Book Review: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Publisher: ‎ Atria Books
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Description:

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.

Beartown is a small Swedish town that is centered on hockey. Hockey is what brings everyone together and the sense of community is strong. Children start playing hockey before they even start elementary school. Then one of the players is accused of something violent and horrible and it becomes clear how precarious the community really is. What are they without hockey? What are they willing to sacrifice to win?

Beartown starts slow but that’s because Fredrik Backman takes his time to introduce the reader to all of the characters and to Beartown itself. All of the characters are incredibly well-developed. I don’t think the aftermath of the violent event would have been as impactful if we didn’t know the people and the town as well as we do by the time the event actually happens.

Although this is a novel about a sport, it’s not really a “sports novel”. It’s more about morality and the culture of toxic masculinity. It’s not predictable the way some sports books can be. I read this for my book club – it made for a good discussion. I was surprised to learn after I finished it that this is the first in a series. It has also been made into a limited series streaming on HBO max.

I’ve actually already read the next book in the series, Us Against You. Stay tuned for that!