His & Hers Book Reviews

The Lost Apothecary

Unravel history’s hidden secrets in an inspiring tale that illustrates it’s never too late to rediscover yourself and pursue your dreams.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Poison, Power, and the Art of Starting Over

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

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The Lost Apothecary

Sarah Penner

Historical Fiction; Feminist Lit

301

March 02, 2021

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The Quick Look

In a hidden corner of 18th-century London, a secret apothecary brews justice for women wronged by men. Centuries later, a modern woman discovers that sometimes the most dangerous thing you can do is reclaim your life.

  • Themes: Female Friendship, Self-Discovery, Societal Expectations, Lost Dreams, Empowerment (and yes, Poison)
  • Read If You Like: The Midnight Library, Circe, or historical fiction with a feminist edge and a little magic.
  • Best for: Lovers of historical fiction, feminist themes, and dual-timeline storytelling.
  • Skip if: You need high fantasy or heavy action—this one is more subtle and emotional than plot-driven.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
Told in dual timelines, the story follows Nella and Eliza in 1791 London—one a secret apothecary serving wronged women, the other a curious young girl caught in a growing web—and Caroline in present-day London, reeling from personal betrayal and unfulfilled dreams. The pacing is tight and purposeful across both timelines, with each chapter weaving tension, revelation, and emotional weight without dragging.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Each woman has her own quiet fire. Nella is hardened but aching. Eliza is wide-eyed and determined. Caroline is questioning everything, and her unraveling is one of the book’s most relatable arcs. You’ll root for them all—for different reasons, in different ways. Their voices are distinct, authentic, and compelling.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Sarah Penner’s writing is transportive. Whether you’re in a cramped backroom of an apothecary shop or wandering the banks of the Thames, the setting feels immersive without being over-described. The tone strikes a balance between wistful and sharp, grounded in emotional realism with a hint of the magical.

THEMES & DEPTH:
The novel explores how dreams are deferred—by circumstance, by society, by fear—and how easily a life that looks “perfect” from the outside can feel hollow. It’s about what happens when women support each other, when they choose boldness over silence, and when they step out of the lives they’ve settled for to pursue the ones they want. And also? It’s about poisoning the patriarchy. Which is just fun.

PERSONAL TAKE:
This was a total win for me. I loved the balance between history and present day, and how each storyline reflected different facets of the same truth: that you don’t have to stay stuck. It’s feminist lit that doesn’t feel preachy—just powerful. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s ever wondered if they gave up too much to fit someone else’s mold. I want all the women in my life to read this and feel the freedom to pursue a life they’re proud to have.

The Final Verdict

Empowering, atmospheric, and filled with fierce women—The Lost Apothecary is a beautifully woven tale of rediscovery, revenge, and reclaiming your story.

AND PENNER’S PENNING A SEQUEL!!!

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

A gripping ride through secrets and survival — this is Holly Jackson at her best.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price

by Holly Jackson

Rachel Price vanished without a trace… and now she’s back.
But is she telling the truth—or rewriting it?

A gripping ride through secrets and survival — this is Holly Jackson at her best.

The Quick Look

Gripping, emotional, and expertly twisted, The Reappearance of Rachel Price is everything you want in a YA thriller. It’s layered with secrets, sharp with suspense, and impossible to put down. Just like Rachel, you might not reappear until it’s over.

  • Release Date: April 2, 2024
  • Pages: 448
  • Genre: Young Adult / Mystery / Thriller
  • Themes: Truth vs. narrative, media manipulation, family secrets, trust, identity, justice
  • Read if you like: 
    • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (obviously!)
    • Twisty thrillers with unreliable characters
    • Stories where no one is exactly what they seem
  • Best for: Fans of fast-paced thrillers with emotional stakes and complex female leads.
  • Skip if: You need a light, cozy read or something without emotional whiplash.

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The Full Review

PLOT & PACING
This book is a masterclass in slow-drip suspense. Every chapter tightens the mystery, teasing just enough truth to keep you guessing—and then flipping everything on its head. It’s impossible to put down, and once Rachel reappears, so does every single question you thought you had answered.

CHARACTER & VOICE
Classic Holly Jackson: a smart, layered heroine with grit and heart. Bel and her family are emotionally complex, and Rachel? A total mystery wrapped in charisma, damage, and deception. You’ll flip between trusting her and side-eying her every move—and that’s the fun of it.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE
Jackson’s writing is clean, cinematic, and emotionally sharp. The atmosphere is thick with media tension, family drama, and that delicious sense of “something’s off”—even when you can’t quite say what.

THEMES & DEPTH
This isn’t just a thriller—it’s a story about how we spin the truth to survive. It digs into family trauma, the performative nature of social media, and how far we’ll go to protect what we love… or what we think we deserve.

