What jumped out at me about Beartown was its empathy. Backman provides a panoramic look into the hearts and minds of the people of Beartown. Their relationships are extremely believable, their stories intertwine and collide, and just when you think you understand a character, Backman reveals another layer to them. The people, places, and priorities of this small world are so vividly realized, so recognizable and true, that when it becomes time to take sides, you feel pulled apart.

This is a brilliant trick on Backman's part--he gets you super invested in the players, coaches, their relationships, and the big game coming up, that when the game gets disrupted at a certain point (trying to avoid spoilers) you are also a little disappointed and can feel the town's frustration. Which is super messed up, because at the same time you're clearly disgusted by the messed up priorities of the parents and fans. Backman you sonuvabitch, you made me feel culpable!

Beartown is certainly about more than just hockey (you definitely do NOT need to care about hockey to be pulled into the story), but it does perfectly capture so many beautiful little details about the game: The different roles of a team, what it’s like to witness a rare and transcendent talent, the sense of belonging and structure and meaning hockey provides, the bonds of mentorship—Backman writes about hockey with love, even as he lays bare the toxic masculinity that poisons it. And while a lot of coaches, players, fans want to keep hockey separate from “politics”, what they fail to recognize is that the misogyny that boys learn on the ice, can have dire impacts off the ice.