Great answer to my question! LMBO!!!! That's so funny! I will need to catch up with this one. December TBR filled up too fast! Now Kelly has "that romance I DNF'd" - LOL! Great video!
So glad you decided to read this whole series this fall/winter because I did exactly what you said: read the first book and then let years pass without picking up book two, so thank you for pushing me to finish out this series! 😂❤️ I agree about Beartown being stronger and more impactful, definitely had an emotional reaction to everything in that book. I did feel really connected to Benji’s story too though since he’s one of my favorite characters! And lots of important conversations around how homosexuality is viewed and dealt with in the sports world, playing into the toxic masculinity again… And like you said, seeing how different people reacted to finding out and feeling betrayed for some reason. But also yeah, good point about the difference between what happened to Maya and Benji! The new characters and the issues related to them were interesting for sure, even though I don’t necessarily feel as emotionally attached to them like I do with the original ones. My jaw dropped when I found out that Zackell was a woman though! 😳😆 And I definitely cried at what happened to Vidar and Ana at the end 💔 I also thought the book would be about Beartown vs Hed, but I felt like it was more about how people can so easily become divided over little things and let it completely change the way they view other people in their community, but I also like viewing it as Maya and Ana against the world ❤️ Can’t wait to read The Winners!
Haha happy to help! 😁 I felt connected to Benji too, I just didn't feel like he was central enough, like I couldn't really concentrate on him because I was trying to keep up with everything else going on. I think I would have liked the book better without the politician, and more focus on Benji, Vidar and The Group. Yeah the betrayal is a head scratcher... Maybe one best friend could feel like that, but the whole town... but better that and come around I guess, than keep being hateful. Also, people came around a lot quicker about Benji than about Maja, and they were both victims and Benji had "betrayed" them. So... yeah, not very equal. Sure they had a relationship with Benji that they didn't have with Maja but still. Yes I was kicking myself at falling for it with Zackell! I was expecting to cry at the end, but I thought it was going to be "worse", like Benji or Leo or Ana being the one to be hit. And same as with Benji, I wasn't invested enough, being so spread out. I'm interested to see how it all plays out in the third part though. Yes, the division over small things is a very good point! It's weird how a book can make you love and hate people all at the same time 😆
I just finished this during my lunch break today. I think the first third of the book, I wasn't liking it at all. The politician was making me angry. I didn't see what he thought he was going to get out of all the pitting everyone against each other. Just to get re elected to a middling political position? He seemed to put way more value on the office than it really had. Once we got more into the story of the regular characters, I got more into it and would up liking it a lot. Everyone had someone or something they were fighting against. Some handled it better than others. I didn't really like how Leo was turning out, but perhaps at the end he was turning himself around. I had a lot of issues with the amount of violence in the book. There was so much fighting, and everyone seemed to just brush it off as it was just what people did. Some of them seemed to think their only value was in beating other people up. I have family members that did their share of fighting at that age, but even they didn't get in fights as often as the Beartown pack did. I'm looking forward to reading The Winners.
Great timing! 😄 Yeah, I wasn't completely sold on the start of the book either, but I tend to forget things, so I appreciated the recap. Not the most gripping though, and even the hook part in the beginning felt scattered, telling all of the things that were going to happen later. Haha that is so true! 😂 But I also think it's kind of realistic! Are there any other people who cling so desperately to the little power they have, than mediocre mid-level nobodies? He probably had higher goals as well, and figured he would have to prove his right to climb the political ladders. Sadly, the most desperate and ruthless ones tend to end up in higher positions... I felt a lot of empathy for Leo, and I didn't think he was worse than anyone else, unless I'm forgetting something. I think he felt helpless and was trying to take back control, and at that age I think he was trying to figure out how to be a man and what that even means. Not ideal, obviously, but he carried a lot of anger and grief with him. As did probably a lot of the other character, but since we followed Leo from earlier, I could more easily empathize with him, than Vidar for example. You're probably right about the violence! I didn't react that much to it, perhaps because it was in written form. I don't know if the hockey added to that, being a kind of violent sport, or the sense of lack of social security. I really don't like the throwing stones in people's windows and things like that, threatening and then running away. That's a coward who does that, and with no idea where the stones land. I'm looking forward to The Winners too, I'm saving it for later in the month but I'm hoping for a strong finish - to the series, and to the year, I guess! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🥰
Hey Ellen, you got only 51 views, even though you have 445 subscribers. You deserve more reach on the video. You should take care of your channel. I think if you did the proper SEO on every video, you would get more views. Do you know about SEO? If you want I can help you to increase your video reach organically.
Grab your tea everyone, Ellen posted!
😂🥰💜
Great answer to my question! LMBO!!!! That's so funny! I will need to catch up with this one. December TBR filled up too fast! Now Kelly has "that romance I DNF'd" - LOL! Great video!
Haha isn't it wonderful that you have a good book to look forward to? ^^ Welcome back when you've read it! Poor Kelly... 😂 Hope she likes it better!
Good thing I read Us Against You already. LOL.
@KellyLovesBooksandMovies LOL! Your book is already on it's way!
You have many of books 👍
@@eonwalk Getting there 😊
So glad you decided to read this whole series this fall/winter because I did exactly what you said: read the first book and then let years pass without picking up book two, so thank you for pushing me to finish out this series! 😂❤️
I agree about Beartown being stronger and more impactful, definitely had an emotional reaction to everything in that book. I did feel really connected to Benji’s story too though since he’s one of my favorite characters! And lots of important conversations around how homosexuality is viewed and dealt with in the sports world, playing into the toxic masculinity again… And like you said, seeing how different people reacted to finding out and feeling betrayed for some reason. But also yeah, good point about the difference between what happened to Maya and Benji!
The new characters and the issues related to them were interesting for sure, even though I don’t necessarily feel as emotionally attached to them like I do with the original ones. My jaw dropped when I found out that Zackell was a woman though! 😳😆 And I definitely cried at what happened to Vidar and Ana at the end 💔
I also thought the book would be about Beartown vs Hed, but I felt like it was more about how people can so easily become divided over little things and let it completely change the way they view other people in their community, but I also like viewing it as Maya and Ana against the world ❤️ Can’t wait to read The Winners!
Wow that was a long comment, so sorry 😂
Haha I love a long comment! (And who am to judge...)
Haha happy to help! 😁
I felt connected to Benji too, I just didn't feel like he was central enough, like I couldn't really concentrate on him because I was trying to keep up with everything else going on. I think I would have liked the book better without the politician, and more focus on Benji, Vidar and The Group.
Yeah the betrayal is a head scratcher... Maybe one best friend could feel like that, but the whole town... but better that and come around I guess, than keep being hateful. Also, people came around a lot quicker about Benji than about Maja, and they were both victims and Benji had "betrayed" them. So... yeah, not very equal. Sure they had a relationship with Benji that they didn't have with Maja but still.
Yes I was kicking myself at falling for it with Zackell! I was expecting to cry at the end, but I thought it was going to be "worse", like Benji or Leo or Ana being the one to be hit. And same as with Benji, I wasn't invested enough, being so spread out. I'm interested to see how it all plays out in the third part though.
Yes, the division over small things is a very good point! It's weird how a book can make you love and hate people all at the same time 😆
I'm leaving a warm spot for myself later 🤭
Haha that's so cute! 😄 Welcome back whenever you're ready!
I just finished this during my lunch break today.
I think the first third of the book, I wasn't liking it at all. The politician was making me angry. I didn't see what he thought he was going to get out of all the pitting everyone against each other. Just to get re elected to a middling political position? He seemed to put way more value on the office than it really had.
Once we got more into the story of the regular characters, I got more into it and would up liking it a lot. Everyone had someone or something they were fighting against. Some handled it better than others. I didn't really like how Leo was turning out, but perhaps at the end he was turning himself around.
I had a lot of issues with the amount of violence in the book. There was so much fighting, and everyone seemed to just brush it off as it was just what people did. Some of them seemed to think their only value was in beating other people up. I have family members that did their share of fighting at that age, but even they didn't get in fights as often as the Beartown pack did.
I'm looking forward to reading The Winners.
Great timing! 😄
Yeah, I wasn't completely sold on the start of the book either, but I tend to forget things, so I appreciated the recap. Not the most gripping though, and even the hook part in the beginning felt scattered, telling all of the things that were going to happen later.
Haha that is so true! 😂 But I also think it's kind of realistic! Are there any other people who cling so desperately to the little power they have, than mediocre mid-level nobodies? He probably had higher goals as well, and figured he would have to prove his right to climb the political ladders. Sadly, the most desperate and ruthless ones tend to end up in higher positions...
I felt a lot of empathy for Leo, and I didn't think he was worse than anyone else, unless I'm forgetting something. I think he felt helpless and was trying to take back control, and at that age I think he was trying to figure out how to be a man and what that even means. Not ideal, obviously, but he carried a lot of anger and grief with him. As did probably a lot of the other character, but since we followed Leo from earlier, I could more easily empathize with him, than Vidar for example.
You're probably right about the violence! I didn't react that much to it, perhaps because it was in written form. I don't know if the hockey added to that, being a kind of violent sport, or the sense of lack of social security. I really don't like the throwing stones in people's windows and things like that, threatening and then running away. That's a coward who does that, and with no idea where the stones land.
I'm looking forward to The Winners too, I'm saving it for later in the month but I'm hoping for a strong finish - to the series, and to the year, I guess!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🥰
Hey Ellen, you got only 51 views, even though you have 445 subscribers. You deserve more reach on the video. You should take care of your channel. I think if you did the proper SEO on every video, you would get more views. Do you know about SEO?
If you want I can help you to increase your video reach organically.
Hi, I'm not interested, thank you! Have a nice day