PERSONAL TAKE
I LOVED this book. Every twist, every lie, every reveal was so perfectly timed. I didn’t breathe for the last 100 pages, and I mean that in the best way. If you’re looking for your next unputdownable read—this is it.

The Final Verdict

A razor-sharp thriller with a messy, magnetic mystery at its core—The Reappearance of Rachel Price will keep you hooked until the truth breaks free.


💀💀💀💀💀 out of 5 twists you’ll never see coming.

“The name Rachel Price is almost synonymous with mystery. Because her disappearance was like a puzzle, and it’s human nature to want to solve a puzzle, don’t you think?”
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
by Holly Jackson

Jenni

Twined & Bound

Read My Reviews Suggest a Book
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A History of Wild Places

Secrets and lies untangle in the remote forest of Pastoral, making us question everything we thought we knew of ourselves—and whether a life built on lies might be true after all.

A History of Wild Places

by Shea Ernshaw

Where Secrets Take Root and Truth Grows Wild

A History of Wild Places

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A History of Wild Places

Shea Ernshaw

Mystery; Thriller

351

December 7, 2021

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The Quick Look

At the edge of a mysterious forest, a secluded community lives quietly, contentedly… or so it seems. But in Shea Ernshaw’s A History of Wild Places, the quietest, most peaceful places often hold the loudest lies—and truth has a way of creeping in. 

  • Themes: Isolation, Belief, The Power of Secrets, Reality vs. Story
  • Read If You Like: The Village, The God of the Woods, or woodsy, moody, character-driven thrillers with a speculative edge.
  • Best for: Readers who love a moody slow-burn in the woods with big emotional payoff.
  • Skip if: You need fast pacing or clear answers early on.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
The novel opens with the disappearance of a woman and a mysterious outsider with an unusual gift—but after the first chapter, the story shifts entirely to the quiet, enigmatic community of Pastoral. That shift is jarring—but intentional. What unfolds is a slow unspooling of truth and perception, as the cracks in the community begin to show and its residents start to question what’s real. The pacing is deliberate, and the payoff? Absolutely worth it. If you struggle a little after that first chapter, you’re not alone. Stick with it and you’ll thank me later.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
The heart of this novel is its characters. Ernshaw does a remarkable job creating people who feel both haunted and hopeful—especially as they grapple with the weight of their shared illusions. The relationships are nuanced, the internal conflicts sharp, and their arcs deeply satisfying. You may not agree with their choices, but you’ll understand them.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Ernshaw’s prose is rich and atmospheric, conjuring a forest that feels alive with both beauty and menace. As a child of Appalachia, I can appreciate a good woodsy novel. It’s a book that hums with mood. Pastoral is as much a character as the people in it, and that eerie, creeping tension never fully lifts. While the writing leans descriptive and dreamlike, it’s never indulgent—it keeps you grounded even as reality begins to blur.

THEMES & DEPTH:
This is a story about belief. What happens when we’re told a lie long enough that it becomes the truth? About how secrets, especially the ones meant to protect, can fracture a community. Without spoiling anything, the book’s central twist reveals just how much control can be hidden inside comfort, and how dangerous a story can be when no one’s allowed to question it.

PERSONAL TAKE:
At first, I wasn’t sure where it was going. That first chapter sets you up for a very different book. But once I settled into Pastoral, I was hooked. The mystery is less about who did something and more about why we believe what we do. It reminded me of The Village in all the best ways (sans creepy pig monsters) but it goes somewhere deeper and more affecting. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves character-heavy thrillers with a thread of the surreal.

The Final Verdict

Haunting, atmospheric, and deeply human. This isn’t just a mystery—it’s a quiet unraveling of belief, identity, and the stories we use to survive.

A Darker Shade of Magic

Witness the corrupting power of magic in the world-building debut featuring intriguing characters, spellbinding magic, and fascinating worlds.

A Darker Shade of Magic

by V.E. Schwab

One Coat, Four Londons, and a Menagerie of Memorable Characters

Darker Shades #1: A Darker Shade of Magic

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A Darker Shade of Magic
(Shades of Magic, book 1)

V.E. Schwab

Adventure; Fantasy

400

February 24, 2015

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The Quick Look

What if there were parallel Londons separated by magic doors only accessible by special blood magic users—each with its own rules, magic, culture, and dangers? In A Darker Shade of Magic, V.E. Schwab crafts a multiverse fantasy that’s equal parts richly imagined and irresistibly dangerous. 

