Winners, the last book in this series. To know this story is over is devastating. The only consolation I have is knowing that I can go back and re-read these books over and over again and re-visit the characters whenever I want. The Winners is a brilliant end to this series and I loved every minute.

Admittedly, while reading this novel, laughter, tears, and hysterical crying ensued.

Though I read this book as soon as I got my hands on a copy, putting my thoughts down “on paper” has taken quite some time.

I love so much about the characters and the storyline, that it’s hard to get it all out, and frankly, I don’t want to give anything away.

So what can I say? This is a story about two towns, two nets, two teams, everyone gets a stick, us against you. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

But you know that already, and there’s more, of course.

There’s dysfunction, family, friendship, love, loss, tragedy, human nature, the human spirit, grave mistakes, apologies, fists flying, and tears, lots of tears. Many wept by me.

*
So with that out of the way, let me talk about what I love most. Hands down, it’s the characters.

First, last and always:

Benji Ovich. I love you. I just freaking love you and think of you every single day (and yes, I know that you are a fictional character). I love the fact that you have the biggest heart on the planet. That you, Benji, love with every fiber of your being, often to your detriment. That you are the most loyal of friends, and that you love your sisters desperately and would do anything for them. That you love Beartown, its residents, and Ramona so very much. Your struggles have torn me apart, and yet you, you persevere. Just like Beartown.

Bobo: What an amazing son and brother you are! Ann-Katrin raised you so well and would be very proud. Your ability to make people laugh is one of your best traits. As soon as you pose a question to your friends, I admit to smiling, then laughing out loud, and then immediately crying like a fool. There is just something so special about you, your ability to make light of dark times and your ability to make people laugh. You’re the best friend and son anyone could ask for!

Ana: Oh Ana. You do beat all girl! You’re wild, you say the darndest things, and sometimes, frankly, you do the darndest things, but your heart - it has always been in the right place.

Ramona: My oh my. I adore your snark, your wisdom, and your loyalty for everything you hold dear. Your love for Holger, Peter, Teemu, the Bearskin Pub, and of course Hockey (who could forget Hockey?) brought tears to my eyes more than once.

Teemu: Your love and adoration for those you keep close, including Ramona, Vidar, the Pack, and Beartown were crystal clear. While I didn’t always approve of your tactics, I truly appreciate you and how much you love those around you.

Sune: Oh how lucky Peter, Alicia, and Beartown have been. You’re a gift.

Alicia: Small, but mighty, I love your perseverance and your heart. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

*
I love all of you and so many other characters more than I can begin to exclaim (in case it wasn’t obvious), and will miss you all very much.

While I loved The Winners, and am truly amazed at what Fredrik Backman accomplished, I wish it wasn’t over. These characters are near and dear to my heart and always will be.

To Fredrik Backman, thank you for writing these incredible novels and sharing so much of yourself with us.

Huge thanks to Ariele Friedman at Atria for the e-arc via NetGalley. Thanks also to Goodreads for the galley.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝗪𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐒 (PUB 09.27) was an absolutely perfect finale to the Beartown series.

I adore how Fredrick Backman tells a story. He takes these seemingly normal people living normal lives and subtlety shines a light on the best (and worst) parts of what makes us who we are. His stories and characters make me think about big picture things without feeling like I'm being smothered by them. He delivers depth in such an accessible way. He brings not only people to life, but whole communities.
I took my time and savored this book because it was that wonderful. I also took my time because I found it to be deeply emotional. I wanted to wrap myself up in the final moments with characters I've grown to love. The narrative was expertly interwoven and unfurled throughout the pages with a steady pace that pulsed with ominous foreshadowing. It was a powerful reading experience and I loved it!

I'm still not ready to say goodbye to Beartown and plan to reread the book on audio when it releases.

SIDE NOTE: I've joked that if Backman had a Fan Club I'd be the President. He doesn't have one so maybe I could be the Founder. I am a #backmanbacker. Any other club members here?

I am so grateful to for the early copy.

I'm going to be an outlier on this one and give it only 3 stars. I found the conclusion to Backman's Beartown series to be overly long and a bit boring. Once again, Backman is excellent at characterizations, zeroing in on their very human reactions, triumphs and failings. But I even grew a little tired of that, of being 'told' the same things over and over. Frankly, I just didn't care. The story is once again told by an omniscient, all-seeing third-person plural. This 'We' is apparently the collective spirit of the townspeople of Beartown and Hed and as it tells this story, it makes use of foreshadowing to build drama and suspense. It knows everyone's thoughts and emotions, their motivations, their fears, their dreams...and just how far they will take their fanatic love of hockey.

I received an arc from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Pub date: 9/27/22
Series: Beartown, book 3
Do I need to read books 1 and 2 first?: Yes. You must - otherwise you will be so confused.
One sentence summary: It's been two years since Beartown was torn apart by a rape, but cracks reappear after a summer storm hits the town and neighboring Hed.

This is a really hard review to write, as Beartown and Us Against You were both 5 star reads for me, and sadly, The Winners wasn't. There's a lot of good in this book - I enjoyed Backman's writing style as always, and I loved getting to see some of my favorite characters again.

Unfortunately, this story didn't have enough meat to fill out the almost 700 pages it takes up. I felt like there was a lot of build up, but not much happened in the end. I know a lot of readers will still love this one, but it didn't capture the magic of books 1 and 2 for me. If you don't mind a slow burn, you may enjoy this one more than I did!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another hit by Fredrik Backman!! Highly recommend this one! The story sucks you in immediately and you find yourself thinking about the characters long after you put it down. Fans of FB will not be disappointed in this one!

The Winners 🏒
Fredrik Backman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Well, Fredrik Backman has officially broken my heart more than any other man ❤️‍🩹
My heart was absolutely broken for some of my favourite characters, yet so happy for others 💚

His writing style is magical. He has a way of making the reader feel like they are in the story as it is being told.

So many emotions I absolutely loved this book 💚

While this book is part of a trilogy, I do feel like you could read it as a stand-alone. You get the backstory of Beartown(Book 1) and Us Against You(Book 2) without it being repetitive.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for the ARC 💚
🇨🇦 Publication date: October 4th 2022

*review can also be seen on my instagram @reiding_withtay