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le_gushka's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
allyordyna's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Such a brilliant book: funny, full of twists, ridiculous, and deeply moving, with some seriously relatable truths about being human.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
brittishliterature's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.5
This book. Wow, this was my first Fredrik Backman, and I’m in love. This story was incredibly kind, full of heart and wisdom, and filled with such relatable, human characters.
The little plot twists here and there, the way that Backman left me guessing—at times I thought I knew what was going on and then it all continued to evolve into one big, beautifully crafted, interwoven tale. The ending had me sobbing.
And Marin Ireland was a superb narrator 🤌🏼 Listening along made for such a delightful experience and really added to the personality of the characters. Looking forward to checking out the Netflix adaptation as well!
I loved this book so much 🥺❤️
The little plot twists here and there, the way that Backman left me guessing—at times I thought I knew what was going on and then it all continued to evolve into one big, beautifully crafted, interwoven tale. The ending had me sobbing.
And Marin Ireland was a superb narrator 🤌🏼 Listening along made for such a delightful experience and really added to the personality of the characters. Looking forward to checking out the Netflix adaptation as well!
I loved this book so much 🥺❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
novel_nicola's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.0
I was sceptical when I first started reading this book as I’m not usually a fan of jumping around perspectives/timelines. But once I knew what was going on and got into the rhythm of things, this book was hard to put down. Backman has the special ability to write ordinary people as interesting, unique and instrumental to the stories he tells. He takes care to meticulously craft witty commentary on society and all its vices beneath the quirks of these everyday heroes. You won’t find a high stakes bank robbery thriller here, but you will find a colourful cast of misfits that you’ll hate to love, or love to hate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
ducklucy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
Best book I ever read. It writes down many ideas I never really put into words, it brings up interesting topics. I cried and laughed a lot. There are so many sentences that hit you right in the gut.
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
emiporte's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Minor: Pregnancy
jennabarry3's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Toxic relationship
sarahmarie094's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
UGH! I started this book in September of 2021 after choosing it as one of my Book of the Month selections based on the mad hype surrounding the book. I put it down after a few weeks of attempting to get past the first few (very short) chapters. I was not drawn to this book At. All. I let it sit and simmer until now (January of 2022) because I found out there was a Netflix show made based on it, the hype hadn't died, and I was able to start over again using an audiobook copy (I've found that different formats sometimes help me).
Well, I finally finished listening to the audiobook today, so here are my conclusions. First, this book doesn't deserve the hype. There. I said it. Throw me off the book-reading island. It's fine. I'll drown in the sea of rabid, human-starved bookmarks. Next, I feel like some things were either lost in translation from Swedish to English, or I just don't have a very Swedish sense of humor. I felt like there were far too many halfway sarcastic "dad jokes" that didn't land with me. That's ok, humor is different for everyone. Third, WHY are there SO MANY CHARACTERS? I like reading books where there are characters that connect in the end, but having so many characters that they could literally fill an entire apartment building with separate characters is just over the top. Lastly, the peak was too soon. The identity of the bank robber is revealed just over halfway through the book, and the rest of the book is tying up the loose ends of how all the characters are connected. While some falling action/closing/resolution is needed, it doesn't need to make up 40% of the book.
Overall, a generous 2/5 stars. Not sure I'd read another book by this author.
Well, I finally finished listening to the audiobook today, so here are my conclusions. First, this book doesn't deserve the hype. There. I said it. Throw me off the book-reading island. It's fine. I'll drown in the sea of rabid, human-starved bookmarks. Next, I feel like some things were either lost in translation from Swedish to English, or I just don't have a very Swedish sense of humor. I felt like there were far too many halfway sarcastic "dad jokes" that didn't land with me. That's ok, humor is different for everyone. Third, WHY are there SO MANY CHARACTERS? I like reading books where there are characters that connect in the end, but having so many characters that they could literally fill an entire apartment building with separate characters is just over the top. Lastly, the peak was too soon. The identity of the bank robber is revealed just over halfway through the book, and the rest of the book is tying up the loose ends of how all the characters are connected. While some falling action/closing/resolution is needed, it doesn't need to make up 40% of the book.
Overall, a generous 2/5 stars. Not sure I'd read another book by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia
mitrabird2010's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
my_corner_of_the_library's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Fredrik Backman always delivers....and this one blew me out of the water.
Every single character in this book was unique and special with a backstory that was completely their own. The fact that you barely needed to be told who was talking to identify who was speaking because their voices were all so distinct tells you just how masterfully these characters were developed. And yet...despite the fact that they were all so...themselves, I felt like I had a connection with each of them. I could identify people I knew in each character and see myself in each of them, as well.
As for the plot...I felt like I was taken on a ride. Just like anyone, when there is a mystery in a book I constantly look for hints to try and figure out the "big twist", and in this book every time I would think I had it nailed down Backman would show me that the only reason I thought that is because he lead me there on purpose. As soon as I was 100% convinced of my theory he would turn it around and tell me, "Nope! Try again." Only to find out that the things I was so focused on didn't really matter...in a beautiful way.
When it comes to the writing, I cannot express how moved I was. Backman has a way of mixing simple, straight to the point sentences with beautifully expressed sentiments that had me rethinking so many of my own feelings and also made me feel seen and validated in those feelings. If I was highlighting all the quotes that struck me hard in this book there would be entire chapters highlighted.
Solid 5/5
Every single character in this book was unique and special with a backstory that was completely their own. The fact that you barely needed to be told who was talking to identify who was speaking because their voices were all so distinct tells you just how masterfully these characters were developed. And yet...despite the fact that they were all so...themselves, I felt like I had a connection with each of them. I could identify people I knew in each character and see myself in each of them, as well.
As for the plot...I felt like I was taken on a ride. Just like anyone, when there is a mystery in a book I constantly look for hints to try and figure out the "big twist", and in this book every time I would think I had it nailed down Backman would show me that the only reason I thought that is because he lead me there on purpose. As soon as I was 100% convinced of my theory he would turn it around and tell me, "Nope! Try again." Only to find out that the things I was so focused on didn't really matter...in a beautiful way.
When it comes to the writing, I cannot express how moved I was. Backman has a way of mixing simple, straight to the point sentences with beautifully expressed sentiments that had me rethinking so many of my own feelings and also made me feel seen and validated in those feelings. If I was highlighting all the quotes that struck me hard in this book there would be entire chapters highlighted.
Solid 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Infertility, and Pregnancy