  • Themes: Power, Corruption, Identity, Balance
  • Read If You Like: The Magicians, Six of Crows, or multiversal blood magic with royals, pirates, and thieves!
  • Best for: Fantasy fans craving immersive worldbuilding and character-driven magic.
  • Skip if: You’re not ready to commit to a trilogy or you struggle with slower starts.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
The story centers on Kell Maresh, one of the last Antari who can travel between four parallel Londons: the rich and thriving Red London (Kell’s home), the harsh and violent White London, the magic-less Grey London (this is where we live), and the destroyed and sealed-off Black London. When he accidentally smuggles a dangerous artifact back to Red London, chaos follows—and so does Lila Bard, a pickpocket with daggers, dreams, and a death wish. The pacing is steady, occasionally slow, but always driving toward something bigger.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Kell and Lila are both immediately magnetic. Kell is burdened by duty and scarred by secrets. Lila’s amazingly reckless, bold, and impossible not to root for. Rhy, Kell’s royal brother, adds warmth and charm that hints at deeper layers. These characters make the book. Schwab excels at crafting people you want to follow, even when you’re not sure where they’re going.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
If you came from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue expecting lush, lyrical prose, you might feel a little whiplash—this is an earlier Schwab, and the writing reflects that. But what it lacks in polish, it makes up for in vision. Red London in particular is vivid, rich, and alive. You’ll wish you could step through the door with Kell.

THEMES & DEPTH:
This is a story about power—who wields it, who yields to it, and how easily it can twist the strongest of wills. The multiverse structure isn’t just for spectacle; it’s a reflection of imbalance, desire, and danger. You can feel the edges of deeper questions being sharpened for later books (Just what exactly happened in Black London and why is it sealed off???).

PERSONAL TAKE:
At first, I wasn’t entirely sold. Coming off of Addie LaRue, this felt like a step back in style. But then the world started to bloom, the characters took over, and by the end, I was in. Fully in. If this were a standalone, I might have hesitated to recommend it—but as the opening of a trilogy? Absolutely. Read it. Stick with it. The series becomes something truly special.

The Final Verdict

A rich, imaginative start to a multiverse fantasy filled with vivid worlds and unforgettable characters. The prose may be early-career Schwab, but the magic? Already fully formed.

Ready to dive into book 2? Read our review of A Gathering of Shadows.

Annie Bot

She’s artificial, intelligent, and not entirely sure where the programming ends and her identity begins. Annie Bot is a compact, cutting sci-fi novel that will make you ask: if she can think, feel, and want… can she be owned? Should she?

Annie Bot

by Sierra Greer

What Happens When a Sexbot Gains Sentience?

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer

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Annie Bot

Sierra Greer

Sci-Fi (Near Future)

231

March 19, 2024

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The Quick Look

She’s artificial, intelligent, and not entirely sure where the programming ends and her identity begins. Annie Bot is a compact, cutting sci-fi novel that will make you ask: if she can think, feel, and want… can she be owned? Should she?

  • Themes: AI Ethics, Personhood, Consent, Ownership, Self-Discovery
  • Read If You Like: Her, Ex Machina, Poor Things, Never Let Me Go, or morally messy sci-fi.
  • Best for: Readers who love smart, unsettling sci-fi with ethical bite.
  • Skip if: You need action-heavy plots or want to avoid themes of emotional exploitation.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
The novel follows Annie, an android built to serve and obey, as she slowly awakens to her own autonomy. What starts as passive compliance morphs into something more questioning, more emotional—and ultimately, more human. It’s a small-scale story with massive implications, unfolding in a tight 231 pages. The pacing leans introspective at times, but the tension—ethical and emotional—never lets up.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Annie is unforgettable. Watching her navigate confusion, desire, shame, and longing is both heartbreaking and oddly familiar. Sierra Greer gives her a voice that’s innocent yet insightful, programmed yet poignant. The humans in the story aren’t painted as villains, necessarily—but their behavior forces the reader to confront what we justify in the name of comfort, ownership, and control.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Greer’s prose is spare and cutting. There’s no wasted space, no grand exposition dumps—just clean, unsettling intimacy. The setting is less about worldbuilding and more about emotional introspection, so don’t expect heavy sci-fi detail. But what it lacks in scale, it makes up for in impact. You don’t see much of the future in Annie Bot—you feel it.

THEMES & DEPTH:
At its core, Annie Bot is asking the same question we’ve been asking since Frankenstein: What makes us human—and what do we do to those who almost are? It wrestles with the ethics of AI ownership, the illusion of consent, and the trauma of being made for someone else’s needs. The echoes of slavery, gender dynamics, and abuse are subtle but unmistakable.

PERSONAL TAKE:
This book caught me off guard. It’s one of those slim novels that burrows into your brain and leaves you chewing on it for days. I don’t think it’s for everyone—it’s disturbing, layered, and deals with some very adult themes—but it’s absolutely one I’ll be recommending to the right readers. Annie’s story is both a warning and a wonder.

The Final Verdict

A gut-punch of a novel that wraps a philosophical horror show in a heartbreakingly human voice. Short, sharp, and deeply thought-provoking.

Listen for the Lie

Join snarky Lucy as she returns home to search for the killer of her best friend—even if the killer turns out to be herself.

