Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As I’ve come to understand, everything by this author is written incredibly well.
For me, I liked this a little more than Beartown, simply because it wasn’t as repetitive in the points it was getting across. And there were many points to be discussed in this story. It hit on so many issues that are within society in general, in sports culture, in teenagers, in small towns, in individuals. It did all this, and did it so well.
Benji was still one of the best characters I’ve read, and I was very pleased with his development and conclusion. However, all the characters are done well, and each one feels like someone you know – surprisingly, even Maggan Lyt has a positive light by the end.
The brutal story, mixed with the realistic thoughts and actions of those involved make it hard to read at times, but it is worth getting through it.
Backman has such a beautiful way of phrasing things that rings in my mind for a long time after I’ve finished reading. His writing style is something that makes me want to read every single thing he has ever written, and I’m on my way!
Highly recommend, and can be read as a standalone, but works better having read after Beartown.
Ally Jane 