June 15, 2018
So much more than hockey…
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Genre/Categories: Contemporary Fiction, Sports, Hockey
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
My Summary:
In this sequel to Beartown, Fredrik Backman continues to cause readers to care deeply about the Beartown community and hockey (yes, it’s important to read Beartown first). After the act of violence in Beartown, the community has to figure out how to trust each other again and restructure its hockey team. Many of the star hockey players have left the Beartown team and now play for the rival team in Hed. In fact, in Us Against You, the entire community is at risk economically and on the brink of losing everything. In addition to many returning characters from Beartown, readers are also introduced to a manipulative and cunning politician and become better acquainted with The Pack.
Us Against You is a multi-layered, compelling story filled with danger, heartbreak, and sadness as it addresses themes of prejudice, bullying, secrets, parenting, sexism, friendship, loyalty, community support, competition, politics, courage, violence, conflict, leadership, and hope. This is not a stand alone story; reading Beartown first is essential.
Amazon Early Rating (June): 4.6 Stars
My Thoughts:
A dedicated Backman fan, I’ve read all of his work. As a fan and reader, I appreciate his thought-provoking writing, his courage to take a creative risk, and his commitment to writing about important and difficult topics. I think he’s an exciting and provocative author worth reading even though your appreciation of his individual works may vary. He’s on my list of respected writers from whom I’ll automatically preorder a new work without considering reviews.
Us Against You is an emotional read and filled with pain and sadness. Backman’s writing ability, thought filled observations, and unique style moved me forward. The hope readers find in the story comes through individual determination and courage and in the community standing together to support, pick up the pieces, rebuild, and heal.
A professional reviewer (Green Valley News) refers to Backman as “the Charles Dickens of our age.” You might know that Dickens is a great English writer and social critic, and this comparison is an important consideration when reviewing Backman’s work. When looked at solely from this perspective, I would award Us Against You 5 stars.
When considering Beartown and Us Against You, I notice they have slightly different tones and Us Against You is more focused on social issues (similar to Dickens). Overall, Beartown is my favorite. The difference for me in the two stories is that in Beartown I felt immersed in the story and bonded with the characters as if I were a community member. Whereas in Us Against You, I felt like an observer. It seemed like Backman was asking me to analyze and form an opinion rather than participate in the story. Instead of the story capturing me and allowing me to draw my own conclusions, I was aware of Backman’s analysis of social issues. In place of investing in the story alongside the characters, I spent time pondering Backman’s statements and wondering to what extent I agreed or not. Like Dickens, his story is focused on social issues, and his points are important, thought-provoking, and promote engagement. Although my preference is for more story telling, Backman is a gifted writer and the story is filled with quotable passages such as these (I could have filled a journal):
“People always choose a simple lie over a complicated truth, because the lie has one unbeatable advantage: the truth always has to stick to what actually happened, whereas the lie just has to be easy to believe.”
“No one bows their heads around here, for the simple reason that many of our worst deeds are the result of never wanting to admit that we’re wrong. The greater the mistake and the worse the consequences, the more pride we stand to lose if we back down.”
“You become someone else’s property the first time you hear your child cry. You belong to that little person now. Before everything else. So when something happens to your child, it never stops being your fault.”
“A long marriage consists of such small things that when they get lost we don’t even know where to start looking for them….In the end the weight of carrying each other’s broken hearts becomes unbearable.”
Recommended for readers who have read Beartown and wouldn’t mind something grittier, darker, and sadder; for those who love sports and competition; for readers who like issue-centered books; and for readers who appreciate thoughtful, excellent, and creative writing. If you have more questions after reading my review, please consider reading additional reviews before making your reading choice.
Trigger Warnings for locker room talk, homophobia, fighting and conflict, and references to suicide and rape.
RELATED:
My brief review of Beartown by Fredrik Backman here.
My review of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman.
My review of Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman here.
