Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

148 reviews

liv_davis's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

I loved, loved, LOVED this book with my whole heart 🥹💕I love how Backman is able to tell a story with such layered characters that is funny yet heartbreaking yet hopeful yet sorrowful… and all of the things all at the same time. So many times I caught myself reading a line that either I had thought before or put words to something I’d experienced but didn’t know how to vocalize. And, of course, I sobbed at the end because I always do that when I read a Backman book. If you like Fredrik Backman, or are interested in/affected by mental health in any way, I highly recommend this book (I know not everyone likes his writing style but I love it!). Remember- you are not alone, you are loved, and you deserve to be here 💛

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcoholism

hmetwade's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Dementia, Addiction, Suicide, Death, Grief, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Sexism

theliteraryagenda's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Pregnancy, Dementia, Death, Suicide attempt, and Addiction

katstu1's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Self harm, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt

rachschmitz9's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

mahamsiddiqui's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Classism and Alcoholism

Minor: Infidelity

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death

beatriks's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

3.75

I'm glad I finished this book, although it took me so long! I really did not like the narrative structure with little reveals of who is who, it was very hard to read. At the same time, I like how all little stories end. And there are so many great sentences to be found in the book about life. 
This was my first book of Fredrik Backman and I'm intrigued. I'm wondering how the other books are structured. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Addiction and Death

Minor: Drug use and Alcoholism

megannash's review against another edition

emotional 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

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Domestic abuse and War

gmwells's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

TL;DR: THIS IS A TRULY AMAZING BOOK AND I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT AT LEAST ONCE! This is one of those books that I wish I could read for the first time again. 

I bought this book on a whim because I happened to see it for sale online when I was searching for course books on Convergent Journalism. It had been in my TBR list for a short time as I saw many readers on BookTok (or whatever you want to call it) recommending it. 

When I started reading it, it was honestly because I couldn’t continue to read one of the five other books that I had started — I had to start a new book instead. I had no idea what this book was about, simply that it had something to do with “anxious people” as the title suggested.

After I began reading it, I will admit that I had a slow start. I made it through maybe five rather short chapters before needing to take a break. I had no idea where the story was going to take me, and I suppose my brain didn’t quite like that idea. 

As I continued reading (over a period of a few months packed with other things like birthday parties and black belt ceremonies), I had a greater appreciation for the book. I started finishing more and more chapters each time I picked it back up until I read the entire final half of the book in two days. 

I cried three times while reading this book: once a little less than halfway thought, once about 50 pages from the end, and once while reading the entirety of the last 15 or so chapters. 

Something that every author should strive for is having characters with relatable personalities. More importantly, every author should give their readers the ability to see the world through a new lens. Backman does both and more in this book. 

He tells a story of love (of all kinds), of loss, and of the ripple effect that people have on one another’s lives. The characters’ paths are carefully woven together, and new secrets continue to be revealed in practically every chapter. 

One thing that I will say about a certain relationship near the end is that they (not revealing who; no spoilers) were a bit forced. They had a mild amount of chemistry between them, but it seemed to carry the same message of amatonormativity that I have seen many books drenched in. Thankfully, because Backman also focuses on other kinds of love more strongly throughout the whole book, he did not have this message of amatonormativity as heavily thrust on the reader as many other books do; however, it was there nonetheless. 

This book has attachment, relatability, and simplicity, and that’s all you really need to write a great book. Besides the slow start and the one small bit that I mentioned in the above paragraph, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I loved that I was kept on my toes right until the end, and that by that point I had unknowingly fallen in love with the characters so much that I couldn’t help but cry during the final pages. Backman’s writing style is one that I will forever appreciate and enjoy, and I look forward to reading more of his books in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Death, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cancer, Drug use, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity