Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

71 reviews

micaelamariem's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a phenomenal read.
I’ve always been a fan of the sentimental so this book struck a chord with me. It evokes all the feelings, from laughter to tears. While the book is about a bank robbery gone wrong, it’s really about the people involved in this hostage scene and about people in general. Looking into each person’s mind and heart, Backman makes a point on how messy life is and how idiotic we all can be, and calls us as readers to have empathy for our fellow humans. 
I also enjoyed the drama of it all, though. For two thirds of the book I really wasn’t sure who the bank robber was and if they’d catch them or what was going to happen. I liked the plot twists told through a nonlinear timeline that kept me reading beyond the sentimental parts and the idiotic humorous parts. 
Overall, a fantastic beautiful read and a reminder that we’re all going through something, but it gets a little better if we have each other’s backs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Infidelity, Classism, Blood, and Pregnancy

drpeeper's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Blood, Addiction, Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, and Alcohol

anna_quinoa's review against another edition

i got through 20% of the book and it did not capture me. the writing is a little simple and flat, and i didn't find myself caring about the characters much. 

a ton of of people enjoy this book, so im not trying to hate on it lol. Id say if you need complex and realistic characters in order to care about a book, this is not for you. 

if you like fun dialogue and mystery, give this a try!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Blood

sring42's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Grief, Death, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

filippaf's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Stalking, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

scantykelp's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Addiction, Suicide, and Blood

lynds_13's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A million stars for this book. I can’t say enough good things. The plot is wonderful. The characters are lovable, challenging, flawed, so real you just can feel them coming off the page. The story is hilarious. I was crying and laughing throughout the entire book. The way the author writes is so engrossing it’s like he’s just talking to you. I couldn’t put this book down and can’t wait to add this to my collection. I don’t buy many books and feel this is one I need on my shelf forever. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infidelity, Blood, and Gun violence

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Anxious People is a story about a bank robbery. No, it’s a hostage drama. No, it’s about a bridge. No, wait, a rabbit? No… No. It’s a story about idiots. 

In truth, Anxious People is about desperation, grief, mental health, greed, the housing market, purpose, loneliness, parenting, marriage, hope, connection, love, Stockholm… It’s a fascinating exploration into being human. 

It’s also part mystery that will keep you hooked until the very end! When I tell you I could not put this book down, I mean it.  HOOKED. It had me in an absolute fucking chokehold all the way through. I gasped, I screamed, at one point I closed the book and beat it against my couch because I was so mad that I missed something so obvious… lol It also has so much heart, and such endearing (and frustrating and hilarious and idiotic) characters. I wiped away lone tears, I laughed out loud, snorted, and fully broke down sobbing…. several times… just within the last 25 pages. 🥲

No one can craft a story like Fredrik Backman. No one captures the messy magic of humans like him. No one else can weave so many seemly disconnected stories together into an absolute masterpiece, and tie them all together flawlessly. 

I didn’t think it was possible, but Anxious People has unseated My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry as my favorite book. Backman remains my favorite author for a reason. The man is undefeated. 

A quote on the back from USA Today sums up Anxious People perfectly: “Hits the sweet spot between profoundly insightful and preposterously funny… I hugged this book tightly with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Classism, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Alcohol, Dementia, Death of parent, and Sexism

fantaiil's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fredrik Bakmann is and will always be my favourite author. And this is his best one yet (in my opinion).
I love his words, his characters and how he makes me cry while talking about humans and their inability of saying, what they want to say.

This book is about love, despair, kids, dumb choices, pizza, love, marriage, kids and their parents, money, capitalism, love and a bridge. It's about the connection between people and the irrational things we do, when we feel emotions that are to big to describe.

Backman is a magician. A magician of words and sentences and making one feel and cry and laugh and feel once again.

I wish, I could buy this book a thousand times and gift it to everyone I know.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Self harm, Murder, Blood, Violence, Grief, Addiction, and Abandonment

Minor: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Gun violence

kayleejanes's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Addiction, Pregnancy, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, and Suicide attempt