Us Against You: A Novel (Beartown)

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.

Lots of repeating stories and details as if the author forgot he already told you. Overall the Beartown story is real, heart wrenching and warming and is well told. Whether you are a hockey fan or not, it tells about all of us.

5 ⭐️ - it was perfect! 🎶 Happiness - Taylor Swift “When you strip away all the nonsense surrounding it, the game is simple: everyone gets a stick; there are two teams, two nets. Us against you.” Us Against You was a stunning, heartbreaking, consuming continuation of the Beartown series. This one started a little slow in the beginning since it has a decent amount of recap from book 1, but I was happy to be back with these characters and immediately feeling an array of emotions as their new rivalry unfolded. Backman has a way of writing such complex characters that makes it difficult for me to hate even the very worst of them. I feel like I know this town and these people, so when they face difficulty or challenges or grief I feel it right alongside them. Despite being a hockey-centric series, it’s more so just an achingly realistic depiction of the human experience. Happy endings aren’t always reality, and there’s something tragically beautiful about being able to escape into a series like this. I’ve met some of my most favorite fictional people in Beartown, and while I’m scared for my mental state to read book 3, I’m excited to continue to see these characters grow. What you can expect: 📚 contemporary fiction 🏒 small hockey town 👫 character driven novel 😭 emotional story 🌪️ consuming, atmospheric writing 🧠 mental health representation ⌛️ coming of age

I was thrilled that my long wait for the sequel to the wonderful Beartown had finally come to an end. After finishing Beartown, my favourite book of fiction in 2017, I was impatient to learn what was next for the town and its people. I felt a close connection with the deeply drawn characters. Love some and hate some; they were always intriguing and compelling. The author has a great understanding of human nature. Us Against You doesn’t disappoint. It was possibly even better than Beartown. Fredrik Backman writes with emotion and is an exceptional story teller. His characters come to life on the pages and in our hearts and minds. There is humor but also great tragedy and passages of wisdom. At times heartwarming, but also heart wrenching and heartbreaking, I found it an intense reading experience as there was foreboding throughout which made me worry that something bad lay ahead on the pages. This is the story of a small town in decline set in the Swedish forests. The people live for hockey and the local games are the highlight of the lives of players and their many fans. This should not deter any reader. I have no interest in hockey, but none is needed. It is about so much more: it is about the lives of people and the good and bad choices they make. It involves family connections, friendship, love, hate, rivalry, violence. Sometimes I had to interrupt my reading to wipe tears from my eyes. I have heard there will be a third book and hope it is true. I want to know the future for Maya, Ana, Benji and his sisters, Ramona, Peter, Amat, Leo, Bobo, Zackell, Alicia, Teemu and all the others I have to come to know and love. Have already ordered a book as a gift and one for myself. Now for the long wait for the next book in the series!

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.

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!

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.