Us Against You
- Fredrik Bachman
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Us Against You is the second installment of the Beartown trilogy. Overall it was an enjoyable read with some hard-hitting moments. Backman is at his best when he evokes empathy by abstracting complex circumstances into simple but relatable truths about life, love, hate, loyalty, violence, and everything in between.
P.S. If anyone sees Benji in the wild, please give him a big bear hug.
This books picks up where Beartown left off as the town reckons with the consequences of not only the sexual assault but also their own reactions of it. Here Bachman took care to give room for all the characters to deal with the aftermath in their own ways. He didn’t shy away from the messy and complex nature of trauma and didn’t urge for a perfectly neat solution. The world is complicated whether you live in a city of millions or a small town of thousands. You are not guaranteed a happy ending even if you love who you are supposed to love, support who you are supposed to support, work for what you are supposed to work for, believe in what you are supposed to believe in… In a small town like Beartown or Hed, any deviation from the prescribed norms could inflict disproportional pain and suffering. But only through challenging these norms can we evolve and grow more tolerant. Bachman’s writing is simple but effective in showing how our beliefs and actions can both build each other up or tear each other down.
Bachman’s writing style is certainly unique. However throughout this book I find the repeated deployment of tension building device of ‘what happened’ followed by ‘who it happened to’ with many red herrings in between, to be, while effective, a little tedious. The points that ‘Hockey is important’, ‘Hockey is not just hockey’, Hockey means more than just hockey to the people of Beartown and Hed’ are too belabored. As a reader I don’t particularly enjoy being told over and over again the same sentiment. The pacing of the book could be much tighter. The politicking is an important plot point but it could be done more efficiently, leaving more room for perhaps Amat, whose demotion to a background character I find disappointing. The last critique I have is that the dialogues seem a bit contrived. While many one-liners serve thematic purposes, it’s difficult to image people actually speak that way, especially 12-year-olds.
The triumph of the book lies with the exploration of its themes, its sensitivities, and its empathy. Bachman is very skilled in enveloping readers in a world that, while it can be very difficult from ours on the surface, is inhabited by the same angels and demons wherever we reside. He is masterful in recognizing simple truths and uncovering raw feelings in ordinary people and ordinary circumstances. While his style of writing may not be my personal favorite, I still would highly recommend Us Against You if you are looking for an engaging read with complex, flawed, and relatable characters.
