Wow, where to start on this book, the follow up to the simply amazing Beartown? And I do mean follow up - you really should read Beartown first, because this book starts just after the action in that one. I don't think it would make much sense standalone.

In Us Against You, the conflict between the small towns of Hed and Beartown really bursts into action and violence. Characters we came to know and love, like the high schoolers Maya, Ana, Bobo, Benji and Amat, return to action here, as they try to recover from the scandal in the earlier book. As do the adults, like Peter and Kira, Maya's parents (and her younger brother Leo is deeply involved), and Sune, the old hockey coach. New villains show up, like the slimy politician (or is that redundant?) Theo, and the violent Pack.

Basically, it's a story of redemption and grief, sorrow and happiness. This book just filled me with the feels. I often ended my reading sessions literally with tears flowing down my cheeks, whether sad tears, proud tears or happy tears. It just kept hitting me in the feels. If you read the quotes from the book, you'll get an idea of how powerful his words are, hitting especially hard if you are married, a parent, a teammate or just different. It is less about hockey than the first book, more about trying to keep the team together and the people of Beartown.

I also really loved how he never told us the score of the final, climatic game, just that people talked about it for years. I think it underscored his idea that sports are temporary yet indelible. I don't see how they win without their best players again, much like the first game of the season.

Oh, and speaking of not having their best players, I don't think I understand why Benji didn't make the game. I'm not sure Fredrick really explained that away enough. He just stood up his teammates, after all they had been through and did for him?


My one negative, which makes this a 4.5 star book rather than the 5 star book that Beartown was, is that the story feels a little more forced and scattered. I wasn't real happy with the political angle - just seemed to be too easy. But his handling of all the rest of the relationships was remarkably deft, from Maya and Ana's friendship, to the way Amat boyhood friends stood up for him and helped him. And his descriptions of Peter and Kira's marriage slowly shattering was just too much for me.

But I will say Backman completely missed on the relationship between the teacher and Benji. I know Benji is 18 and all, but he played it more for the tragedy of a homosexual relationship, while totally downplaying the abhorrent idea of a teacher messing around with a student. Totally wrong, no matter who the two people are.


All in all, a fantastic follow up to one of my favorite books for 2017. No explosive moments (well, a few, but not the big on of the first book), so I'm not sure there will be a followup (although he did hint at one relationship that might deserve another book!). But still, what a great read.