Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fredrik Backman has done it again. You know that saying about being kind because everyone is fighting an invisible battle we know nothing about? It’s like this book took that phrase and turned it into a really awesome, really detailed and in depth story.

This book made me feel so much compassion and sympathy for each character. There were moments that made me literally laugh out loud, moments that got a little too real, and moments that gave me a little hope in the human race. There was definitely a lot of suspense building that had me turning the pages, needing to know what happened, what’s the rest of the story that something just set up and dangled in front of me.

This is a story of community, of a bank robbery, of a hostage situation. Of a group of people brought together in such an innocuous circumstance and things taking an unexpected turn with unexpected results and consequences. And maybe even a love story.

Read it!

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Publisher: Atria Books
Date Published: September 8, 2020
Page Count: 352

Publisher Description

This is a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.