Vi mot Er/Us against You review


 "Everyone is a hundred different things, but in other people's eyes we often get the chance to be only one of them."


No matter how difficult times get in Beartown, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that their town’s ice hockey club 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. But the arrival of a newcomer gives Beartown hockey 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 huge challenge, especially as the town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute as the big game approaches.


★★★★


Okay I'm back with my thoughts of the second book yay. I've sat on it for about a week's time as I am very lazy when it comes to taking photos which will always be my downfall when it comes to social media, I am just too lazy to be creative, lol...

This was in many ways a much quicker read than the first book but also a much more difficult read too. The same feeling of 'I can't put it down' definitely gripped me and thanks to my mostly work free weekend I managed to finish it a lot quicker than Beartown. 

Once again we're back in Backman's claustrophobic and cold world where the violence and senseless hatred have been amped up since its predecessor. Much like in Beartown I was constantly uncomfortable reading this, probably more so this time around because everything felt much more grim than the first ever did. At the same time I really couldn't put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen and how it would end for all of the characters that I love, and even for those I don't like.

Backman's thoughts as always are incredible compelling to read as well as insightful, hooking you in with his story and punchy sentences. He manages with this book to capture so well what it means to be human and the complexities and contradictions of human experience. This book perfectly shows how people are complicated, both good and bad and how the choices we make define us, but even so it's never black and white and things are always so complicated even when they are simple. I love this contrast, it makes for an endlessly fascinating read. 

While Beartown was Maya's book, this one is Benji's. I really don't know how Backman has created such a beautiful character such as Benji in this tragic town, but I love him so much. He really has become one of my all time favourite fictional characters ever and I need for him to have a happy ending in the next novel, I really cannot bear it if that doesn't happen. 

I gave this one 4 stars, because while it is really good, it doesn't feel as neat and tightly wound together in terms of storyline as Beartown did. This one introduces some new characters, a populist politician who is kind of the worst but also feel a little unrealistic in both his achievements and the character that he is. Then we have the introduction of The Group, a small town organised crime unit that to Backman's credit don't feel stereotypical and is given a lot of depth as well. But because of this the story does feel really broad at times which the first book never did. 

But honestly, for my own goddamn health, I need the last book to be all about healing and love and recovery, because I cannot take any more of the suffering that my favourite characters are going through. I just want Ana, Mira, Peter, Maya and Benji to be happy again. And it might be unrealistic to hope for a happy ending, but by Backman's own definition, which is that he writes fairytales, a happy ending really shouldn't be far fetched then?

I hope the third one comes out soon, I need it to...

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