A quirky yet satisfying story about having faith in humanity. Or perhaps it's a story about a bank robbery, but was a crime really committed. A story about a group of hostages viewing an apartment listing. A story about love. Or was it just a story about idiots. Afterall don't we all make the wrong decision at some point in our life for all the right reasons. Yeah, I know that was kinda all over the place. I never knew where Fredrik was leading me, but I was all in for the journey. Even though I was spinning in circles reading this everything came together so beautifully in the end.

Fredrick Backman is tied for my favourite author with Taylor Jenkins Reid. I've read everything he's written (that's been translated) and constantly recommend his books to anyone who enjoys hard-hitting contemporaries. His writing will always make me cry. So naturally, I was excited to see that he had a new book getting released this year, Anxious People. I instantly put it on my TBR, but I was surprised when reading the premise for his newest release as it seemed to differ from his usual plot-lines.

I'm silly for thinking that this novel wouldn't be one of the most heartfelt books I've ever read. There's something special that Backman manages to always achieve, and that's the way he writes about humanity. I never leave one of his stories without a warmed heart and an urge to hug somebody. In Anxious People I'd definitely say that some of the characters mirrored characters from Backman's previous novels, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but something to be noted nonetheless.

Each individual in the apartment has their time to shine, and that's quite an achievement for a book under 400 pages. The robber is in trouble of losing their children and is in desperate need of money to pay the rent, so, not your traditional criminal. There's a queer couple Julia and Ro, who are expecting their first child together, but are also faced with the fears of any first-time parents. Roger and Anne-Lena, a retired couple who go around flipping properties, but are having some marital problems. Estelle, an elderly woman who was just waiting for her husband to bring around the car when she got caught up in this hostage situation. There's a man in his boxers wearing a rabbit head. Yup, you read that correctly. There's a quirky real estate agent who is desperate to make a sale. And lastly, there's Zara. A rich lonely woman who goes to apartment viewing to feel something.

Zara's story really sealed this book into a 5 star rating for me. I found her to be so complex, flawed, and yet inspiring. As this book plays a lot with time, we're lucky enough to read from Zara's POV quite a bit and her therapy sessions were the highlight of the book for me. I couldn't help but painfully relate to her voice, and isn't that what we always want out of a story like this?

All in all, this is an original book that really takes you all over the place but lands you under what feels like a fluffy blanket. The writing plays you, the reader, but never seems to be purposely confusing. Instead it's like the softest touching mystery you will ever read. If you've read anything by Backman before, or enjoy contemporaries that tattoo themselves onto your heart, pick this book up immediately.

Side-note: Anxious People often discusses suicide, so if that's something that is triggering to you, go in with absolute caution.

Fredrik Backman has a very unique writing style (in my opinion) and that did not change with his new release "Anxious People." This being said, I think Backman utilizes this writing style along with a third person perspective to really advance the narrative being told. I did not predict the twists and turns, and more so I was caught red-handed in my own assumptions as I read through the story.

The part of this story that I appreciated the most was Backman's insight into anxiety and how different individuals will have different triggers. Every character seemingly had their own unique worry situated to their life and background, and I found it easier to connect with some characters over others because of that.

My critiques include the non-linear plot that I occasionally had trouble following, a hope for even *more* drama, and the ending that seemed to stretch on, however the ending really does allow you to come full circle. Overall though, this novel is divine. Seeing all the hidden connections between the characters at the end made me really happy, and I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Instagram review included in links!

This books was so so good. It had so many lines about life that I highlighted and underlined. It was so amazing how it went into each persons life and how they tied into each other and each other’s challenges in life. This book is so meaningful as it shows how we are all good and bad and all just trying to get by and do our best. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced Readers copy.

Fredrik Backman’s unique talent of writing combined with his understanding of what makes people tick – pain, love, connection, and anxiety are on full display in this book: ‘Anxious People.’

The enjoyment is the story told in the form of a puzzle or perhaps a light mystery and presented as “Dinner Theater” maybe. I feel as though the characters are on stage and I am watching them perform, but in the best possible way. Fredrick calls them all ‘idiots,’ but I believe he might mean they are just ‘average,’ people who just try to get by in life, doing the best they can.

What turns out to be a comedy of errors: A viewing of an apartment for sale, on the day before New Year’s Eve, puts a small group of people into minor chaos but results in them learning more about themselves and their relationships than they have in the last ten years.

Backman likes to make us think while he is telling us exactly what is going on. It is comparable to, “hiding in plain sight.” You are listening, or reading, but you are not quite sure you understand what he just told you. It will all make sense a few sentences or paragraphs later, not to worry.

Our group is a mixed assortment: two couples, one older married a long time, one younger and expecting their first child; will both learn they really do love each other but show it in different ways. The single people all have a story behind too, of course. One is old and lonely, another is single, working and quite capable; yet another is getting divorced and has two young children, barely making ends meet. Our two policemen, father, and son carry some baggage too. Over the course of an exceedingly long day they all learn valuable lessons, meet interesting people, and realize the future can be bright.

