Book Review: Beartown

Beartown by Fredrik Backman. This story takes place in a small town surrounded by forest. (The forest plays a role in the book.) The townspeople rally around their local boys' hockey team, in fact almost get their identity and fulfillment vicariously through the team. Two things I didn't like about this book: (1) it was about hockey, which I don't like and (2) it seemed to encompass all the stereotypes I don't like - kind of a 'boys will be boys' mentality surrounding the hockey team.

Friends who have read this book loved it, but I have my reservations. It is not ALL about hockey. The hockey culture is a key player in the story, but after a traumatizing event takes place, other viewpoints emerge. I felt that those other viewpoints slipped in too quietly and even surprisingly when the whole town, at least on the surface, seemed to thoroughly embrace the bad parts of hockey culture. Those other viewpoints were a breath of fresh air, but.. too little too late? I would have liked those voices to speak out louder and much earlier than they did.

I hope that if you read this book you will love it, as my friends have. If you're like me, however, you may not enjoy it as much as you hope. If you read it, please tell me your thoughts.

This is not me. Unfortunately. I am reading indoors under a quilt, surrounded outside by snow and cold.