This book was so interesting and kept me on my toes. I love how the relationships developed as the story unfolded. Nothing was what I thought and I was so pleased with how it ended. It’s a must read for some who enjoys laugh out loud moments and heartfelt story

Fredrik Backman doesn't disappoint! This was an excellent read with some real gems of wisdom scattered throughout, without once coming across as preachy or sanctimonious. Love this book, and this author! Highly, highly recommended.

As a therapist, I eagerly wanted to read this book. I found it to be a bit deceptive in the title, as people would want to be less anxious, and a bank robbery, is not the way to start. The story, characters seemed a bit disjointed. It simply did not meet my expectations. Good luck with this and his subsequent work.

Anxious People is not an easy read – it takes some letting yourself just “go with the flow” of this screwball novel and its anxious, idiotic — yet fascinating characters.

Is this a story about a hostage situation, filled with anxious people? Or perhaps this is a tale of idiots stuck in an apartment. Or maybe it’s about a bungled police investigation. And then there’s the bridge…

After closing this novel, I have come to the conclusion that Anxious People is all about human relationships, of which Mr. Backman is a master. I laughed, I sighed, and I often savored the writing – re-reading many passages. There is wisdom sprinkled throughout the narrative.

I very much enjoyed the story. It kept me off-balance, as I was surprised throughout the book. While it does not fit my classroom, I will definitely recommend it to individual students.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this novel, and was pleasantly surprised by how charming and heartwarming it was. Each character had a distinct personality, dreams and desires. They were all seeking connection in some way. I loved the examination of how far we would go for each other, humanity, and the choices we make. I listened to the book on audio and I have a feeling that contributed a large part to my enjoyment of this book. The narrator, Marin Ireland, did an outstanding job of giving each character a voice that made the world feel so rich. I was very impressed with her work and would recommend the audio if you can listen to it! Either way, it’s a great read.

CW: suicide, suicidal thoughts, gun, divorce, blood, grief, parental death

This is Backman at his best, and for this author, that’s a bold statement. The character development, the revelation of truth, the humor and humanity. Goodness.

Fredrik Backman remains one of my favorite authors by being a genius at writing characters. Even seemingly minor characters are well-developed and add to his narrative.

This novel explores father-son dynamics, marriages at differing stages, post-divorce parenting, and aging with grace - plus a robbery. Although well-resolved, it's a book I wanted to read for another 200 pages. It's a book that makes me ultimately hopeful.

I would love to reread this with a book club. Sharing this book with others is the only way to make reading it even better.

Like many of his books, this one is a bit confusing at first and difficult to get into, but once you do, it is totally worth it. The book is funny and charming and full of meaningful quips about life as a bank robber flees to an apartment that is having a showing and takes the people who are viewing the apartment hostage. Through the story, we get to know the hostages and the police officers who are trying to end the hostage situation and figure out who the robber is. There are plot twists and silly situations and sorrow and joy. I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely loved A Man Called Ove, and Anxious People by Frederick Backman does not disappoint with their latest release. The characters were equally endearing in their flawed realness. Moving, charming, funny and heartbreaking, Backman continues to stick to his voice that makes him such a unique gem for his readers.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Another great book by Backman. I laughed, I cried. Insightful, and tackles the difficult topic of suicide with the respect it deserves.

I cannot even begin to express how much I absolutely loved this book. It’s everything I’ve come to love in Backman’s work: characters that are relatable and leap right off the page; dark, sarcastic humor; a roller coaster of emotion; everyday situations that are somehow fantastical and special; bizarre comedy that makes perfect sense somehow; unexpected twists and plot; and lines that will just steal your breath when you least expect it.

Listen: if you’re not immediately pulled into this book DON’T PANIC. Keep pushing through it and trust to the magic that is Fredrik Backman’s writing. I promise, it delivers in the end. I had trouble getting into this one at first, too, but it ended up being an incredible book. One of my coworkers, who is also a Backman fan, actually DNF’d it, and I made her pick it back up again and keep going. She said it turned around right after she’d set it down, and she ended up reading the whole thing again in one day. Slow beginning, but ultimately worth the listen!

One-Line Summary: The world’s worst bank robber finds themselves unwittingly in a hostage situation with what have to be the world’s worst hostages. Also, there’s a bunny. It’s . . . complicated.

