Beartown

Written by Fredrik Backman

Narrated by Marin Ireland

Now an HBO Original Series

“You’ll love this engrossing novel.” —People

Named a Best Book of the Year by LibraryReads, BookBrowse, and Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People, a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals—and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown.

This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781508231530

Fredrik Backman

Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, and Anxious People, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.

Reviews for Beartown

[Mary Gichuki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fredrik Backman creates worlds in which each of his characters are given the dignity of depth. Never does he write a character that is a clearcut hero or an obvious villain, but he gives each character a humanness that puts them somewhere in between. His characters are so dynamic and reflection of the people we interact with everyday real world. This book made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me think and ponder and it shared so many truths about life. I would recommend searching up the trigger warnings as he does explore heavy topics, but he does so with so much skill. Fredrik Backman is an amazing writer, this is the second books of his that I’ve read, and I’ve loved it so immensely and I will be thinking about the quotes in this book for many years to come. He has easily become one of my favourite authors.

[Christopher Dicdiquin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fredrik Bachman’s book are always a delight! He develops characters so well and even though this is a bit dark and heavy compared to his other books, it is still heartwarming. Marine Ireland is also my favourite narrator.

[Janet Silde · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It wasn’t as good as I expected. It was highly recommended and nothing happens until about halfway through

[Louise Bernier · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

i enjoyed this book well enough that I plan on reading book #2 & 3 in the series.

One of the drawbacks of reading a great author though, is that we tend to set our expectations high. Great book, but not Backman's best in my opinion. A tough, all too common and realistic, subject matter for me.

There are also a lot of characters and although they are all well developed, and their presence adds to the authenticity of the story, there seemed to be a few who we got to know despite them playing a very small role in the book. Perhaps they'll make a more significant reappearance in book #2 & 3 (Us Against You and The Winners)