FredrikBackman

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This is the FINAL discussion post. DISCUSS anything about #usagainstyou by #fredrikbackman HERE ⬇️⬇️ by commenting below. Tag others as you discuss so they get notified of your comments. Anyone who has read this book is welcome to join!

#LitsyBuddyRead ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Comment below. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Jess7, LitsyBuddyRead

LitsyBuddyRead We can discuss anything here! To start us off: What did everyone think of the book? Did anything surprise you? (edited) 1y

mcctrish Well I thought Beartown was a roller coaster of emotions and then I read this one ❤️💚 while I‘m happy-ish to take a break from my heart being broken by Fredrik Backman I hate to leave all these characters behind. Ramona, Benji, Amat, Vidar, Ana, Maya, Leo 1y

ReaderthenBlogger I liked it but not nearly as much as I did Beartown. There were moments that it seemed to be a bit drawn out. And for some reason, his style of writing felt different. There weren‘t any real “woah” moment for me though. @LitsyBuddyRead 1y

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Jennifer3 I loved this one a lot. I had a couple issues with a few repetitive phrases but I think he did use it to emphasize points throughout. For example, Hed Hockey against Beartown Ice Hockey. I found that kind of weird. As for surprises, Peter leaving the club and going to help Kira. I never thought he would give up on the hockey. Also, I am grateful for the lack of a fairy tale ending, as he called it himself. And Benji...fave character for me. 1y

mcctrish @LitsyBuddyRead I thought Benji was going to die about 6 times and I was ready to throw the book across the room that many times or put out a hit on FB for his stupid vague opening statements that he then clarified 😡 1y

JacqMac I liked Beartown better, too. I also felt the writing was different. A little off. But I still loved it. I felt all the feels. 1y

Jennifer3 @ReaderthenBlogger I agree, he changed his style but I wondered if that was a choice that was to mean something I couldn‘t pick up on. 1y

JacqMac @mcctrish I was so worried about Benji, too! (edited) 1y

Jennifer3 @mcctrish Benji!!!! I feel you, I didn‘t want anything bad to happen to him. 1y

Jennifer3 @Jess7 What did you like about the book? 1y

mcctrish @ReaderthenBlogger @Jennifer3 it did feel as though I was rereading some phrases more than necessary and FB kept making vague opening statements to heighten suspense I suppose but because he kept doing it I was like “I‘m on to you now, it‘s just blah, blah, blah tell me the story” 1y

Amiable I like the fact that Backman doesn't promise--or always deliver--happy endings. Life is messy and unpredictable, and Backman is a master of portraying that uncertainty. In so many books you can feel the emotions but also know deep down that everything will be "ok" at the end. But you don't know that with Backman's books. That's the momentum that keeps you going--and also keeps your stomach churning and your heart racing! 1y

mcctrish @JacqMac and Ramona telling Benji everything he needed to hear 💚 1y

Jennifer3 Yes, definitely the same for me. It wasn‘t as emotional as Beartown but I was still I read it and it focused on their lives instead of the hockey. @mcctrish @ReaderthenBlogger 1y

Jennifer3 These are the first two I have read by him @Amiable and I love that it isn‘t the ending you want because life is messy. 1y

Jennifer3 @mcctrish @JacqMac Ramona and her relationship with Benji was a high point for me and Maya‘s lyrics for him too at the end. 1y

ReaderthenBlogger @Amiable I agree. You never know what type of ending you will get with him. He does keep it as close as realistic as possible even if it crushes our souls. 1y

Jess7 @Jennifer3 I loved both of the books. I was grateful for this follow up. I thought the beginning of this one was a little drawn out and repetitive, but once I got past that, I really liked it. I think I was surprised to find out that Benji didn‘t die. I misinterpreted a flash forward scene with the puck on a grave in Beartown to mean Benji was going to die.. I cried in Beartown at the scene bc I thought Benji died, and then he didn‘t in this book. 1y

Jess7 @Jennifer3 I recently heard from @britt_brooke that there was a third book in the series being written right now! 😱 1y

Jennifer3 @Jess7 He is my favorite character and I would love a book following him and Maya into their futures. I am so glad we read both books and these are some@of my favorite characters! 1y

Jess7 @Amiable great point about Backman‘s commitment to delivering realistic (if not always ideal) endings. I appreciate that too. 1y

