I wanted to give this 5 stars so severely - Fredrik Backman and Neil Smith (translator) did a fantastic job sharing the human experience. There is laughter, minor tears, and just a pain in your gut for seeing what this town goes through. I was immersed in the story and excited to see what would happen next.

With that said, I can't get over the fact that he wrote this town as one awful place to be. I know that sometimes it's realistic, and many towns across the globe would act similarly, but it was just painful to read. I kept thinking, what else could go wrong? Why can't two folks just talk to one another to make things easier? Why are there so many metaphors with hockey when just being kind is more important than a sport (I know it's not that simple, as this book most certainly points out)? It was heartbreaking to read, and while I understand why Backman wrote it like that, I was constantly disappointed with some of the characters. Now, it's awe-inspiring that Backman makes you feel this way - he pulls you in and makes you feel like you are a bystander in this town, but wow, I was just constantly mad or sad. It's challenging to describe my angst towards this book that I didn't necessarily feel in Beartown #1. Maybe I just spent enough time in the bystander role screaming into the fake void for these folks to use any ounce of empathy or challenge the status quo. Maybe that's the reaction you're supposed to have, but I just couldn't get over it.

I loved the nuance to the story and the constantly battling black-and-white thinking (regardless of my opinions that surface). Sometimes, I still feel like this reads like a young adult book (with some swearing in between), but I still enjoy Backman's writing and how he describes life. Some AMAZING quotes from this book will keep me thinking for a while. I am still very much looking forward to this series' third and final book.