Beartown follows a small hockey town in the woods and what happens after a girl gets raped by one of the hockey team’s star players. This event shakes the entire town and we see how this impacts everyone. So, if you haven’t read Fredrik Backman’s novel yet, here are ten reasons why you should pick up Beartown!
1. It’s Not Set In The US or UK
Many books are often set in the US or the UK, but this book is set in Sweden as it is originally a Swedish book and has been translated into English. It’s always very refreshing to get a book set somewhere new and different.
2. Discussion of Sport Culture
“…whether a joke is always only a joke, whether that particular one went too far, whether there are different rules inside and outside a locker room…”
This book is all about hockey and how an entire town’s happiness is pinned on the team’s success. Beartown only has a male hockey team and these players, coaches and other men, rule the town. Backman provides a very beautiful discussion about how much men get away with in the locker room and if their attitudes need to change.
3. It Explores What It Means To Be A Teen
This book captures the innocence and difficulty of being a teen beautifully. It talks about relationships, finding your voice, learning about who you are, and discovering that the world can be cruel.
4. Loyalty, Belonging, and What This Means In A Small Town
Friendship, family, and team loyalty all influence the characters’ decisions. Beartown offers a great insight into being accepted for who you are, looking out for others, and knowing when to leave somebody’s side. We see someone hide their sexual orientation, families keeping secrets from each other, and best friends holding each other’s hand while others have to part ways.
5. Discusses A Difficult Topic In A Beautiful Way
“She’s fifteen, above the age of consent, and he’s seventeen, but he’s still “the boy” in every conversation. She’s “the young woman”.
Rape is a horrible event and one that should never happen. Backman manages to talk about this sensitive issue in a raw and honest way. He offers insight into the long-term impact of rape, not being believed, and the faults in the criminal system.
6. Parenting and Role Models
“That most people don’t do what we tell them to. They do what we let them get away with.”
Family plays a very important role in this novel. Backman gets you asking questions such as: How far would someone go to protect their child? Who do children learn from?
We see many different family units and Backman shows us that who people are raised by can have a significant impact on their life.
7. It Will Have You Sobbing and Will Stay With You Long After The Last Page
Some books are etched into your heart and you will be thinking about them long after reading the last sentence. Beartown is one of those books. This book hits you like a cold icy wind and leaves its mark. It will have you sobbing, screaming, and pumping your fist into the air. Who doesn’t like an emotional rollercoaster?
8. Character Driven
This book explores the storylines of a large amount of characters. We get to see this experience play out through so many eyes. We have the victim/survivor, her entire family, her best friend, the perpetrator, his best friend, the hockey team, the coach, and so many other people in this town. The characters are all well developed and you will want to protect some of them with your life, while wanting to punch others in the face.
9. Poetically Written
“All adults have days when we feel completely drained…The wonderful thing is that we can all live through far more days like that without breaking than we think. The terrible thing is that we never know exactly how many.”
Fredrik Backman writes beautifully, you could fill notebooks with quotes from this book. He truly has a way with words. Backman uses metaphors amazingly and he will have you wiping away tears with just a few sentences.
10. Discusses Inequality
Beartown discusses gender inequality in more ways than one. It shows the unequal treatment of the rape victim and perpetrator, it shows that men like to blame anything but themselves for problems, it also discusses the way working mothers get treated, and how ‘career women’ are perceived.
This book is one you will be thinking about on the daily. It is beautifully written and has characters with so much heart and soul. I’ll tell you to read this book one more time and leave you with this beautiful quote.
“If you are honest, people may deceive you. Be honest anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfishness. Be kind anyway. All the good you do today will be forgotten by others tomorrow. Do good anyway.”
