It's a story about idiots. A bridge, a bank robbery that wasn't really a robbery, and a hostage situation with the worst hostages that results in the disappearance of the criminal. And it is awesome.

I love everything that Fredrik Backman puts to paper. This book was excellent and might be a tie with Beartown for my favorite of his works. The writing in this book is nothing short of magnificent. Seriously...it's just brilliant. There is a fantastic mix of humor and realism, with a touch of sarcasm. It's blunt and to the point. I laughed throughout my read, but also rode the rollercoaster of human emotions. In true Backman fashion, he manages to capture humanity so freaking well. I just loved this so much.

The character work in this novel is the best. There is a pile of characters, but it wasn't hard at all to remember who was who because Backman makes them all so distinct, unique, and memorable. There were characters who I loved, there were ones I disliked as human beings, and there were a few who made me want to rip my hair out. The whole experience was incredibly introspective and very emotional, dissecting and evaluating the ways we interact and influence one another. Gah. It's just one of those hand to heart books.

Beautiful, sarcastic, quippy, and smart. A trainwreck of people and situation that was just the best disaster and made my reading life so much better. This is definitely reread material. It will be a permanent fixture on my shelf and I can't wait to get back to it again. Easily one of my favorite reads of 2020.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *