Us Against You is a difficult book. Maybe because of the inflated egos reaching for power and not concerned who they step on. Or maybe it’s because of the powerless who can’t help themselves. Or perhaps it’s due to the repetition of themes that hammers in the points. It is, admittedly, an effective story of two towns in conflict, ostensibly over hockey, but actually over so much more.

I think my sadness on reading this book is not only from the book but from the life of the world around me that it represents, where emotions are manipulated by those in a position to do so, communities are set artificially against one another so they won’t notice that the powers that be are plotting against both. If real life were not so difficult at the moment, would I have tolerated the harsh realities of this world better? Would the moments of redemption worked better? I don’t know. And I’m not sure Backman intends them to. Life is often unjust. We learn that throughout our lives.

Other than the relentless emotional pull, my quibble with this novel has to do with style: there is a repetitive technique used throughout that at times seemed very effective and at others, annoying. I like all that I have read from Backman. His ability to capture the variety of human emotions, behaviors and rationales is spot on for all age groups. This is the sequel that Beartown needed. But I wonder if it could have been better. Or perhaps I wish for something merely different, nicer, more pleasing.

Another thought I had since I finished reading is to wonder if I might have liked the style of the book better if I had read it more quickly. Would what I found to be repetitive be instead flowing connections between sections of the story? Would they read like a chorus, a Greek chorus observing all that is happening just as the narrator is both of and separate from Beartown? This thought is causing me to rethink some of my concerns mentioned above. Oh the world of books. It keeps us pondering even when we finish reading.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review

I loved all of Backman's other books except Beartown. In spite of this I thought I'd give the sequel a try and way pleasantly surprised. It still lacked the charm of Ove and some of his other ones but I did like it it more than Beartown just because I felt like it moved along better.

this book was so much better than the first one on the series, it is very rare for that to happen so I do recommend it very highly to anybody who is looking for a good fiction book to read.

I read the first one, but it was a slog to finish. The same is to be said for this one. I really like Backman, and want to continue reading his books...but man, these are not only depressing, they are also VERY slow moving with far too much extra prose.

I loved Beartown so much. I thought this book couldn’t possibly live up to it but it absolutely did. I may have loved it even more. There is just something so magical, haunting and beautiful about Backmans writing. I wept through most of the book. Just a beautiful book.

Bang, Bang, Bang... the sound resonates through Beartown after the scandal. You can feel the hurt, the frustration, the determination behind the noise. The pucks against the wall, and the feet on the ground. Nothing has returned to normal after the scandal, and it seems nothing ever will. A town full of hate and hurt tries to carry on regardless.

As with Backman’s previous novels, you can expect the story to be emotional and dramatic. You know that someone will die, but don’t know, who, why, or what caused it. One thing is clear; people could have done more to stop it, and there will be many regrets.

A few new and interesting characters are introduced in this book. Richard Theo, the local politician who is full of ideas for running the town, and someone to both hate and feel sorry for. Zackell, a mysterious stranger who turns out to be one of my favourite characters. You never know quite how to take Zackell, who is wise and outspoken, with little emotional intelligence but plenty of impact on the town.

Fredrik Backman shares such great insight into the psychology of his characters. Every one of them is explored in detail, and no one is included without a significant contribution to the story. Even the smallest actions can make a big difference in Beartown.

This insight into the best and worst of people is what brings me back to Fredrik Backman’s books over and over again. He leaves me in tears for the heartbreaking moments, feeling compassion for the bad guys, pain for those who have been betrayed, and in awe for how he views the world through his characters eyes. I can’t wait to see what Fredrik Backman comes up with next.

Fredrick Backman in addition to being an amazing writer, is someone who has a gift for observing people and creating characters that readers see themselves in.  I can relate to every single one of his characters--whether it's that they remind me of what it was like to be young or parents in whom I see myself now.  There is such hope, such resilience, such faith in these characters.  Backman has a way of showing us ourselves and reminding us that we share this experience and as bruised and raw and emotional and upset we are, it's ok, because we are ultimately all in this thing called life together.

