--- product_id: 79022279 title: "Us Against You (Beartown)" price: "£21.67" currency: GBP in_stock: false reviews_count: 11 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79022279-us-against-you-beartown store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Us Against You (Beartown) **Price:** £21.67 **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Us Against You (Beartown) - **How much does it cost?** £21.67 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79022279-us-against-you-beartown) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Buy Us Against You (Beartown) Reprint by Backman, Fredrik (ISBN: 9781501160806) from desertcart's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Review: A remarkably harrowing and cathartic tale of friendship, loyalty, and loss. - In true Backman style, it’ll draw you in, lead you astray, and tear you apart. I read Beartown, the first book in this series, in May last year. I took a chance on a book about hockey, only to fear its sequel wouldn’t live up to the small town’s original magic. I’ve never been happier to be so wrong. Backman’s writing isn’t overly complex. But it still has an enthralling and addictive quality that makes it difficult to resist. And it’ll leave you with a book hangover. His tone of voice is so realistic, so frank, and so straightforward. That quality, mixed with Backman’s natural storytelling ability and intricate web of characters is what makes this series of books so special. It has the captivating feature of a good story, with the poignant touch of pragmatic reality. In a similar essence to Beartown, this book’s atmosphere is somehow both nostalgic and claustrophobic at the same time – like living in a small town. This story takes place only three months after the last, but the number of characters increases and so does the level of heart. While it was easy to have one favourite in Beartown, I really struggled to single out just one character in Us Against You. The storylines in the book are richer, with deeper roots and even heftier consequences. I absolutely love how layered and nuanced the characters in this book feel. They’re not just elements of fiction, they’re personalities that you get to know and understand. They have quirks and habits that you come to know so well you can almost predict, which is why it’s so easy to get lost in their lives. Plus, the interlinking relationships and storylines gives the book and even stronger pull. There are chapters in Us Against You that are like peering into a pack mentality. It's truly fascinating, but understandable perplexing. Allegiance and loyalty play major roles in packs and teams, but this book questions how far we can be carried without genuine respect, honesty, and trust. I also loved the exploration of masculinity and respect in this book. Some characters chase and crave it, while others barely acknowledge it. It’s insignificant to some, and so crucial it could break bones for others. Following the events of Beartown, this book also dives deeper into anxiety, specifically guilt and paranoia. Although Backman has a humour to his writing, can write with sarcasm, and effortlessly deliver deadpan expressions, the milder and warmer tone of voice when exploring such topics was very refreshing. Still, I love that the author doesn’t shy away from honesty in his writing. There are some sentences that are hard to read. So despite the sensitive storylines, the perspective feels balanced. Us Against You highlights the best and worst in humans, and the strengths and flaws in love. It’s a story of devotion and redemption, and like many of Backman’s books, leaves plenty of room for poignant and deep discussions. There are some moments that are full of tranquillity and quiet, and others that are so tense you’re holding your breath. And while it may not have the same tight grip on me Beartown had, it’s still just as spectacular. After loving A Man Called Ove, Beartown, and Anxious People, I can’t wait to see what Backman gives us next. The third book, Those Who Run Towards Fire, is already on my pre-order list. Review: Excellently and tightly crafted novel - I suspect my main issue with this book is that it isn't Beartown. Beartown won a special place in my heart and little if anything was ever going to be able to rival it for my affections. Us Against You makes a reasonable attempt, but falls just that little bit short of the target set by its predecessor. This is undoubtedly beautifully written and stunningly translated, but it didn't quite hold me in the same way that Beartown did. It can't be the characters, for although all of the previous favourites return for this sequel there are some new characters that take your breath away. Aspects of the last book that were touched on are developed and expanded, with the black jackets being of particular importance, but by no means are they the only ones. As with his previous novel however, Backman touches on so many issues that are hidden within a commmunity; both the large and the small, the good and the bad. He has a way with words and sometimes his words really do just take your breath away. Sometimes I found myself re-reading a paragraph for exactly that reason. And at the finale, he knows how to use those same words to break your heart into a thousand pieces. Backman's writing makes most other authors look clumsy in comparison and his characterisations can make you weep. But it still didn't quite hit the pinacle of Beartown and there's possibly a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, the tone is far less innocent I suppose. Whereas Beartown is all surrounded by individuals actions and the way they can spiral a situation out of control, Us Against You is just as heavily based on one mans ability to manipulate a series of situations and a variety of people. All of the events were far more calculated and whilst that made for a good read, it didn't make for the spell-binding read that Beartown was. Beartown didn't need a single individual's meddling fingers to keep the events spiralling... this did, and that detracted from the tone of the novel quite a bit for me. I also found the constant active foretelling of something dark on the horizon to be somewhat tedious after a while, particularly when everything is so slowly paced. Whereas with Beartown you get build up and repurcussions in almost equal proportion with the events spiralling out of control somewhere in the middle, here it is nearly all build up. It's well written build up and it showcases the characters beautifully, but it's missing something. And when I hit the finale, I won't deny that I cried, but somehow I can't help but feel that the book wasn't quite balanced as perfectly as Beartown. But at the same time, this still reflects some of the greatest lights within humanity at the same time as it shines a glow on some of the darkest. It is still beautifully written with passages that will haunt me for long to come. It is still a novel about humanity; about loss and love, marriage and belonging, community and hatred. It still has those astonishing nuances and interlinking characters, with stories that spill over unwillingly into others lives. It's still a story about ice hockey and it is still so much more than that. Is it Beartown? No, not quite. Is it worth something in and of itself however? Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 29 in Sports Fiction (Books) 716 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Book 2 of 3 | Beartown | | Customer reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (24,100) | | Dimensions | 13.49 x 2.84 x 20.96 cm | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 150116080X | | ISBN-13 | 978-1501160806 | | Item weight | 340 g | | Language | English | | Print length | 448 pages | | Publication date | 5 Mar. 2019 | | Publisher | Atria Books | ## Images ![Us Against You (Beartown) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81W2K2d3vdL.jpg) ![Us Against You (Beartown) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81TfUZrN5ZL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A remarkably harrowing and cathartic tale of friendship, loyalty, and loss. *by A***A on 2 April 2021* In true Backman style, it’ll draw you in, lead you astray, and tear you apart. I read Beartown, the first book in this series, in May last year. I took a chance on a book about hockey, only to fear its sequel wouldn’t live up to the small town’s original magic. I’ve never been happier to be so wrong. Backman’s writing isn’t overly complex. But it still has an enthralling and addictive quality that makes it difficult to resist. And it’ll leave you with a book hangover. His tone of voice is so realistic, so frank, and so straightforward. That quality, mixed with Backman’s natural storytelling ability and intricate web of characters is what makes this series of books so special. It has the captivating feature of a good story, with the poignant touch of pragmatic reality. In a similar essence to Beartown, this book’s atmosphere is somehow both nostalgic and claustrophobic at the same time – like living in a small town. This story takes place only three months after the last, but the number of characters increases and so does the level of heart. While it was easy to have one favourite in Beartown, I really struggled to single out just one character in Us Against You. The storylines in the book are richer, with deeper roots and even heftier consequences. I absolutely love how layered and nuanced the characters in this book feel. They’re not just elements of fiction, they’re personalities that you get to know and understand. They have quirks and habits that you come to know so well you can almost predict, which is why it’s so easy to get lost in their lives. Plus, the interlinking relationships and storylines gives the book and even stronger pull. There are chapters in Us Against You that are like peering into a pack mentality. It's truly fascinating, but understandable perplexing. Allegiance and loyalty play major roles in packs and teams, but this book questions how far we can be carried without genuine respect, honesty, and trust. I also loved the exploration of masculinity and respect in this book. Some characters chase and crave it, while others barely acknowledge it. It’s insignificant to some, and so crucial it could break bones for others. Following