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Oh yeah! I realized I hadn’t written a review for one of my favorite books. So I reread some parts, nodded my head, and sat down at my typewriter (I wish! It would be a cooler version of me, but I’m using my laptop like a regular person).

Welcome back to our town for one more final twist.

“Beartown�� is one of those masterpieces that steals your soul and captures an important part of your mind, making you feel for the characters and see the town as a living, functioning organism with its struggles and challenges to find its place on the map. Unfortunately, the town’s identity is tied to hockey. When winter comes, its people get more excited, vivid, and energized because that means the hockey season is about to start.

After reading the epic ending of the first book, I thought, “Okay, that’s incredible! No other book by the author can surpass this book’s soul-crushing, powerful effect on me.�� I wanted to believe that after the book ended, all these characters had their happily-ever-afters. I already dreamed of a beautiful future for Maya, Benji, Ana, Leo, and Romano. But when I picked up this book, my sweet, Disney-type flowers and dancing elephants kind of happy ending were shattered into pieces. Yes, the author’s dark, harsh, realistic slaps were ready to shake me to the core one more time.

Beartown loses its team and financial resources simultaneously. Their rival, Hed, transfers their major team members. Everyone is so unhappy, angry, and disappointed. The beginning of the book is a little slower, taking us on a journey to the past to remind us of what happened in the first book and what caused the town’s new struggle. After the violent incident, Maya has completely changed, and verbal abuses and attacks still continue to harass her. She is a ticking bomb about to explode.

Her brother Leo slowly shows signs of growing anger because he still blames himself for not being able to protect his sister.

Their father and the team’s coach, Peter, is also falling apart because his family is drifting away, and he cannot find a way to do things right. He also lost his job, and without hockey in his life, he doesn’t know who he is or what his life purpose is. He cannot show his feelings, so he closes himself off, building more barriers to hide his pain and anger. (I want to grab him by the collar and scream in his face, “Please talk to your wife! Listen to what she says! She is smarter than you!��)

Another bomb, ready to destroy himself, is Benji, still living with his big sisters, furious about his father, and furious about keeping his sexuality a secret.

And let’s not forget Amat and Bobo. They seem so lost, so defeated, and they deal with their own family struggles. I love those kids so much, and it’s good to see them back.

As I mentioned, the first parts of the book were a little slow and disappointing for me. But then Elizabeth Zackell is hired as a new female coach, and yes, my attention was already captured. Finally, a brand new, feisty, vivid, incredible character joined the team.

New lies and secrets start to come out, tension rises, and yes, you want to chant with excitement because finally, the book returns to its amazing pace, and you cannot put it down because things get uglier, more violent, and vulgar. You keep reading because your heart throbs faster, and you want to know what’s going to happen next.

And of course, the conclusion is magnificent one more time. So I’m happy to go back to Beartown and read more about the characters�� journeys and be introduced to brand new, amazing characters. Mr. Backman is a great painter, using his words like palette colors to paint unforgettable drawings for our souls. I cannot wait to read his upcoming works.

OVERALL: This is a unique gem in the literary jewelry store. Please buy it and carry it with you forever.