My Rating: 4 Hockey Stars
Us Against You Information Here
Meet the Author, Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman, a blogger and columnist, is the New York Times bestselling author of A MAN CALLED OVE and MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY. Both were number one bestsellers in his native Sweden and around the world, and are being published in more than thirty-five territories. He has also written BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE in addition to the BEARTOWN books and a few novellas. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and two children. Visit him online at his blog: FredrikBackman.com, on twitter @backmanland, or on instagram @backmansk or @backmansports.
QOTD:
Have you read Beartown and Us Against You or are they on your TBR?
Are you a Fredrik Backman fan?
Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
Links I Love:
More about summer reading for children in this link: The Ardent Biblio: How to Design a Summer Reading Program For Your Kids
Looking Ahead:
Convenience Store Woman Information Here
Let’s Get Social!
Thank you for visiting and reading today! I’d be honored and thrilled if you choose to enjoy and follow along (see subscribe or follow option), promote, and/or share my blog. Every share helps us grow.
Find me at:
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Pinterest
***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.
© ReadingLadies.com
I haven’t read quite everything of Backman’s, but I agree with all the good things you have to say about his writing! I love how he manages to tackle tough topics in often heartwarming ways. I think I prefer his slightly lighter books to the darker ones, which is part of why I’ve not yet picked up Beartown and than this one, but I’ll definitely get to them eventually.
Thanks for stopping in and your comment! Backman is a versatile and gifted writer! Have you read his 2 novellas? They are especially heartfelt. Happy reading!
No, I’m not a huge fan of short stories or novellas, but I should probably give them a chance given how much I enjoyed Ove and Britt Marie! I might like them 🙂
I hope you’ll enjoy them! Let me know!
Well, I’m seeing that most everyone thinks Beartown is better. I too loved Beartown and listened to all but the last few chapters on audio. So, I bought Us Against Them on audio too. I am getting through my library holds that came in first before I start listening, but I am anxious to get back to the people of Beartown.
Thanks for commenting Stacie! I’m eager to hear what you think of the sequel! Backman‘s an amazing writer and I admire his creative and ambitious work. I’m forever a fan. I just connected more with Beartown. Happy reading!
[…] Us Against You by Fredrik Backman 4 Stars (Full Review Here) […]
[…] the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer); competition, passion, assault, and intolerance (Beartown, Us Against You); the important things in life (The Deal of a Lifetime); lovable and mature quirky characters (A […]
[…] Us Against You (sequel to Beartown) […]
[…] Here are his other books and a fangirl post: A Man Called Ove Britt-Marie Was Here Beartown Us Against You (Beartown #2) And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer (novella) My Grandmother Asked […]
[…] Home Gets Longer and Longer, Deal of a Lifetime, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, and Us Against You have been reviewed on the blog. I’m eagerly waiting for number nine due out in September, […]
[…] Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, Beartown, Us Against You, The Deal of a Lifetime, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, TTT: Ten Reasons […]
[…] I read Beartown before I started blogging, so I don’t have a full blog review for linking ….I’ll include a brief review of it below and then link to my Us Against You blog review. […]
[…] list that Backman hasn’t been on! Beartown did live up to the hype for me, but the sequel (Us Against You) didn’t have the same appeal (although it was still good)….I’m looking forward to […]
[…] or is it on your TBR?Related Backman Posts:Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, Beartown, Us Against You, The Deal of a Lifetime, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, TTT: Ten Reasons […]
[…] This is one of those books that’s impossible to review. I can say that I awarded it 5+ Stars and that it is profound, compelling, and thought-provoking in Backman’s usual manner. Masterful and powerful, he’s my favorite contemporary storyteller because he is a keen observer of people, thinks about the kinds of issues that matter most in life, and bravely writes about them. While the second installment in the trilogy was a bit too pedantic and agenda-driven for my taste, The Winners is back to the story-telling I enjoyed in Beartown. My brief review of Beartown and Us Against You. […]