I went into this blindly...and quickly fell in love.
Synopsis: An apartment showing goes horribly wrong when eight very different people end up being held hostage by a failed bank robber. Story is told through multiple timelines: the hostage, police interviews after the robber disappears into thin-air, and post hostage when we follow up with the characters and where they are now.
Plot: This was interesting from the jump. Not only a unique storyline but written in a really intriguing and page-turning way. I was immediately grabbed and my attention held the whole time as I QUICKLY finished this book. It's clear how much thought and planning went into this story because of how intricately and incredibly the plotlines were woven together, which I love to see. Backman has so much creativity as the story kept revealing itself with twists akin to a thriller, becoming clear just how complex and well done it was. There were layers of humor and whimsy while also reminders to be kind and compassionate to people – without being preachy. A story about individuals and the struggles in life; uplifting, heartwarming, and very funny.
Characters: The theme of this book is well-throughout because the characters were fantastic too and connected in ways I would have never guessed. Each individual was complex, multifaceted and genuine, and I appreciated each one. The whole book is a great character study of people and human nature. I loved reading about each and every one of them and having all of these intense personalities in one room feeding off of one another held incredible addictive energy.
I need to read more of his backlist, immediately.
4/5 stars.
tw: suicide.
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