the events of Beartown, this book also dives deeper into anxiety, specifically guilt and paranoia. Although Backman has a humour to his writing, can write with sarcasm, and effortlessly deliver deadpan expressions, the milder and warmer tone of voice when exploring such topics was very refreshing. Still, I love that the author doesn’t shy away from honesty in his writing. There are some sentences that are hard to read. So despite the sensitive storylines, the perspective feels balanced. Us Against You highlights the best and worst in humans, and the strengths and flaws in love. It’s a story of devotion and redemption, and like many of Backman’s books, leaves plenty of room for poignant and deep discussions. There are some moments that are full of tranquillity and quiet, and others that are so tense you’re holding your breath. And while it may not have the same tight grip on me Beartown had, it’s still just as spectacular. After loving A Man Called Ove, Beartown, and Anxious People, I can’t wait to see what Backman gives us next. The third book, Those Who Run Towards Fire, is already on my pre-order list. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellently and tightly crafted novel *by A***E on 6 November 2019* I suspect my main issue with this book is that it isn't Beartown. Beartown won a special place in my heart and little if anything was ever going to be able to rival it for my affections. Us Against You makes a reasonable attempt, but falls just that little bit short of the target set by its predecessor. This is undoubtedly beautifully written and stunningly translated, but it didn't quite hold me in the same way that Beartown did. It can't be the characters, for although all of the previous favourites return for this sequel there are some new characters that take your breath away. Aspects of the last book that were touched on are developed and expanded, with the black jackets being of particular importance, but by no means are they the only ones. As with his previous novel however, Backman touches on so many issues that are hidden within a commmunity; both the large and the small, the good and the bad. He has a way with words and sometimes his words really do just take your breath away. Sometimes I found myself re-reading a paragraph for exactly that reason. And at the finale, he knows how to use those same words to break your heart into a thousand pieces. Backman's writing makes most other authors look clumsy in comparison and his characterisations can make you weep. But it still didn't quite hit the pinacle of Beartown and there's possibly a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, the tone is far less innocent I suppose. Whereas Beartown is all surrounded by individuals actions and the way they can spiral a situation out of control, Us Against You is just as heavily based on one mans ability to manipulate a series of situations and a variety of people. All of the events were far more calculated and whilst that made for a good read, it didn't make for the spell-binding read that Beartown was. Beartown didn't need a single individual's meddling fingers to keep the events spiralling... this did, and that detracted from the tone of the novel quite a bit for me. I also found the constant active foretelling of something dark on the horizon to be somewhat tedious after a while, particularly when everything is so slowly paced. Whereas with Beartown you get build up and repurcussions in almost equal proportion with the events spiralling out of control somewhere in the middle, here it is nearly all build up. It's well written build up and it showcases the characters beautifully, but it's missing something. And when I hit the finale, I won't deny that I cried, but somehow I can't help but feel that the book wasn't quite balanced as perfectly as Beartown. But at the same time, this still reflects some of the greatest lights within humanity at the same time as it shines a glow on some of the darkest. It is still beautifully written with passages that will haunt me for long to come. It is still a novel about humanity; about loss and love, marriage and belonging, community and hatred. It still has those astonishing nuances and interlinking characters, with stories that spill over unwillingly into others lives. It's still a story about ice hockey and it is still so much more than that. Is it Beartown? No, not quite. Is it worth something in and of itself however? Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An emotional roller coaster! *by M***S on 25 August 2025* I read this immediately after U finished reading Beartown. Both books absolutely gripped me and I couldn't put them down. A great storyline, beautifully told with really well developed characters. This book often made me fearful - but not always with sadness! ## Frequently Bought Together - Us Against You: A Novel (Beartown Series) - The Winners: A Novel (Beartown Series) - Beartown: A Novel (Beartown Series) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79022279-us-against-you-beartown](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/79022279-us-against-you-beartown) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-24*