Jennifer3 @Jess7 For real!?!?! 🤯👊🏼😁 1y

Jess7 I really want to know more about the little girl‘s future too. I thought this book would of focused more on that but it wasn‘t far enough in the future I guess. Do you remember the quote in Beartown about in ten years one of them would be dead? Or something like that? I took that and the grave scene to mean Benji would be dead but now I‘m confused @Jennifer3 @Amiable @ReaderthenBlogger @mcctrish @JacqMac 1y

Amiable @Jess7 Yes, I remember that about how in 10 years one would be dead. I thought it would be either Benji or Bobo. But in this one it says Bobo will be a father 1y

Jennifer3 I do remember that quote! @Jess7 1y

ReaderthenBlogger @Jess7 I don‘t want Benji to die! Vidar dying nearly crushed me and he wasn‘t even in the story that long. At least with the ending of this book, Backman didn‘t do the whole “flash forward” thing so I can see a third book being a possibility and of course I‘ll read it, lol. 1y

Amiable @ReaderthenBlogger Yes, when I'm reading Backman I get so nervous because my heart is saying "of course THIS character is going to be ok at the end" but then my brain is saying "well, it's a Backman book, so nobody is guaranteed a happy ending--not even the main characters!" 1y

mcctrish Dear god @Jess7 a third book where I have to wonder if Benji dies ? I‘m not sure my heart can take it 😬but I‘d love to read more about that scrappy little girl and Elizabeth 1y

sweetpealsd I felt for Vidar‘s family but it really didn‘t bother me that he died. I didn‘t really care for the character and him being attached to Ana made me really not care. 1y

Andrew65 You‘re finishing your buddy read just as I finally get to the top of the reservation list 😱😔😳🙈 1y

Jennifer3 @mcctrish Yes more Elizabeth and that hockey loving little girl! 1y

Jennifer3 @Andrew65 Oh no! 1y

Andrew65 @Jennifer3 Will have to look at your discussions as I read through the sections. 😂 1y

Jennifer3 @Andrew65 Not a bad idea! It was a good read, love these characters! 1y

britt_brooke @Jess7 I can‘t remember where I saw that about a third book, but it wouldn‘t surprise me. But, I‘m beyond ready for something new/different from Backman. I‘m just tired of this story. 1y

Jennifer3 @britt_brooke Why do you feel that way? Just asking as I have really enjoyed these characters but I appreciate others‘ perspectives. (edited) 1y

britt_brooke @Jennifer3 I just really liked Beartown as a stand alone. I‘m bored with this story and characters now. I‘m also not one for series, so that‘s a big part of it. 😉 1y

Jennifer3 @britt_brooke I do appreciate a stand alone more often than not because some of the popular series everyone else likes seem to have lost steam in my opinion. 1y

britt_brooke @Jennifer3 Agree. Sometimes they just go on and on. That‘s what makes me crazy. 😩 1y

Jennifer3 @britt_brooke Yeah like the Red Queen! I started the third book months ago and then found out there was a forth book! 🤦🏼‍♀️ 1y

Currey I generally do not live serials either and like others have mentioned, the first part was very repetitive to get people who had not read or read and did not remember Beartown up to speed. I also felt that Bachman‘s trick of foreshadowing a dramatic moment was not as effective in this book as it was in Beartown. He used it too often at the head of chapters instead of allowing the whole book to unfold. Still, I loved the characters. 1y

AmyG I loved Beartown. I liked this book because of the characters more than the actual book. I found the first half a bit draggy and almost put it down. I flew through the second half. I felt there were alot of stories going on and that some of the new characters weren‘t develped as much since the characters are the strongest part of this book. There‘s a third book? If so, I‘m done. I‘d like to read something different. 1y

Fan_of_70 @Currey I definitely agree that the foreshadowing wasn‘t as strong in this book as it was in Beartown. It was one of the things I loved about Beartown, and was kind of disappointed with how it played out in this. 1y

Fan_of_70 @sweetpealsd I‘m glad I‘m not the only one who didn‘t get much from Vidar‘s character. He seemed to spring up pretty late in the story, not develop much/develop too much to quickly, and then he was gone. Hard for me to get attached. 1y

GatheringBooks i am soooo late to this party - and really enjoyed reading everyone‘s inputs from @britt_brooke ‘s boredom to @Amiable ‘s nerves as she was reading the book. I have to admit that like @Jess7 , I simply loved this sequel, and don‘t mind reading on. i felt the suspense in my gut, like i was watching a game. and boy was i scared that benji will die, and was about ready to throw the book too several times if that happened. 1y

GatheringBooks i especially liked how real maya and anna‘s story felt to me - resonated deeply with its truth and post-rape trauma that was just so sensitively depicted. and yes, vidar. so tortured. 1y

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