Book Review: The Winners ( Beartown #3) by Fredrik Backman

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

( Plot :3.5+⭐; Audio Narration: 4.5⭐ )

“You want to understand this place? Then you need to understand its connections, the way everything and everyone is tied to everything and everyone else by invisible threads of relationships and loyalties and debts: the ice rink and the factory, the hockey team and the politicians, league position and money, sports and employment opportunities, childhood friends and teammates, neighbors and colleagues and families.”

I approached The Winners, having read and loved Beartown and Us Against You (both 5⭐ reads for me), with very high expectations (Fredrik Backman himself is to blame for that!). Having already fallen in love with the characters, their stories and the small town setting, there was little doubt in my mind that I would enjoy spending more time with these characters, which I did! Much of my love for The Winners stems from my love for this series. While it is difficult to separate my thoughts on this book from my feelings about the series as a whole, I have tried my best. So here goes!

The first half of The Winners takes us through much of what has transpired in the previous two books, while introducing several new characters, both from Beartown and Hed, and continuing with the stories of Maya, Ana, Peter, Kira, Teemu, Amat, Bobo, Benji, Alicia and the rest. While a few of their stories end in disappointment and tragedy, others end on a hopeful note as we get a glimpse into the future of many of the characters beyond the timeline of the events described in this book. While on one hand, old grudges and rivalries continue to cause friction, unexpected friendships and alliances are also forged and as the narrative progresses we are taken through a roller coaster ride of emotions. I love Frederick Backman’s writing. Very few contemporary authors can write about human emotions, flawed characters and human relationships in all their complexity in words so simple yet with so much depth and compassion as Backman does. Benji and Maya return home for a funeral and we get some beautiful heartwarming moments shared between them, Ana, Bobo, Amat and new friends. I enjoyed meeting new characters like Hannah and her family and loved how Alicia’s story progressed. A lot is happening in this novel with these characters - hockey is played, a storm ravages the area, corrupt politicians and scheming businessmen try to gain the upper hand, and families come together as do friends. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a happy ending. The author prepares us for this as the story progresses and though this doesn’t come as a surprise, it is no less heart-wrenching. However, I found the repeated foreshadowing unnecessary. Done in lesser doses, it would have been just as impactful, if not more.

I do not have a problem with lengthy novels per se, provided the length is justified. Unfortunately, that is not the case with The Winners. At almost 700 pages, there was much repetition and we spend too much time talking about past events. Unless you are a fan of the series and don’t mind the wait, the narrative will take time to pull you in. In no way can this book be read as a standalone novel (despite all the details from past events shared throughout the novel) and I felt that this part could have been cut short. The second half of the book is almost perfect in its pacing, bringing the characters and their stories together leading to a satisfying (heartbreaking yes, but that was expected) ending to the series! While I would definitely rate this series a solid 5⭐, my rating for The Winners would be around 4⭐ ( 3.5+⭐ for the book and 4.5⭐ for the audio narration). I combined my reading with the wonderful audio narration by Marin Ireland which made for a delightfully immersive experience.

“What is life, other than moments? What is laughter, other than a small victory over sorrow? A single moment, just one, when everything inside us isn’t broken.”

While the first book in the series remains my favorite of all three with the second coming really close, despite its flaws I did enjoy the final book. I have laughed and cried with the characters from Beartown over the last few years. This series is no doubt one of the best I have read in recent times and one I would not hesitate to recommend. With memorable characters, heart-touching dialogue and stories that you feel personally invested in, Fredrik Backman does not disappoint! I eagerly look forward to reading more from this brilliant author in the future!

“Life goes on. It doesn’t give us any other choice.”