A review by thebakerbookworm
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

emotional inspiring 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

4.0

For some reason, it took me forever to get around to reading this book, but I'm so glad I finally did! Heartwarming, endearing, lovable, quirky—these all describe A Man Called Ove. It's the found-family trope but instead of a group of teenagers in a magical world, it's a group of neighbors in everyday life, dealing with average problems.

The timeline jumps around a bit as we slowly learn about the different characters, and Ove himself and his past. It's definitely more character driven than plot driven, but the plot still moves along nicely to keep you interested. Nothing was really unexpected, even the ending that made me tear up, but it was still an enjoyable read. I don't think it was supposed to be unexpected; it's just showing how people can be there for each other in different beautiful ways.

I didn't like this one quite as much as Anxious People, but that's more just because I loved Anxious People so much. I think if I was a cat person I would have liked this one more...the one dog in the story is not very nice :( I'm still hoping to read through Backman's backlist—I think it's time to try Beartown!
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