Us Against You  is a continuation of Beartown.  We get to catch up with Bobo, Kevin, Amat, Ana, Benji, Maya and Ana after Beartown.  This working class town is still in trouble, but they have a new coach, many of their best hockey players have transferred to Hed and there is a new politician in town who has an agenda that is not necessarily in Beartown's best interest.

I kept thinking something bad was going to happen and that was what kept me reading, I wanted to find out what it was.  Although I really liked this book, I didn't love it as much as I loved Beartown, I felt like some of the new characters were not as well developed and I found the whole politics and sports thing to not be an escape from life, but a reminder of some of the more annoying aspects of reality.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Atria books for my advance copy.

My 6th book by Backman and his storytelling has never let me down. Us Against You picks up where Beartown left off, the ripple effect of what happened to tear apart the hard-luck small-town community. This follow-up is a powerful slow burn albeit a bit depressing that reintroduces old characters and adds interesting new ones. Backman is once again a master at developing his characters and his depiction of small town America feels authentic.

Sequels can often be iffy - will they stand up to the original, should there even have been a sequel, etc. But Us Against You stands up just fine! There was so much more story to tell of the town of Beartown. And Backman is a master of the one liner that breaks you or makes you smile or etches a moment in your memory. A great follow up novel that I was thrilled to read.

Like the first work in the Beartown series, Us Against You can be a difficult and exhausting read. While there is slightly more hope in this volume than the previous one, readers expecting Backman's usual mix of hope and tragedy might find this one of his darker pieces.

Beartown was one of my favourite books of 2017 but felt very conclusive so I was excited but apprehensive to read Us Against You. I think anyone who enjoyed Beartown will love to dive back into the lives of all the characters again, especially Benji. Always Benji. I need a stand-alone novel of just Benji please!

I think this was an interesting addition because I felt completely satisfied with the story that was told in Beartown so this is not a book that everyone will feel compelled to read. A lot of my colleagues have read Beartown and we were pretty evenly divided between liked it and LOVED IT. Unfortunately I just don’t see this being a book for someone who just liked Beartown.

Beartown itself was a heavy book and Us Against You is not any lighter, in fact in some cases it’s much darker, which can be harder to read. I was left really wanting a third book which is a great feeling to have but in the end I wonder if I would have been happier if I had only ever read Beartown.

In the end these characters are unlike any characters in any other books. They are the book and the plot is driven by them and not the other way around which is what makes Beartown such an incredible place full of incredible stories that keep needing to be told and I will keep reading them.

Last year I read “Beartown“. It was phenomenal, so I was super excited to learn that there was going to be a sequel. Well folks, this time the sequel surpassed the first. WOW!
I don’t really even like hockey, but, like Beartown, it is much more than a book about hockey. It is a book about people, about a town, about the world.

I strongly urge anyone who is entertaining the idea of reading “Us against you” to read “Beartown” first. In Beartown you will come to love the town and its inhabitants. In “Us against you” the love will swell enough to break your heart.

Beartown is recovering from the scandal that rocked the town to its very foundations. Some people were more affected by the scandal than others, yet all bear the brunt of what happened.

“It’s hard to care about people. Exhausting, in fact, because empathy is a complicated thing. It requires us to accept that everyone else’s lives are also going on the whole time.”

We reunite with the Andersson family, Peter, Kira, Maya, and Leo. This family has been broken by the events in the previous book. Now they are each struggling to live – to put one foot in front of the other, to soldier on.

Many more beloved and familiar characters make a second appearance: Amat, Benji, Sune, and Ramona to name just a few.

“The complicated thing about good and bad people alike is that most of us can be both at the same time.”

We meet new characters that will write indelibly on our hearts. Alicia, a four-and-a-half year old who is in love with hockey. Bobo, a young man who learns the lessons taught by loss and responsibility. The ‘Pack’, a group of hooligans with hearts of gold hidden behind a violent reputation. A young man named Vidar who loves as strongly as his fists have become.

We experience the hurts and betrayals of these characters in such a profound way that it feels personal.

“Love is like leadership. Asking for it doesn’t help.”

