The Winners by Fredrik Backman
Posted Sun Jan 25 2026
Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them? As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink. So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home?
While I loved the first two books in the Beartown trilogy, I was underwhelmed by the concluding novel The Winners. It was boring, and the ending was unsatisfying. The novel's weaknesses overshadow any of its few strengths.
First, I'll acknowledge what I liked about the book. I adored seeing Amat's redemption arc and him learning to cope with the pressure of everyone expecting him to make it to the NHL. In addition, Bobo finding love and maturing as an assistant coach was welcome growth. Through Peter, who unknowingly committed fraud, and Mumble, who kept quiet about witnessing a rape, the book raises the interesting question of whether you can atone for sins you've never been punished for. However, these strengths can't overcome the novel's major issues.
The Winners reuses the first two books' major themes without adding new insight. Once again, Backman explores the dangers of staying silent and the impact high expectations have on children. Additionally, the main conflict of The Winners is again between Hed and Beartown, which felt exhausted after three books. The lack of unique ideas made this novel's 700 pages unnecessary and uninteresting.
Backman introduced many new POVs in The Winners, and most felt unneeded or I wasn't invested in them. The biggest offender is Hannah, a Hed resident balancing a high-pressure job with her family. Almost half the book is dedicated to Hannah and her family, despite only being introduced in the final book and barely interacting with the already established characters. Her character is compelling, but she feels like she exists in a separate novel. Matteo's perspective on sexual assault mostly repeats what Maya's story already explored in Beartown. The editor's perspective raises interesting ideas on whether revealing the truth is always beneficial, but it was dull and ultimately didn't impact the plot. These characters steal pages away from characters I truly am invested in, like Amat, Benji, Maya, Kira, and Peter.
The pacing makes The Winners a slog to read. One big reason is that not many things happen in the plot. Backman spends much of the beginning recapping what occurred in the first two books, and the overall story doesn't have much action.
The book also suffers from having no stakes. In previous novels, Backman foreshadows many characters' futures, like Amat making the NHL and Bobo becoming a father. This worked when these outcomes were books away, but in The Winners it removed all suspense. When Amat faces obstacles, I know he'll overcome them because Backman states that he'll eventually succeed in the NHL. Every setback is a delay rather than a meaningful problem.
The ending further demonstrates the book's problems. After 700 pages building towards Amat's journey to the NHL and Alicia becoming one of the best hockey players, Backman abruptly ends the novel with only brief mentions of them achieving their dreams off-page. This is unsatisfying and offers little closure.
The Winners is a disappointing ending to an otherwise excellent trilogy. It's repetitive, predictable, and unsatisfying. I still wholeheartedly recommend Beartown and Us Against You with their explorations of community, sexual assault, and toxic masculinity. I suggest reading the first two books and only reading The Winners if you need the little closure it offers.