:( <- my full review!

Just kidding. Backman and Smith, his translator, did yet another incredible job at storytelling. I was transported, once again, into the depths of Beartown, a small forest town in Sweden. My heart aches whenever I read one of the Beartown stories, not because it's sad but because Backman describes the human experience eloquently and realistically. 

I found this book in the trilogy to be the most captivating, although I think it might be wrapped up with a bow in a rushed manner. Part of me wished for further explanations of the town, the people, and their experiences while recognizing that this book was incredibly long. I do think the first 100ish pages were a bit drawn out, albeit tense and interesting, but I felt that it could have potentially been cut down to ensure the ending was rounded out. With that said, who knows how Backman couldn've wrapped this up perfectly. I think part of the point is that this series never really gets wrapped up because the characters' lives are not intended to slow down. Regardless, The Winners swept me into the world of small, rural life and all of the disasters that go along with that. I can't say that I would read this book (or the series) when I'm looking for something lighthearted, but I will say how stunning and tragic this series was and how it made me think. I'm sad to see this series go, but I am thankful for the incredible, thought-provoking novel.