With myriad themes running throughout this novel, Backman does what very few authors can claim to do. He makes you CARE about each and every character (even the hooligans and the corrupt politicians). He makes wise and astute observations about parenting, friendship, responsibility, loss, loyalty, sacrifice, revenge, power, bureaucracy, leadership, teamwork, violence, respect, courage, consequences, and the powerful feeling of ‘belonging’. Not bad for one novel.

With concise sentences Backman turns just a few words into moving and impactful observations. This is a novel peopled by wonderful characters. I was reluctant to finish the book as it would mean I would have to leave Beartown…

I really cannot recommend “Us against you” highly enough.

I've never read a novel that addresses toxic masculinity so directly and from so many angles. I liked Beartown and I think the second installment is even better.

A sequel to "Beartown". Amazing follow up on the characters in the first book and how the story continues to develop. I couldn't wait to read this book and it didn't disappoint!

"It's so easy to get people to hate each other. That's what makes love so impossible to understand. Hate is so simple that it always ought to win. It's an uneven fight."

The residents of Beartown pulled on my heartstrings and kept me captivated once again! In Us Against You, the story focuses less on hockey (there still is quite a bit!) and more on the aftermath of the character's tragedies in the first story, as well as giving more depth to some of the characters that were not the main focus in Beartown. Backman really gets into the ugliness of human nature, focusing on prejudice, violence and hatred. The story delves deep into the healing of Maya, Leo, and Benji as well as numerous other characters. One thing I love about this story is within a lot of darkness there will be glimpses of healing and acceptance, you read about people who were taught to hate learn to open their mind. Backman also teaches the reader to not read a book by its' cover; a person may appear a certain way that is not deemed acceptable by most of society but usually there is a reason for this.

"We only pretend hockey is complicated, because it isn't really. When you strip away all the nonsense surrounding it, the game is simple: everyone gets a stick, there are two nets, two teams. Us against you."

Fredrick Backman's style is so unique. It can seem repetitive at times but I love it. I think he is the only author that I would tolerate this from, because he not only writes novels, but also poetry.

"It's only words. Only letters. Only a human being."

Everyone needs to read this book. However, make sure you read Beartown first. This is not one of those sequels where you can skip Book #1.

Thank you Ariele at Atria Books for my advance digital copy.

"I refuse to be a victim. I'm a survivor."

Fredrik Backman is an auto-read author for me, and Beartown was one of my favorite books of 2017. Naturally, my expectations for this follow-up were at the highest levels. While it didn't hold the overwhelming experience of its predecessor, it was a compelling second look at my favorite fictional hockey town. It addressed many lingering questions left unanswered and delivered the emotional knockout I've come to expect from this author.

"In the end the weight of carrying each other's broken hearts becomes unbearable."

It's no surprise, but Us Against You was exhausting, in many ways more so than Beartown. The hurt and anger of the aftermath just bled from the pages. I wanted so desperately for these characters to experience some sort of peace. Despite the sad moments, I was left feeling inspired and satisfied after the final pages.

I've read several books from Backman, but this is the first time I noticed his overuse of foreshadowing. Sadly, it drove me to distraction and took my rating from 5 to 4 STARS. Other than that, I was happy to ugly cry and share the healing journey with this beloved cast.

Last year, I recommend Beartown to anyone who would listen and my opinion still hasn't changed. I consider Us Against You a worthwhile read and recommend it to anyone who has read Beartown.

A HUGE thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my advanced review copy.

The backdrop of the story is hockey, but there is so much more to it than that. This is the second book in the Beartown series and it is best that you read the first one as everything that happens in this book is a result of the actions taken in the first one. Beartown is a small town in the forest. The factory is laying people off, many are unemployed, there are drugs, lots of alcoholics and hockey. Many of the players from Beartown hockey, switched to the team in Hed, Beartown's hated rivals, after the rape that occurred in the last book. In the sequel to Beartown, Fredrik Backman explores what happens as a consequence of this unspeakable act, how everyone involved tries to pick up the pieces of their lives: the boy, the girl, her family and the town. In this book, a sneaky, local politician, Richard Theo, has dreams of bigger and better things for his political career. He starts calling in favours to rebuild the team and buy the factory to bring back jobs. He brings in a female coach, spreads rumors to manipulate people, gets everyone upset with everyone else. The team pulls together, but will this save the town.

