After pledging to read more fiction, Bear Town was a very welcome Christmas present, and a really great novel to begin 2023. It’s a story about the pressures in a small, declining hockey town and how the community reacts when an incident tears it apart.
The plot initially revolves round a junior team that are punching above their weight in the national competition. Bear Town hasn’t got much else going for it, so the expectations placed on the young players, their coaches, families, and friends cause fractures and tensions.
Things take a very dark turn at a teenage party, and the town divides between those supporting the star player, and those who see beyond the sport.
It’s a brilliant book, with loads of rich characters and observations on teenage life, parenthood, friendship, team sports, and ambition.
The plot moves at pace and is thriller-esque in its drama, intrigue and twists. I loved Bear Town, although have been advised that the follow-up novels are not quite as good, so think I’ll move onto something else entirely.
