Us Against You

4.5 stars! “Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. We'll end up saying that violence came to Beartown this summer, but that will be a lie; the violence was already here. Because sometimes hating one another is so easy that it seems incomprehensible that we ever do anything else.” I don’t know whether to be happy or sad, whether to cry or smile. Every word written by him is like a wave of feeling, crashing over me and leaving me breathless with its intensity. I feel my heart breaking and mending all at once, and I am unable to shake off the impact of his words. And that is a Backman for you - an extraordinary writer whose each and every word drips with emotions. This second book is about the aftermath of the devastation that rocked Beartown in the first book. It is how the people of Beartown react to the tragedy that occurred. We feel all the deep emotions that swirl within the town's residents - anger that boils, frustration that gnaws, guilt that consumes, and despair that threatens to swallow them whole. This is not merely a tale of hockey. It really really is not. It is about family, friendship, love, envy, unity, and.. loss. Who or what impacted me the most you may ask? I would say Beartown - the residents of Beartown - each and every sad, quirky, mad, emotional, scary, funny, loveable, angry character of Beartown. Be it Benji, Maya, Kira, Amat, Bobo, Peter, Elisabeth, Ana, Teemu, Ramona, Vidar. Ah, my heart.. Just like the first book, this story exposes the raw and flawed nature of human beings. No one is perfect, and it is this imperfection that makes each character relatable. You will hate someone only to empathize with them in the next. You will love someone, yet understand when they make mistakes. I took my time reading this book because I wanted to savour each and every word. Those little nuggets of wisdom - on the unconditional love of parenting, dynamics of marriage, profound friendship, community, on hope, love, and loss. Every page teaches you something and forces you to introspect. There were times when I closed the book and just absorbed the brilliance of his writing, his thoughts, and his understanding of human emotions. A moving and thought-provoking story that affirms Fredriks's prominence as one of the greatest authors. Absolutely recommend.

It is an another amazing read from fredrik backman! Lot of details and character building and chaotic back and forth left and write narrator style from the eyes of one of ppl living in the town! So heart wrenching and so many important sensitive topics in one book! He doesn’t preach! He just points things out and let’s them be! It felt a bit slow in some places but worth every single second spend reading it!

Backman just gets better with every book! This latest, Us Against You is a sequel to Beartown and carries forward where that one left off. What I’ve grown to love most about Backman is his choice of contemporary themes. In every book he writes about the society we live in and the duality of human nature - how good people can be good in many ways and yet carry prejudice in others, and how the ‘not-so-goods’ can on occasion rise above theirs. The imperfection that characterises us as humans comes through brilliantly in his characters, without judgment or justification. He tells it like it is in our times and nowhere more than in this book, where he writes about violence, rape, friendship, loyalty, love, forgiveness, hubris and compromise among other things. As usual he uses sport as a metaphor, ice-hockey in this case. Backman is the only author who can make an utterly non-sporting gal like me read a book that is on the surface all about sport! Only on the surface though. He makes the sport and the town that depends on that sport for its very existence come alive. I can very easily imagine a town like Beartown and everything that happens there is utterly believable - the good, the bad and the ugly. In this book I particularly liked the way Backman weaves politics and politicians into the narrative. I enjoy his style as always - he builds up a scenario that initially seems random, only to make a specific point after a few pages! The narrative is as always layered and fast-paced making for a very compelling and satisfying read. I read this book in a day, like I read all his books. There’s an undercurrent of foreboding in this book right from the start that hooked me in and kept me turning the pages! I could feel that something terrible was around the corner but couldn’t quite put my finger on whom or when. When the events did take place, Backman had me so invested in these characters that it was gut-wrenching. That’s what I call great writing! This book is in many ways a mirror of the times we live in and the reflections are very often disturbing. But hope springs eternal and that’s why us humans labour on, doing what we can to make sense of this chaos that we call Life! Us Against You is ultimately about us and our indomitable human spirit and it is about the price we’re prepared to pay to survive as individuals and as a community. An excellent read 😊

Eu descobri este autor em Um Homem chamado Ove e, de lá para cá, não consegui deixar de ler nada que ele escreve. A maioria das vezes, como na série sobre Beartown, não tenho paciência de esperar pela tradução para o português (que demora muito, por sinal). Em Us Against You, que é a continuação de Beartown,, o autor volta a abordar temas sérios, mas ele o faz com tanta leveza e sensibilidade que a leitura se torna muito prazerosa. Enfim, é mais um livro do Backman que leio e, até hoje, não li nenhum que fosse menos que excelente!

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of the power dynamics within a community and the consequences of prioritizing success over morality. The novel is the second in the series set in a small, hockey-obsessed town in Sweden where the local team is once again the center of the community. With the arrival of a new coach comes a “new” vision for the team and the town, and the community is forced to confront difficult questions about loyalty, inclusion (and exclusion), and the power of groups (both positive and negative). One of the standout elements of the novel is the exploration of the themes of community and belonging. The novel delves into the ways in which people are connected to one another and the importance of finding a sense of purpose and connection. The characters in the novel are all searching for their place in the world, and the story explores the ways in which they find and create meaning in their lives. In addition to further developing the compelling characters, the themes of the novel are thought-provoking and poignant. For me, Us Against You was a powerful read with themes and questions that have lingered with me long after I finished the last page. Fredrik Backman is a talented storyteller, who again boldly explored complex issues and the fundamental aspects of the human condition, with enough new plot to not seem redundant. As with the first novel in this series, I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven stories with thought-provoking themes.

Get ready to cry ugly. This isn't an easy breezy book to read.

Una novela increíble!! Y más para los seguidores de Hockey

One can not get enough of Fredrik Backman books. Loved Beartown and loved this follow up novel. Tough and heartwarming.