I was emotionally moved while reading this story. There were family dramas, bullying, small town politics, gangs, homosexuality and its effects on self and others, dealing with loss, friendship and so much more. The characters or Benji, Bobo, Amat, Maya, Ana, Leo and even Teemu are very well developed. We find out more about their past and what makes them tick. The paths they take as they deal with what life has thrown at them and how they help one another are a major part of the story. The others in their families, Benji's sisters and Bobo's father are wonderfully supportive family members that are also dealing with major upheaval in their lives. When the hockey rivalry is rachetted up a notch the book takes on a life of its own. I do not want to give away the plot so will not describe any more than I have, but take my word for it.

Fredrik Backman has become one of my favourite authors. He shows his amazing talent as he moves from one character to the next, as he creates a suspense and drama, which has the reader waiting for something awful to happen. As we get to know the thoughts and feelings of the many characters, and listen to their simple phrases that depict their thoughts on unconditional parental love, the depth of friendship, marriage and ambition, expectations, rivalry, loyalty, love and hate it makes the reader think deeply. There are so many wonderful quotes that I love in this book, but I will leave you with this one: "It’s so easy to get people to hate each other. That’s what makes love so impossible to understand. Hate is so simple that it always ought to win. It’s an uneven fight.”

In Beartown, author Fredrick Backman told the tale of a small Swedish town in economic decline held together by its obsession with hockey and torn apart by a sexual assault of a young girl by the star player. In the sequel, Us Against You, Backman returns to Beartown and the aftermath of the assault - how the town is coping or not, the divisions, betrayals, and even violence that have arisen from the assault. Most of the players and the coach have deserted to Hed, Beartown’s past rival and although the remaining team manages to hold on just barely thanks to a local self-serving politician, their new coach is a woman which seems, to many, like the very last straw. But Beartown folks have never had it easy and they are a tough lot. It'll take time, work, and forgiveness, they have many hurdles to jump over, but they are determined that, in the end they can survive even this. They realize that Beartown can never return to what it was and perhaps it shouldn’t but they can still be a community thanks to their shared love of the game.

Backman has a way of making us care deeply about the characters, both the ones from the first book and the new ones we meet here. Although there is no real defining moment here like the rape in Beartown to pull it all together, Backman still manages to create suspense and Us Against You is one heck of an emotional roller coaster of a ride. It should be noted that you don’t have to be a hockey fan to read this book; you just need to love a well-written and completely addicting story. However, it is not a standalone and you really need to read the first book to fully appreciate Us Against You.

4.5

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. Beartown was not my favorite Fredrik Backman book. So I was slightly disappointed when I heard his next book would be a sequel to Beartown. Don’t get me wrong, I ended up loving Beartown, it just wasn’t my FAVORITE. (Even his worst books are better than some other people’s best books.) Us Against You picks up almost immediately after Beartown ends. It starts off slow. I’m not a huge hockey fan, so my biggest complaints about Us Against You are the same as Beartown: the descriptions of hockey just don’t interest me. I found it dull and I could feel my interest waning. Once you accept that hockey is basically another character, the momentum begins to build. Backman is at his best when he’s writing about relationships, and there’s no lack of those here. By the time I got to the end, I couldn’t put it down. I genuinely loved many of the characters, including the hooligans. I ended up really enjoying this book, but I REALLY hope Backman’s next book takes place far far away from Beartown. With no hockey in sight.

I always look forward to Frederik Backman's books and they never disappoint. The author seems to top himself with every book he writes. I love them all! Backman's style of writing takes a little time to get used to but then the reader easily slips into the rhythm of exceptional writing.

Yes, this is a story about hockey players in a town where hockey is practically a religion. But one doesn't have to be a hockey fan to enjoy this book. The story is about so much more than hockey. It's about people and families and marriage and politics and loyalty and friendship . Backman drops little nuggets of suspense in the story so I found myself holding my breath waiting for the worst and sometimes gasping at the twists that come instead. Sometimes better, sometimes as expected, and sometimes worse. Just like life.

I loved this book and can't wait for Fredrik Backman's next masterpiece.