By Fredrik Backman
Bear Town by Fredrick Backman was a recommendation from an avid fiction reader. I ordered it on the spot and began reading it the minute it was on my front porch. Quite simply, it was very thought provoking, deep and yet I did not want to put it down. Backman is an incredibly gifted storyteller. I was impressed with the character development and stage setting throughout the beginning of the book that captured my attention. The book took so many twists and turns and had me on the edge of my couch wanting to know how things turn out.
“By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals—and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.
Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown.
This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.”
While different from most fiction books I have read this year, I thoroughly enjoyed it and have found myself thinking through so many different situations presented in the book. I was surprised and intrigued that Bear Town has discussion questions at the end. After reading the questions, this would be an excellent book club novel to discuss on so many levels. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a deep thinking, suspenseful novel!