Why I love it:

A cast of highly relatable, entirely unique, and slightly eccentric characters.
No, seriously, you will fall in love with each of these characters.
Narrator does a fantastic job of differentiating each and every character.
Also, one sounds like a former colleague . . . who was very similar to the character, now that I think about it.
The narrator drives home the emotional parts in a way the text doesn’t quite manage.
(It’s Fredrik Backman. Expect many and varied emotional parts.)
With a large cast like this, it’s a little bit like listening to a soap opera.

This novel was much better than A Man Called Ove for me. In this book, the protagonist fails to rob a bank but instead sets off a hostage situation. Everybody you know is struggling with something you have no idea about; that's how I'd put it. The robber's motivation for committing the crime is tragic. There were many times when I actually laughed out loud. Many pearls of knowledge can be found. There is also some mystery, with pieces of information about the characters being revealed gradually as you read. What happened to the bank robber, by the way?

This was a beautifully written book and my first read by Fredrik Backman. There was a whole cast of characters with different personalities and stories. They were all well developed, and I didn't feel like I had questions about the characters. There were so many moments in this book that I laughed out loud.

I'm looking forward to reading more of Fredrik Backman's books!

Backman is such a crafted writer and author, and I have thoroughly enjoyed his previous books, so I was excited to read his upcoming release, Anxious People.

Just as I’d hoped, the writing sweeps you up from the start, and I felt so connected to each character, as the reader gets glimpses into just exactly happened that New Years Eve day of the alleged hostage situation.

Little by little, the mystery opens up and you get to see how each person is connected, and I just loved this book. I was so curious to see how things would tie together, and once again I have found a new favorite from this author.

Fredrik does it again!! This book, like all of his others, is phenomenal. The characters are likeable and you are drawn into the story very easily. It's hard to find a book to compete with Ove, but this one gives it a run for it's money. Phenomenal writing from a phenomenal author.

This was an auto-approved title so I wasn't able to read this in the allotted time. I love Fredrik Backman's books and this one did not disappoint. The characters felt so real and the story just grips you from the beginning.

I will definitely be recommending this book to others, especially those who have read his other stories.

I really enjoyed reading this book at the end of 2020. It was easy to connect with the anxieties of the main characters and I found myself asking what I would do if I were in their shoes. Absolutely enjoyed this read from a well-beloved author.

I absolutely love this author!!! And this story did not disappoint! A nice variety of characters surrounding a heartfelt story!!! LOVE IT!!!

“We can't change the world, and a lot of the time we can't even change people. No more than one bit at a time. So we do what we can to help whenever we get the chance ... We save those we can. We do our best. Then we try to find a way to convince ourselves that that will just have to...be enough. So we can live with our failures without drowning.” - Fredrik Backman, Anxious People

When you tell yourself, “I’m just going to read a few pages before I take my youngest to school” …

And then end up reading the entire book in one day.

Yep, that's just about my experience with every Fredrik Backman book I read, and ANXIOUS PEOPLE was no exception.

Though it wasn’t Beartown, this story still stole my heart. The characters felt so real to me, and I especially gravitated toward Backman’s thoughts on parenting and marriage.

While a bank robbery and subsequent hostage situation (with quite the gaggle of hostages!) are the main events in this book, readers come to find (as they do with all Backman books) that this story is about so much more.

The yearning we have for connection, to be understood, to feel seen and good enough and accepted and loved as we are. And though we all experience loneliness and sadness, Backman also points out how our stories, our lives, our anxieties, our struggles, are so interconnected. This unlikely group found exactly what they needed in each other, and that is the beautiful way so many of Backman’s stories work.

The mental illness representation in this book is also so important, albeit it painful to read about. This book makes you think about your life, how it impacts others, and what it means to be human.

Like layers of an onion, you just keep discovering more as you read on, until the ending leaves you in a puddle of tears. And it's not just Backman's writing that gets you - it's also the incredible narration by @marinireland, who captures the characters and their emotions so beautifully.

Fredrik Backman will forever be an autobuy author for me, and this is exactly why ❤️ Though I'm late to the party on this book, I want to humbly thank @atriabooks and @arielestewart for my advanced reader e-copy (and apologize for the late read and review), @librofm for my advanced listener copy, and to @backmansk and @marinireland for your absolutely beautiful work on this book. Please don't ever stop writing, Mr. Backman. I absolutely cannot wait until October, when your next masterpiece hits shelves.