Beartown: I didn't know hockey could be so emotional

    Wow. This book holds so many feelings and emotions! Beartown is vastly different than Backman's charming A Man Called Ove, but he manages the same amazing character development. You don't have to know or care about hockey in order to like this book; I sure didn't.

    The people of Beartown eat, sleep, and breathe ice hockey. Boys are bred to play the game, and anyone who doesn't play watches intently. Big hopes and dreams are on the line for everyone involved. But it's all about to come crashing down when a big secret is shared and begins to rip the town apart.

    That summary really doesn't do this story justice, but I'd rather spend more time writing about my thoughts! This book isn't about hockey, not really. Backman does such an incredible job of capturing and contemplating human nature (I kind of make myself cringe using that term, but it's true) within the context of hockey. There is so much wisdom here. He brings to light some of the ugliest parts of ourselves as broken people. But he also plants seeds of redemption and forgiveness among it all.

    "A great deal is expected of anyone who's been given a lot." This is a quote and major theme from the book. Through multiple perspectives we get a glimpse into how the different characters use and abuse what they've been given in the form of money, talent, family, and influence. Having everything doesn't mean anything if you treat people like they're nothing. There were times I pleaded with the characters to do the right thing, to stand up, or to back down. I think this was a painfully honest portrayal of the internal and external conflicts we go through all the time.

    Backman is a master storyteller. This year I have finally come to realize that I prefer character driven stories and this book is all about character development. He does it so well, even though there are a lot of people to keep track of, I never felt lost, confused or bored. There were several characters (David, Kira, and Bobo for example) that I judged pretty harshly at the beginning for their first impressions. But they were each so dynamic; there was usually more to the characters than there seemed (just like real people! duh!). And then there were the characters that made me want to scream into a pillow...I'll let you decide who they were for yourself.

    There is so much more I could say about Beartown; it really packs a punch. It's certainly a heavy read but without a doubt this book will stay with me for a very long time.

5/5 stars