Publishers Weekly
09/12/2022
Backman (Anxious People) wraps up his Beartown trilogy with the satisfying if overlong tale of two small towns and their inhabitants’ traumas and rivalries. After a storm collapses the roof of the hockey rink in Hed, the town’s club must share the rink in Beartown, stoking long-held resentments between the clubs. To make matters worse, the editor of Beartown’s newspaper discovers someone from Beartown’s club is embezzling tax revenue. Meanwhile, after 14-year-old Matteo’s older sister dies from a drug overdose, Matteo grows increasingly bitter toward the people from the two towns, who show little regard for his family’s problems, and he eventually becomes violent. Backman’s narration often feels heavy-handed, and his aphorisms alternate from opaque to obvious (“Guilt is stronger than logic”; “In hockey we know who the winners are, because winners win”). Moreover, many of the chapter-length asides are entirely too aside and lead nowhere. The tension, however, remains palpable after a former hockey player returns to Beartown and everyone assumes he’s out to settle a score, and a series of threats escalate into explosive violence and a painful resolution. This will do the trick for insatiable Beartown fans, though others can take a pass. (Oct.)
Booklist (Starred Review) - Terry Hong
"Backman writes with a signature rhythm: a little here, a bit more there, something of this person then that person, a tease about what will happen, warnings about what can’t. The result is a resonant symphony enhanced by the stupendous Ireland, who thankfully returns to Beartown as anointed cipher. The story here “shouldn't take long to tell,” Backman insists, “it starts right here and ends in less than two weeks, and how much can happen in two hockey towns during that time? Not much, obviously.” Oh, what understatement. Ireland embarks on an epic journey to conclude Backman's trilogy with satisfying sighs, plenty of tears, and maybe a wee bit of hope for humanity. The sudden death of local Bearskin bar owner Ramona brings home Maya and Benji, two lost souls who escaped after “the scandal” (when Kevin raped Maya and Beartown self-destructed). Ruth, whose truth was never believed, also returns—as virtually anonymous ashes—pushing her left-behind brother toward revenge against her local killers. Implosions prove inevitable. Ireland miraculously ensures that every voice is memorably heard; in addition to the beloved main cast, Ireland is equally magnificent with the smaller and no less important players including brilliant Zackell, mysterious Lars, prodigious Alicia, surprised Big City, and all the others. Backman admittedly meanders on occasion, but Ireland never misses a beat."
From the Publisher
[An] emotionally wrought, bighearted novel...Backman takes competition, friendship, politics, and town rivalry to appropriately biblical proportions.” –The New York Times
“Backman leaves no emotion unturned, sweeping up the reader in riveting family dramas that jump the boundaries of hockey-town rivalries. Another winner.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Fredrik Backman is known for his engrossing page-turners, and his latest novel follows suit...A story of revenge, loss, and forgiveness.” –Woman’s World
"Beartown has been the backdrop to some of the darkest dramas of the human heart, but there are still more secrets, rivalries and resentments to contend with in this final installment." —Bookpage
"[A] dramatic and highly satisfying novel, building on themes introduced in the first two books and brilliantly drawing the reader deeply into the story. The translation is nimble and idiomatic, perfectly conveying Backman’s love of language and his wonderful sense of humor. If this really is the last Beartown novel, it’s a hell of a conclusion to an outstanding series" —Booklist, starred review
“Everything Backman’s pen touches oozes with insight and heart. The Winners is sure to be another winner.” —Amazon Book Review
“An often dark, moving story...The book, which works as a standalone read, begins with a devastating storm that leaves a path of destruction in its wake, adding heat to the simmering rivalry between Beartown and the nearby, less-prosperous town of Hed. It’s a world full of both conflict and kindness, where, as the narrator notes, ‘sport is about much more than sport.’” —AARP.com
Library Journal
★ 10/07/2022
Swedish author Backman concludes a trilogy begun in 2016 with Beartown that continues the story of the residents of two rival hockey towns, Hed and Beartown. Everyone in the two rival communities has been burdened by a pivotal event two years previous, the rape of 15-year-old Maya Andersson by star hockey player Kevin Erdahl. Maya disappears into a big city to keep from only being a someone that something happened to, but now she returns for a funeral. Maya's father, Peter, once a star NHL player and now a general manager for the Beartown team, finds himself embroiled in a scandal from which his lawyer wife Kira must rescue him. Meanwhile, corrupt politicians, who are scrambling up the local power ladder with their money laundering, bribes, and sneaky private deals, keep the rivalries at a white-hot temperature to their advantage. Matteo, a lonely, almost invisible boy with no loyalties, no friends, and revenge in his heart, tips the balance with a pistol bartered for stolen rifles. Thereafter, the communities come together to mourn as walls are breached, solid friendships formed, and new heroes emerge. VERDICT Backman leaves no emotion unturned, sweeping up the reader in riveting family dramas that jump the boundaries of hockey-town rivalries. Another winner.—Donna Bettencourt
NOVEMBER 2022 - AudioFile
By now, the Beartown series without Marin Ireland’s confident narration would be unimaginable. She maintains her consistently high standard, often with moving and ultimately heartbreaking results. Backman’s latest installment finds the residents of the beleaguered hockey town grappling with a severe approaching storm, while a mounting series of backdoor deals threaten the town’s identity even more permanently. The wide cast of characters returns for this expansive installment, with choices and decisions from past installments popping up again. Ireland smoothly meets the task, providing exacting performances of diverse voices while capturing the knowing voice of the community as a whole. She carries listeners to the emotionally shattering conclusion. S.P.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
