A review by rosebudd25
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful lighthearted tense 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

Incredible when reading My Grandmother told me to tell you she's sorry I had no idea this book was around and I'm so glad I picked it up! While each book can act as a standalone and/or be read in any order, I found so much more enjoyment reading this book having the context of the aforementioned title. Britt-Marie was an incredibly real character with vivid and realistic traumas, experiences and struggles of OCD. Unfolding her story was fascinating to me. The formatting of the narrative follows the classic Backman format in a way that feels comforting without being cliche. Having now read a handful of Backmans work this year I am quite familiar with his writing stuly and it is remarkable every time. He manages to open a window to the real, complex and painful lives of ordinary people and put you in their shoes. I loved all of the people of Borg, found myself laughing, sobbing & at the edge of my seat alongside them the entire time. The sports aspect fit so seamlessly in a way that as a non sports lover I came to enjoy. This book quite literally made me grab a box of bicarbonate of soda and some window cleaner and write out my lists in ink. Backman has yet to write a book that hasn't landed in my personal hall of fame.