Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

Us Against You (Beartown #2) by Fredrik Backman, 448 p.

CW: Mention of sexual assault

"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." --Goodreads blurb

This book starts not long after the end of Beartown, so we're with all the same character (and don't forget, there's a lot!). Emotions run strong, people feel both not enough and too big for their britches (IMO). I was unfortunately really soured by Leo's storyline. I audibly gasped when Ana did what Ana did. It was a good story, but I'm not in a rush to read the last in the Beartown series. I didn't love this like I usually love Backman.

 

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown (Beartown #1) by Fredrik Backman, 432 p.

CW: Sexual assault

"People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is 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. 

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is 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, leaving no resident unaffected. Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world."--Goodreads blurb

I have loved every Backman book I've read and this is no exception, though I've definitely loved others of his much more. There are a lot of characters happening in this book and they range in age from very young to old. I usually tell people that no one writes unlikeable characters like Backman, but I felt like this one didn't have any stark stand-out unlikeables like Ove, but there were plenty of actions by plenty of the characters that made you want to throw the book. That's what makes me know this was a good one.  I a visceral need to physically move out of my space to clear my head.  

 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, 337 p.

CW: Suicide

"A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations."

This is the book that made this author famous, and that is well-deserved. Ove (pronounced OO-vuh) is a character that you are just annoyed with and frustrated at from the very beginning, but man does he grow on you. Backman seems to really be masterful at writing those types of characters. This was a well-written story, and while I want to say it was a feel-good story (because it was), it was more than that, because it DID NOT always feel good. 
 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman, 341 p.

"Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times." 

This was my first foray into books written by this author, who has been on my TBR list for a very long time. And wow, what an introduction to a spectacular writing style. This story, from so many different perspectives, is such an encompassing and intriguing read. This author is a master at writing characters that you are meant to not like, yet somehow finding yourself kind of liking. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (Neil Smith, Translator)

341 pages / 9 hrs, 53 mins

"Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.

"Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next."  --from the publisher

What a uniquely, excellent story! I fell in love with the characters, and Backman's writing style is at times maddening, but always superb. At the beginning I got discouraged with the negativity of the characters, then the magic began. So glad I didn't stop reading/listening. Authors like Backman don't come along very often. I give it five out of five stars.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
432 pages / 13 hrs, 11 mins

"People say Beartown is finished.  A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees.  But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town.  And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today.  Their junior ice hockey team is 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.

"Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is 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, leaving no resident unaffected.

"Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain.  In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world."  --from the publisher

Great book with strong writing and universal themes.  It will leave you thinking.  Among other things, I'm pondering the tendency we have to assign morality not according to the action, but according to the person.  Why do we give a pass to some people and then cry for justice when other people act the same way?  The language was a little rough for me, but Backman's handling of the "incident" was tastefully done.