Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Length: 448 pages
Amazon

{A Bit of Backstory}

Single Sentence Summary

Facing lost innocence, lost friendships and lost selves, the fierce rivalry between Beartown and Hed continues, spilling far beyond their ice hockey rinks.

From the Publisher

“A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that their town’s ice hockey club might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. But the arrival of a newcomer gives Beartown hockey a chance at a comeback.”

The Draw

• Hello? Beartown!
• I usually don’t do sequels, but for this I was more than willing.
• New story around Amat, Benji, Maya and a few new characters.

{My Thoughts}

What Worked For Me

Coming Home – I’d been a little leery to start Us Against You because sequels often don’t work for me. I only turned to it after having a couple of DNF’s in a row, and it was the balm I needed. Reading just the first few pages of Us Against You was like coming home after a long journey and being enveloped by the usualness of it. It was a relief to find my way back after being lost.

Chapter 1 – From the very start Backman lays out the framework for what is going to happen to the people of Beartown. The questions lie in how that framework will be filled, in where the details will fall. He leaves you wanting more in only a handful of pages. Brilliant!

“Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did. We’ll end up saying that violence came to Beartown this summer, but that will be a lie; the violence was already here. Because sometimes hating one another is so easy that it seems incomprehensible that we ever do anything else.”

Masterful Storytelling – Kudos to Fredrik Backman! I think I’m going to have to fangirl a little about this man and his writing. Backman’s voice is so strong and his style so original, I feel like I’d recognize it anywhere, and yet, never tire of it. He’s a magician when it comes to foreshadowing, always leaving the reader wanting more. I love how he writes in short bursts, sometimes only a few words long, but delivering powerful insights.

“You try to be a good parent, in every way, but you never know how. It’s not a difficult job. Just impossible.”

“He’s invincibly strong and unbelievably fragile at one and the same time.”

Hatred & Humanity – I loved that even though Us Against You is a story about rivalry, conflict, anger and even hate it also is a book about compassion, forgiveness, understanding and love. Despite their flaws, Backman imbues his characters with humanity that ultimately ends in decency. You will cry.

“Perhaps one day he’ll find words for that feeling of being different. How physical it is. Exclusion is a form of exhaustion that eats its way into your skeleton. People who are like everyone else, who belong to the norm, the majority, can’t possible understand it. How can they?”

What Didn’t

Maya’s Songs – Maya, a budding musician composed several songs that Backman shared with his readers. While I understand his intent, the lyrics added nothing to the story for me and I found myself skimming.

{The Final Assessment}

I liked Beartown a lot. It made my Best Books of 2017 list. I liked Us Against You even more. This second book is less about hockey and more about the people who make up the Beartown community. It’s about how their lives connect and how when one person suffers, so too, do those around them. Yes, it’s about hatred and rivalry, but it’s also about forgiveness and empathy. The emotion is universal, and I highly recommend Us Against You. Grade: A

If you liked this book you might also enjoy:

• Beartown by Fredrik Backman – While in theory Us Against You could stand alone, I highly recommend reading Beartown first. (my review)
• Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout – Another book where the community and its many citizens are what make the story. (my review)

Disclosure: There are Amazon Associate links included within this post.