Beartown

You'll truly understand two things from the get-go: the dire nature of the situation in Beartown and what appears to be the author's love for the game of hockey. Though references like ‘those who score more points' (rather than goals) and the fact A-level is the top tier or what appears to be Mites being called little league like its baseball, was a bit odd to my hockey mind. [I later realized that this is probably because of the Swedish-to-English translation]. Enjoyed the writing style/clarity and descriptives while there were also very clear, relatable motivations and values for each character. It was interesting from the beginning to see how the sports drama was going to unfold, and certainly how things end up at the moment teased in Chapter 1 (the equivalent of a Prologue).  There were some turns and surprises along the way and the hockey action was well laid out. When the events after the semifinal finally start on the darker path of the book, it does turn into more of a page-turner with a cinematic feel to it - especially with the way it effectively cuts from one character to another living through the same or adjacent moments.  The main drama that unfolds after the buildup to the games did seem to be a bit of a standard tale but with a little different and layered spin on it ...at least just enough for it to not feel overwhelmingly familiar.