Book Review - Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Title: Us Against You
Author: Fredrik Backman
Publication Date: September 4, 2018 (Canadian release date)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 448 pages
Rating: 5/5 stars
Buy It Now: https://amzn.to/2LfHcx5
(note: this is an affiliate link)
Goodreads Blurb:
After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach.
Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
My Thoughts:
I read Beartown earlier this month and enjoyed it a fair bit, but it did have its shortcomings. So I went into Us Against You with some reservations. Those reservations proved to be completely unnecessary; this is without a doubt the best book I've read so far this year!
Us Against You felt much less repetitive than Beartown to me. It was much less focused on rehashing the same events over and over, and the foreshadowing felt a lot more successfully applied here than in the previous book. I think it also helped a lot that I was already invested in the characters' lives from having read the previous book, so the connection I felt with them this time around was much stronger. I was fully invested in this novel from the very beginning and couldn't put it down.
This book was absolutely emotionally devastating. I found myself tearing up nearly every other chapter, and I got literal chills more than once while reading. Beartown's inhabitants each have a distinct voice and personality, fears and motivations all their own. The emotions that Backman manages to convey through his characters are raw and real. It's what truly makes his novels stand out, and that skill felt exceptionally well-honed in this novel.
This is an absolutely gorgeous novel by an author with an incredible skill for handling difficult subjects with grace and tact, while not shying away from the uglier aspects of the subject. I cannot say enough good things about this novel, and I urge anyone looking for an engrossing read to pick up both Beartown and Us Against You!
**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**
After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach.
Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
My Thoughts:
I read Beartown earlier this month and enjoyed it a fair bit, but it did have its shortcomings. So I went into Us Against You with some reservations. Those reservations proved to be completely unnecessary; this is without a doubt the best book I've read so far this year!
Us Against You felt much less repetitive than Beartown to me. It was much less focused on rehashing the same events over and over, and the foreshadowing felt a lot more successfully applied here than in the previous book. I think it also helped a lot that I was already invested in the characters' lives from having read the previous book, so the connection I felt with them this time around was much stronger. I was fully invested in this novel from the very beginning and couldn't put it down.
This book was absolutely emotionally devastating. I found myself tearing up nearly every other chapter, and I got literal chills more than once while reading. Beartown's inhabitants each have a distinct voice and personality, fears and motivations all their own. The emotions that Backman manages to convey through his characters are raw and real. It's what truly makes his novels stand out, and that skill felt exceptionally well-honed in this novel.
This is an absolutely gorgeous novel by an author with an incredible skill for handling difficult subjects with grace and tact, while not shying away from the uglier aspects of the subject. I cannot say enough good things about this novel, and I urge anyone looking for an engrossing read to pick up both Beartown and Us Against You!
**Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Comments
Post a Comment