Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors, and he hit this one out of the ballpark!

The premise: A bank robber (who isn’t really a bank robber) gets tangled up in an unplanned hostage situation (except their the worst hostages ever), and somehow goes missing, though the police officers (who happen to be father and son) never saw said bank robber emerge from the building once the hostages were freed.

Sounds like the perfect setup for a hilarious crime, but this story was so much more. Backman, whether he is aware of it or not, understands the true nature of people. His ability to portray the human condition through his characters is nothing short of perfection, and it continues to draw me into his books time and time again. And his stories never cease to throw my emotions through a loop; I laugh, I cry, and by the very end, my heart is ready to burst because it is so full. I cannot recommend this book enough!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3330488622

What a wonderful blending of misfits! I so enjoyed this book- a little bit of mystery added into the strangest of settings. Every character was delightful and the insights the author showed into each of them was most entertaining. I would certainly recommend this book.

Going into this one I didn't know what to expect. I purposefully didn't read the synopsis and I am actually glad I didn't. It allowed me to follow along the storyline and decide on my own what the premise was and what it had to do with the title.

I am not sure the last time I loved such a wide range of characters as much as I did in Anxious People. Each person had their own little faults which you come to love just like you may in real life with the people in you surround yourself with. There was cute banter, sadness, love, strength, secrets...everything you could think of really and I enjoyed every minute of it. I don't want to say more because I would rather the readers go in "blind" like I did.

"This book is dedicated to the voices in my head, the most remarkable of my friends. And to my wife, who lives with us." I mean...that's just the dedication page. And the author had me right from that sentence.

"This is a story about a bridge, and idiots, and a hostage drama, and an apartment viewing. But it is also a love story. Several, in fact." A book about idiots...that's how it begins. A book about love, is how it ends. And everything in between will grab you by the chest and not let go. It made me laugh. It made me cry. I love a book that confidently and definitively rips my emotions. And I'm at a bit of a loss on just how to describe it's impact because I'm afraid I won't do it justice.

This book is about anxiety and loneliness and feeling overwhelmed...
and "why you should always be nice to other people, even idiots, because you never know how heavy their burden is." Each character's background unfolds and reveals complexities and hidden pain that pulls at your heartstrings. Now that I think about it, I found a bit of "Dear Evan Hanson" in this story in quotes like these: "When you're drowning you can't call for help, you can't wave your arms, you just sink. Your family can be standing on the beach waving cheerfully to you, completely unaware that you're dying." "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." "You don't have to prove anything to anyone anymore. You're good enough."

And this is a story about hope.
"We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we're more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows."
"But when you get home this evening, when this day is over and the night takes us, allow yourself a deep breath. Because we made it through this day as well. There will be another one along tomorrow."

Besides it's ability to grab my emotions, it also did quite a nice job of being witty and surprising me. There were several times that I sat there and said, "wait, what just happened?!" Or when I thought one thing was happening and actually something else happens. An example...as the robber's identity is revealed, I was so surprised, I actually had to go back through the chapters to see how things were written and realize my own prejudiced views. I loved that!

I literally stopped reading this absolutely perfect book at one point because I didn't want it to end. It is my favorite book of 2020 and I feel I need read it again and again. I am in love.

"Some of us never manage to get the chaos under control, so our lives simply carry on, the world spinning through space at two million miles an hour while we bounce about on its surface like so many lost socks."

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

Yes. Yes. Yes. Read this book immediately. I laughed and I cried. It was the kind of book that I never wanted to end. And the quotes. This book has all the quotes. You'll be wanting some post-it flags to remember all the amazing lines that Freddie B has given us. You'll love the characters because, as Backman says, they're idiots....in the best possible sense of the word. They're infuriating and endearing. They're shallow and caring. They are the most amazing bunch of idiots you'll ever read about. This is a book that will stay with me for a lifetime.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars
I highly recommend this read!

There are times that a book will touch your soul, this was that book! Fredrik Backman has an amazing way of telling a story. I fell in love with his writing style when I read A Man Called Ove and each book after that has not disappointed!

Anxious People is about love and family, judgement and truth, assumptions and reality. I found myself assuming I knew what was going on, and then kicking myself when those assumptions proved to be false. Mr. Backman has an unique way of sneaking life lessons into a story and you find yourself better off for reading his books. I will not give away the plot of the story because I believe that the plot is different for each person. What resonates with me, might be different for the next person. That is why his books are so good!!
Definitely a 5⭐ book!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Fredrik Backman for this amazing eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A group of strangers gather the day before New Year’s Eve to view an apartment that is listed for sale. This diverse group suddenly find themselves in the middle of a hostage situation, when a wannabe bank robber panics and tries to hide from the authorities.

In a nutshell, this is the plot of Anxious People. But, holy cow, there is so much more to this book! Fredrik Backman has written a novel that is funny, emotional, dramatic, quirky, and unforgettable. There are various backstories that unfold throughout the book – the policemen who are called to the scene, the hostages themselves, and the bank robber. All of them are interesting people who are dealing with a number of different issues and concerns.

The story is so well-written, the characters are interesting and loveable, the plot is creative, with so much imagination, and the dialogue is pitch-perfect. Anxious People is a true gem and absolutely brilliant. It is one of my very favorite books for 2020.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This was my first Backman book and it definitely won't be the last.

Backman grabbed my attention immediately with this cast of characters who are just wanting to look at an apartment for sale but instead got a bit more than they bargained for from a bank robber. And what a set of characters these guys are!

I listened to the audio while also reading and I just fell in love with the people he brought to life. He didn't just make them fictional names in a book, he brought them to you soul. You can see their mannerisms and their personalities. You felt all of their emotions as they talked about their issues with complete strangers. Your heart hurt when you hear about one of them getting their kids possibly taken away cause their ex is a douche. You fall in love with the little old lady and her endlessly forgiving heart. I laughed out loud and I cried. What an amazing read.

This book makes you feel all the things and then some. Definitely put this at the top of your TBR.

“𝑾𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”

Anxious People pure joy from start to finish. Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. No one in the apartment is entirely who they appear to be, and they all crave a sort of rescue and connection that only this situation can bring. I loved the premise of this story, and reading it on the day before New Year’s Eve (the same as the main story) was a fun link. Each chapter unravels layers about the characters and their connections to one another, reminding me a bit of the movies New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day, where characters are linked. New revelations kept coming at the end of every chapter, and in that sense, I felt like I was reading a thriller - there were twists that pushed the narratives forward and a mystery to unravel. I also greatly appreciated the humour that the narrator and the characters brought - I laughed at many parts. Most of all, Anxious People is a story about connection, and that we all have a story, with things we have gone through. It reminded me of the quote: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” Anxious People was just what I needed to end 2020: a humorous and compassionate story of connection, friendship, forgiveness and hope.

“𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕. 𝑾𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘.”

While Ove has been one of my favorite characters, I can’t always say that I connect with Backman’s work the way that many of my readers do. This novel was one that really grew on me and I wasn’t sure what to think most of my way through it.

Readers advised though that the audiobook was super enjoyable and I read the printed version so I do want to share that this appears to be the best format for connection.

An apartment open house becomes the site of a failed bank robbery and this is where a group of strangers are being held hostage. This unlikely group of misfits all come with their own sets of baggage and find themselves trapped together where stories begin to flow and connections are made.

Backman finds seemingly loose strings and manages to bring these characters together in surprising ways.

The story is told through alternating perspectives that can feel disjointed, but somehow add some magic to the story.

This was voted as a favorite by our book club members and will be featured as a 2021 MomAdvice Book Club selection. I plan to reread this one in the audio format to see if that really does add the needed connection to this story.

When a potential bank robber makes the mistake of robbing a cashless bank, she runs out of the bank looking for a place to hide herself. She finds an open door into an apartment building that is having an open house. The bank robber holds her gun up after getting entering the apartment to make the. hostages know. Wo is in charge. The police are called and surround the building. After some time, the hostages are freed. When the police go to the apartment, they can’t find the bank robber. The police are puzzled as to where she went. Is she pretending to be a hostage?

A literary novel that introduces each person with their hidden secret. One sees how each person is truly human in spite of what they think about themselves. It shows how often we end up thinking that letting anyone know what or who they really are is normal even though the hostages at times seem like idiots. The novel is a comedy,, mystery and heartache. It’s a different type of book than I usually read, but much to my surprise I ended up enjoying thee book,

The story starts off with a bank robbery at an apartment showing but was it really a bank robbery if nothing was taken and everyone seems to not know exactly what happened? Or are they saying they don’t know? Meanwhile, two police officers, who also happen to be father and son, interrogate all the witnesses but it sure does take the two a lot of effort to get no answers.

This novel is about fate and how small actions can lead to chain reactions. Through the course of the time they are held hostage, our witnesses will comfort one another but also have some frank conversations about their lives. There was some humor and a lot of humanity so why was this not a favorite of mine? I think I wanted to get to the crux of the matter but the author was going to take his time taking us there. I hope to read another book by this author and hopefully my next read will be much more in line with what I was expecting.

I enjoyed this book so much! I think it is the best book I have read in 2020. I recommend this book to all of the patrons in the library.

This book is more complex, charming, and quirky than the description implied, but to say more would spoil it.

Clearly, I'm an outlier but this book wasn't for me. I would've dnfed it if I hadn't been reading for book club. I'll preface this by saying I don't think Backman is an author I should try reading anymore. I loved Beartown, felt lukewarm about Us Against You, hated My Grandmother said to tell you she's sorry and dnfed A Man called Ove. This was a story about a bank robbery that wasn't really about a bank robbery and that was true and it was about a bunch of idiots and that was definitely true as they all got on my nerves including the 2 police officers who seemed like they had no clue. While I understood the author's point of making observations about human behavior, anxiety, and how much of a struggle it can be for some people every single day, the writing felt so over the top and like he was trying on every page to be witty or whimsical and to me it felt very overdone. I appreciated how he tied the very thin threads together at the end but I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the people.

Anxious People was one of the best books of the year. Fredrik Backman is such an amazing writer. I miss the characters from the apartment as they were all so well created and defined.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

We don’t have a plan we just do our best to get through another day.
One single really bad idea is all it takes.


This book uniquely weaves the story of several individuals who find themselves in a "potential" hostage situation while attending an Open House for an apartment in Stockholm. There was a failed bank robbery next door where the desperate criminal doesn't realize is a "cash-less" bank and stumbles into the Open House in an attempt to escape the police. Things begin to go sideways when the robber realizes the current unplanned situation as the people present see the gun and assume they are being held hostage.

Alternatively, the police arrive to find an empty apartment and all "hostages" released for questioning at the police station. Jack is a young ambitious officer who works with his officer father Jim in their small town. They have a story which is told parallel to the missing robber case they are in pursuit of solving. The police interviews with the "hostages" are amusing but frustrating for the Jack as the statements digress into unrelated issues. Oddly, the hostages shared personal stories and antidotes while sequestered in the apartment. The unlikely group discover they share more in common than initially thought.

The use of witty quirky humor pads the gravity of the story which addresses how as much as people are different they are more alike than they realize. All lives are interconnected in one way or another and may not be obvious. All people share the experience of feeling anxious at some point in their life. The key point is how you manage to cope with those feelings. In moments of despair and desperation sometimes people make "stupid" decisions like robbing a cash less bank making suicide seem like the only option left. Feelings are universal and no one is truly alone and support can come from unlikely places.

https://www.edelweiss.plus/?sku=1501160834&g=4400

https://pin.it/71UwQ3B

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/861255980

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJOtB1sgt1Y/?igshid=w5lmoi45qryl

https://bookwormreviewblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/anxious-people-by-fredrik-backman.html

This book, as is true for all of Backman’s novels, features an array of equally awkward and charming characters who find themselves in curious circumstances. In this case, there’s an almost-robbery followed by an inadvertent hostage situations. Of course, what follows is both hilarious and poignant. Can you solve the mystery before all is revealed? I loved the inclusion of a lesbian couple, and the challenge to our perception of gender norms. This would make a fun book club read!

One of the best reads of the year! I was afraid this one wasn't going to live up to the hype, but it was so good. The characters were interesting, the language was fun and quirky, and the story read quickly with the multiple POVs. I haven't read anything else by Backman, but he is now on my list. Highly recommended!

Anxious People is the seventh Fredrik Backman book I have read. Some have left lasting impressions. Some I have enjoyed and let go. This one was iffy for a bit to the point that I almost put it down. I am glad I did not for in the end, it leaves me with a memory of the characters and a smile on my face as most of his other books have.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/12/anxious-people.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.