Book Review- Fredrik Backman's The Winners

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of Fredrik Backman’s The Winners.

The Winners is the third installment in Backman’s Beartown trilogy, taking us back to the small, hockey obsessed, rival towns in Northern Sweden. This time, a severe snow storm has hit Beartown and Hed, destroying one of the hockey arenas. The rivalry between the two towns in alternatively suspended as they help save lives, but also restored when old wounds and biases resurface.

I absolutely love Backman. He is one of my favorite authors and I will read anything he writes, but that said, I’m not sure if I needed this to be a trilogy. The Winners was little long and slow-paced, yet I held on because of Backman’s wonderful characters. He also teased the death of a major character throughout the entire story, saving the reveal for near the end and writing as though any number of beloved characters could have been on the chopping block. This made me anxious, yet it kept me turning pages.

Without giving a spoiler, the death made me cry, but other aspects of the story made me cry even more. Backman excels at sentimental situations. He always manages to have his tough-as-nails characters be hit with a tender moment: cue the tears. I think this works so well, because Backman also infuses his stories with a fair bit of dark humor, allowing his readers to experience a range of emotions. It’s always complex.

The Winners is the weakest in the trilogy, but it is still excellent and absolutely a must-read if you are a Backman fan. Only Backman could make a non-sports fan like me, love a trilogy centered around hockey fanatics!

Book Review- Fredrik Backman's Britt-Marie Was Here

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of Fredrik Backman's novel, Britt-Marie Was Here, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT - Britt-Marie is having a crisis. Her husband Kent has suffered a heart-attack and she has received the bad news from her husband's mistress. Double-Whammy. Britt-Marie has spent her life a career homemaker, but after hearing about her husband's affair, she decides to leave him and look for a job. Although she has many skills, not many of them look appealing on paper, especially during a time when her country (Sweden) is in an economic crisis. Britt-Marie decides to take the only job offered, a low-paying, temporary position as a community center director in the impoverished town of Borg. Who will benefit more? A town in need of a new start or Britt-Marie?

LIKE- When I saw that Fredrik Backman had a new release and that I was approved for an advanced copy, I was thrilled. Backman's A Man Called Ove, is one of my all- time favorite books. Honestly, it was going to be hard for Backman to top, A Man Called Ove and even though, Britt-Marie Was Here is a wonderful book, it doesn't quite compete.

As with his character Ove, Britt-Marie has some big flaws. She's very particular about her methods of doing things and she's blunt in her criticism. However, these faults are quickly melted with her big heart that has been hidden under her tough exterior. I like how Britt-Marie is a strong character that takes control of her destiny. She's a fighter and her spirit affects change in other characters, even when their situations seem hopeless. 

Backman has a wicked sense of humor which drives most of the story. I love stories that are able to find the balance between comedy/drama, light/dark. Backman is a master at this. When Britt-Marie Was Here takes a serious turn, it's like being slammed into a brick wall of emotions. It hits hard.

DISLIKE- It's not so much a dislike, rather a distance I felt due to my own lack of interest/understanding with regard to European football. It's called soccer in the book, but I think that might be a change for American readers. Much of the plot has to do with the children of the town struggling to keep their team going and I felt a tad clueless as I don't follow the game. Backman does explain it for non-fans, but I think the story would have been sweeter if it was something that interested me.

RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a fan of Backman, this is a must and if you have not discovered him, what are you waiting for? Britt-Marie Was Here is a heartfelt story from a marvelous storyteller.