Storyline: 5 Stars
Oh wow. I knew that the story was building up to something in the first part when it was all about hockey, but wow it was great. There were so many times in the beginning where I was frustrated and disgusted with the hockey culture, but then I realized I was supposed to feel that way!
I laughed. I cried. I felt for every character that was talked about. I did not think that a book could delve so deeply into so many lives, but it did. There were so many characters that I loved and loathed. Characters that I wished would do something good but did not and characters I thought would only do bad but did good. At the end of the book, I was crying, and my husband asked me what was wrong. I think he was relieved that I was crying over a book and not something else, but wow the book really got me!
Beartown. A small hockey town. I don’t know how Backman was able to transport me into the stories and politics of a fictional community, but he did.
The story was so heavy hitting but also hopeful. I kept hoping and wishing for happy endings, but they didn’t happen for everyone. I applaud for the realistic nature of the endings for characters, but it also broke my heart.
Parental Guidance: 50% Recommend
I would not recommend Beartown to everyone because of the topics and some of the harsh language. I would recommend it 50% of the time for parental guidance.
There was a lot of foul language. It was supposed to be “locker room” talk, and the point I believe was to show how cruel and horrible the joking is and how that plays into people’s personal lives, but it was raunchy. I would be careful reading the book if it would bother you, even if it was supposed to be looked at as wrong. The “F” word was used frequently, especially in those locker room settings.
There also is a rainbow character, but it is subtle and nothing graphic happens. If anything, I think it shows how people need to love and treat those people well.
I will give a trigger warning, the book does deal with a very horrific incident of rape. It is not graphic, but it is hard hitting because the whole book revolves around what led up to it and what happens after.
Read Book Chat
*Spoilers Ahead*
Wow, Beartown. I am so glad that I read the book!
I think my biggest pet peeve was how Kevin got off the hook so easily? Like what? I have heard of situations where it’s a literal “he said she said” situation, where there are no other witnesses and no evidence. But seriously? There was an actual witness, who was not involved in the incident, and they still believe the perpetrator over the witness? Plus, Maya left scratches on Kevin and there were bruises on Maya’s wrists. Shouldn’t that also be evidence of what actually happened? I think letting Kevin off the hook would have been more believable in the story if there had been no witnesses and no physical signs of struggle, but there clearly were which made the police just look sloppy.
Also, who gets away with creating a mob and beating two kids senseless? Especially when those two kids saw who did it?
I grew up in Minnesota, a huge hockey state and there definitely are hockey towns, but I just can’t imagine it escalating to this point. I’ve always been involved in sports. I played at a Division 1 level, but I still can’t imagine a sport getting to this point, especially for teenagers! Maybe women’s sports are just more professional.
The locker room talk was disgusting, and at first, I was really grossed out by it. I’m still grossed out, but by the end of the book I realized that the purpose of it was to show how the mentality was what led them to rationalize so many of their behaviors outside of the locker room. They talked rudely about women and other groups of people, and it made me wonder if that actually is normal in boys’ and men’s sports. It’s making me second guess if I would want my own kids in some of these sports!
Anyways, Amat is my favorite, I hope he becomes the best hockey player.
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