The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown returns with an unforgettable novel “about people–about strength and tribal loyalty and what we unwittingly do when trying to show our boys how to be men” (Jojo Moyes). Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too. A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is …
A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might 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 the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. As the tension mounts between the two adversaries, a newcomer arrives who gives Beartown hockey a surprising new coach and a chance at a comeback.
Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; 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 town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big game approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt intensifies. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two nets, and two teams. Us against you.
Here is a declaration of love for all the big and small, bright and dark stories that give form and color to our communities. With immense compassion and insight, Fredrik Backman–“the Dickens of our age” (Green Valley News)–reveals how loyalty, friendship, and kindness can carry a town through its most challenging days.
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Wow; I finished Us Against You yesterday but needed to wait til I wrote my review.
I loved Beartown, and Us Against You is equally as good.
I could read this book again, something I never do, there was so many statements that when I was reading them I said, oh that is so true.
I loved all the characters, you know someone from the town will be dead at the end ; but who ?
I found myself saying, oh please no, not this person.
It’s a story about a town that has had so many upheavals and are about to lose their hockey team; that is what keeps and makes the town
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. You should read Beartown first to get the full effect.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity; I will pick up my copy as soon as it is available in Canada
Sequel to Beartown which takes us where we left off. Backman weaves the characters around and makes you think you know the outcome of each situation . You will not. It is not necessarily a happy story but a realistic look at sports mania in a small town with serious repercussions,
I love it