Now do not get the wrong idea, this is not some cozy rom-com. We start out with a bank-robber who runs into an apartment building smack into an open-house for an apartment for sale, with a roomful of people that become hostages. The bank-robber is wearing a ski-mask and wielding a pistol, so everyone pays attention. You should too, it is going to be a long day, but well-worth your time.

Definitely one of Fredrik Backman’s BEST!


Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books, and Fredrik Backman

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman hit me right in the part of me that I never want to discuss, the part that I don't even know how to discuss. He knows how we feel at our lowest moments, during our biggest and smallest times of disappointment, grief, and feelings of despair. Yet, rather than bringing me down, he lightens my heart because we aren't alone in these feelings. There is humor in how we feel and there is hope in low times. This book made me laugh and I loved it. 

So now, watch me call all of us idiots because Backman makes such good points about the subject. We aren't alone in our idiot-ness, though. That could be beside the point or it could be THE point . Things happen, mistakes are made, but sometimes we can do things that alter the path of those mistakes before they become so destructive that we can't pull back from the black hole we are facing. 

There is a very reluctant bank robber-to-be and when attempting to rob a bank, the bank robber makes the biggest mistake a bank robber can make. So the failed bank robber runs and accidently takes an apartment of people hostage. The now hostage taker is having a very bad day, worse than the bad day they were having before they tried to rob a bank. And the hostages! The hostages are the worst! What is wrong with these people! 

We learn more about the hostage taker and the hostages and I loved it all. The two police officers, who later try to question the former hostages, are at their wits ends. The former hostages won't answer questions, they talk in circles, they ask their own very unhelpful questions, it's obvious that they are idiots and the police officers feel like they are idiots, too. How can so much go wrong and where is the bank robber/hostage taker? How did they escape from a closed area, with only one guarded exit. Just what is going on?

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I think I have a serious love / hate relationship with Mr. Backman and his books. I love / hate how slow and detailed and strung out they are at the beginning. It is like exquisite torture wanting the story to go faster but knowing I need to savor each bit at the same time. And at some point along the way, as the various pieces all start fitting together, that feeling goes away and the reader settles in for solid enjoyment. In this story, Mr. Backman even plays a few tricks on his readers and characters aren't quite what they seem. As in his previous books, he reminds you that everyone is in someway a bit related and we all need to show each other grace. A great book to read right now. Other than that, plan on craving pizza. I warned you!

Get your tissues ready, it's time for Fredrik Backman's new book! I

f you have read some of Backman's other books, you pretty much know the format. It starts with an unlikeable character. They have quirky adventures and then we magically end up loving said curmudgeon in the end. Why is this one so good? It has LOTS of unlikeable characters! ....And a monkey, a frog, a rabbit and a horse or a giraffe or maybe an elk... Backman has a wonderful way of weaving together several off-beat storylines into one cohesive narrative.

I would put "Anxious People" just below "A Man Called Ove" as my favorite Backman book. All of them are worth reading, however.

WOW. WOW. WOW!!!! I absolutely LOVED this book! Such a unique book that I will remember for a long time. Thanks for making me smile, laugh, cry and think about the relationships in our lives.

We’re all idiots… idiots trying to navigate life, trying to answer all the questions that fill our mind every day, trying to do it all alone, or some things alone, searching for purpose. That’s what this story is about, but then maybe it’s not, maybe not for you, for you it could have a completely different meaning.
.
Backman, writes so uniquely, so fluidly; but yet sews so many uneven lines, that you want to rip everything apart and start over, but then he makes you realize that that’s just the way it’s suppose to be, not perfect, not seamless; but I could be talking about life and not the book. I might have used this expression before but THIS book is masterfully crafted, interweaving the lives of people, making you realize just how connected we all are; how humanity can change us.
.
The story, or rather stories, that unfold around 8 strangers in a room, being held hostage, are humorous, heartfelt, and occasionally idiotic…it felt more human than anything I’ve read in a long time. If only one of their stories hits home for you that will be enough reason to have read this book, but it won’t be just one. Trust me.
.
I’m left thinking how all of our decisions that we make result in more decisions. But a lot of times we don’t realize how each our own decisions create a domino effect of decisions made by other people. But we don’t always have to make all of the decisions on our own, we don’t always have to make the right choice, we can make mistakes, we can cry, we can laugh out loud to our own jokes, and we can listen to music at the highest volume possible.
.
But most of all we need to LIVE, because even if tomorrow is going to hell, we can still plant an apple tree today.

Backman brings real life to the pages yet again with Anxious People. We are so much more than our pasts and our mistakes. We are but people trying to do the best we can. Never forget that tomorrow is another day and another opportunity.

I think if you were a fan of Ove you will adore this story and it’s group of “idiots”. They will work their way into your hearts and leave you clutching your heart.

I really adored this reading experience. It’s one I will treasure for a long time.

THIS BOOK IS EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING.

