The Winners (Beartown, #3)

Benjamin “Benji” Ovich is a past member of the Beartown hockey club who returns to the town after years of world travel to attend Ramona’s funeral. Benji used to play beside Kevin and served as his protector; unbeknownst to the rest of the town, Benji’s ferocity stemmed from his romantic feelings toward Kevin, which he kept a secret. After he was outed in the second novel, Benji was subjected to bullying, and he left town to regain his composure and dignity. Although he begins the novel feeling lost, he is surprised by the warm welcome he receives from people he used to think hated him. Benji has a large tattoo of a bear on his chest.

The novel opens with the narrator speaking of Benji’s impending death, placing this coming event at the center of the novel’s skein as it unravels. The narrator says that boys like Benji die violently and at a young age; readers familiar with the trilogy know that Benji’s youth was already punctuated with violence. The Winners shows a different side of Benji than the previous books, however. In this final installment of the trilogy, Benji’s capacity for sensitivity and his comfort with physical affection dominate his personality.