The Winners

I just finished The Winners by Fredrik Backman and here are my thoughts.

Maya and Benji both feel the pull to leave beartown in their rearview mirrors. Beartown is back on top and the town feels optimistic. The ice rink has been rebuilt into something amazing and the town is finally back to normal.

It's 2 years since us against you and the rivalry between Hed and Beartown comes back in full force after a devastating storm destroys Hed's ice rink.

Peter, having quit as GM to beartown 2 years previously, is still somehow caught up in an investigation into the hockey club's finances. Amat riding low after the debacle at the NHL draft is barely hanging in there.

A 14 year old with nothing to lose after his sister passes, has a plan and that plan includes a gun and revenge.

The one thing that always stands out for me in this series is the friendships that are forged and how much they impact the lives of the people around them.

Benji and Maya both return after the death of someone the town loves, to attend the funeral. Seeing how they have changed and grown is quite inspiring. They still have heavy burdens that weigh on them but it's hard not to adore both of them.

I found the pace of this book was pretty even for the most part but did lull in places but it actually worked for the book. I usually don't like books that pick up on a different character during a chapter but the author weaves such a clever tale that it feels like it flows perfectly.

I also really enjoyed the depths of some of the more unsavory characters and the idea of the pack in hockey was marvelous. You can see why the pack acted the way it did and it wasn't for barbaric reasons even though it looks like that on the surface. It was a very interesting way to write and I loved every single second of it.

This series will teach you how to love without boundaries and how to rise up from rock bottom. No one gives up, no one is the victim and that is a powerful message.

Beartown is so much more than a hockey team, it's a family. This book is more than just hockey, its life lessons through the eyes of teenagers. Beartown has been carved into my heart and I am so glad I got to go through the journey with them all.

5 stars. If you love general fiction that will draw you into a world you won't want to leave, then this series has to be on your list.

Thank you #netgalley and #simon&schustercanada for my review copy