I can’t describe it in a way to really do it justice but it is a non-linear story about a bank robbery gone wrong resulting in an accidental hostage situation. But it isn’t really about that at all. It is really the story of people who may have done some absurd, idiotic things but when they are thrown together, all of their sensitivities, kindness, strength, resilience and empathy become so apparent. It is heartbreaking and yet also so incredibly heartwarming. It has a sarcastic, snarky bite that had me laughing out loud more times than I could count. And in the middle of laughing, it had so many thought provoking, heart wrenching moments that brought tears to my eyes. The connection between the well-developed and lovable characters gave me all the feels. And the way it all tied together was absolutely brilliant and I have never read anything like it in my life. All the stars for this incredible book. Hands down one of my favorite books of 2020.

I received this book free from the publisher, Atria, in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is my first book by Fredrik Backman to finish. I tried Beartown, but I found it too triggering for me to finish. Anxious People has more humor than Beartown, but it can still be quite triggering to some readers. The subject of suicide is a mean theme in this story. There is much more to the book, but the suicide content comes up often. I did think that Backman handled this subject very well. The humor in the book never included suicide, so he never made light of a very difficult subject. I appreciated that, and from what I have heard from Backman fans, he writes about mental health and specifically suicide often.

If you are easily triggered by content surrounding suicide and suicide ideation, this might not be the book for you. I do think the subject was important to the story and not just an unnecessary plot device. This is a story about how strangers can become like family and what unknowns tie strangers together.

Triggers:
Suicide
Addiction

Fredrik Backman has a special way of connecting the reader with his characters. This book was certainly more lighthearted than many of his others and had me laughing frequently, but he still brings the emotional punch as well. You cannot help but root for this wacky crew because they are all so endearing!

I loved the way this book was written. Every time I thought I had an idea of what was going on, something shifted! The plot kept me on my toes. I loved how at the start of the novel a lot of the characters came off as very unlikeable but as the book progressed we learned more about each of them and by the end I was rooting for them all. This was my first Fredrik Backman book and I'm definitely interested in reading more!
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

My favorite book of 2020!! I’m so grateful to Frederik Backman for this entertaining & inspiring story. I laughed, cried once, & gained more empathy for those around me. What an incredible journey! I was on the edge of my seat with every chapter. I devoured it in a day & didn’t want it to end.

Anxious People was hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. I didn't know what to expect while reading this book. During all of the funny moments, there was a mystery unfolding. A bank robber goes to rob a bank only to find out it was a cashless bank. The bank robber panics after the police are called and runs into an apartment showing and holds the people hostage.

This is where the story really begins to unfold. This story was about so much more than a bank robbery. There is a cast of characters we are forced together into a strange hostage situation. They order pizza, fireworks and development a strange comradery I found oddly endearing.

The author wove a story so interconnected and peppered many surprises throughout I didn't see coming. It did get a bit long-winded towards the end but would still make for a good book for any book club.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“The truth is that this was a story about many different things, but most of all about idiots. Because we’re doing the best we can, we really are.”

I LOVED this book. LOVED it. I couldn’t stop reading but also wanted to let each piece just marinate in my head before continuing. I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never read a Fredrik Backman book- although very familiar with all of his titles. I’m so glad I now know of his magic. The way he writes as if he’s talking to your soul while simultaneously telling stories is unreal.

The title alone made me select this book. I’m anxious- who isn’t? I didn’t know anything about it which maybe made it that much better. I don’t want to spoil it for future readers but you’ll fall in love with the characters, the twists, the connected stories, the real ness of it all. I’m so sad to have finished because I’ve become attached to these characters. I’m recommending this to everyone I know- it spans all interests. Well done!

Fredrick Backman delivers again a novel full of quirky characters and profound human connection. It is hilarious, thoughtful, complex, heartbreaking and heart-warming at the same time. The story follows 9 people in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My favorite character Zara, the quick-witted banker with a distaste for just about everything comes off shallow but proves to be one with the most depth. She is the thread that holds the whole story together so keep your eye on her. Estelle is another favorite, in all her years of wisdom at 87 finds joy spending time in the company of strangers and is oddly comfortable taking care of them.
The father/son police duo were sweet but inexperienced; they actually googled "what to do in a hostage situation" at one point. The police interviews were particularly comical as the police try to find out what exactly happened and the hostages refuse to give any straight answers. Frustration and hilarity ensue as insults fly and confusion sets in.
It is an amazing thing to read a book that hits all of these feelings: sadness, distrust, grief, joy, hope, inadequacy, anxiety, and finally and most importantly, LOVE. Backman fans will not be disappointed.
TW: suicide

We all make bad choices sometimes. This one just happens to be idiotic. A bank robber decides to rob a cashless bank, which the bank robber did not know was a thing. When this fails, the bank robber runs out of the bank, immediately runs into what the bank robber assumes is a police officer, and then runs into a building where an apartment is being show. The apartment only has one exit. In this way, a bad decision leads to a "hostage situation". None of the people in the apartment are telling the entire truth. Even the policemen are not telling the whole truth. This book is full of shocks and strange coincidences. I can't wait for Backman's next book!