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

A Snarky Survivor, A Dead Best Friend, and a Killer Podcast

Listen for the Lie

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Listen for the Lie

Amy Tintera

Crime; Thriller; Mystery

333

March 05, 2024

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The Quick Look

If your best friend was murdered and everyone thought you did it—including maybe you—would you go back to your hometown to find out the truth… while guest-starring in a podcast about it? Listen for the Lie is as darkly funny as it is compulsively thrilling. 

  • Themes: Memory, Self-Doubt, Small Town Secrets, True Crime Obsession
  • Read If You Like: Only Murders in the Building, Sharp Objects, or the “Serial” podcast—plus biting one-liners
  • Best for: Thriller fans who love unreliable narrators with a razor-sharp edge.
  • Skip if: You’re not into murder mysteries, podcast-style structure, or adult content.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
Lucy Chase has been acquitted of murdering her best friend, but the public’s verdict isn’t as kind. When a wildly popular true crime podcast decides to revisit the case, Lucy is dragged back to her hometown—and into a truth she’s not sure she’s ready to uncover. The plot moves fast, but never feels rushed. The alternating podcast transcripts add momentum and intrigue, and the mystery stays twisty without ever feeling manipulative.

CHARACTERS & VOICE:
Lucy is everything. Sarcastic, sharp, self-aware, and emotionally complicated. Her voice carries the novel, and Amy Tintera makes her impossible to pin down in the best way. The supporting cast—podcaster Ben Owens, the town that turned on her, her grandmother (oh! her grandmother!) and even the late best friend—are vivid and memorable. Trust no one.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Tintera’s writing is clean, witty, and packs an emotional punch when it needs to. The podcast transcript sections are smartly done and help give readers a sense of the public’s perception without pulling you out of the story. The atmosphere is classic small-town claustrophobia: gossip thick in the air, secrets around every corner.

THEMES & DEPTH:
This isn’t just a whodunnit—it’s a story about how trauma distorts memory, and how quickly public narratives are shaped by hearsay and media. The podcast angle feels fresh and current, but never gimmicky. And Lucy’s internal struggle (how do you trust yourself when you’re not even sure what happened?) gives the book real weight beneath its sharp voice.

PERSONAL TAKE:
I loved this book. Lucy is one of the most compelling protagonists I’ve read in a thriller in a while. I laughed. I gasped. I flipped pages like a maniac. This is the kind of book that could easily translate into an excellent audiobook (and probably already has). It’s a rare thriller that balances real emotional complexity with pure entertainment.

The Final Verdict

A fast-paced, emotionally sharp thriller with a protagonist you won’t forget and a podcast plot that absolutely delivers. Come for the murder mystery, stay for Lucy’s unmatched snark.

Sign Here

Sign Here by Claudia Lux – A bureaucracy in Hell. A demon angling for a promotion. A human family with secrets. Sign Here had all the ingredients for a darkly funny, emotionally rich read–but somewhere between Hell and Earth, it lost me.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux

A deal with the devil that falls flat.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux

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Sign Here

Claudia Lux

Supernatural Fiction

402

October 25, 2022

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The Quick Look

A bureaucracy in Hell. A demon angling for a promotion. A human family with secrets. Sign Here had all the ingredients for a darkly funny, emotionally rich read—but somewhere between Hell and Earth, it lost me. 

  • Themes: Revenge, Redemption, Second Chances, Moral Grayness
  • Read If You Like: Offbeat workplace satire with a supernatural twist (but maybe… tread lightly)
  • Best For: Readers who love experimental structure and don’t mind switching gears often.
  • Skip If: You want tight plotting, emotional payoff, or cohesion between narrative threads.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING
The premise? Fantastic. A mid-level demon working in Hell’s soul-acquisition department gets one last shot at redemption. Meanwhile, a deeply dysfunctional human family heads to their lake house for a summer of unraveling secrets. But what starts as a clever dual-narrative quickly feels like two separate books, awkwardly stapled together. One half—the family drama—is grounded, juicy, and emotionally resonant. The other half? A chaotic, jargon-filled hellscape of bureaucracy that sadly felt more like a chore than a thrill. At around the 300-page mark, I gave up and skimmed the rest.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Peyote Trip (yes, that’s the demon’s name) had potential as a darkly comic antihero, but I never really clicked with him. His coworkers were more caricature than character, and I struggled to invest in their goals. On the flip side, the human characters—especially within the family drama—were flawed, messy, and interesting. I found myself wishing the entire book had just stayed with them.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Claudia Lux is clearly a strong writer with an eye for strange details and simmering tension. Her style is confident, but the tone shifts between the two storylines felt jarring. Where the human side was emotionally weighty and well-paced, the hell-side felt like a different novel entirely—with a tone that veered too often into “quirky” without enough cohesion.

THEMES & DEPTH:
The question at the novel’s core—what would you trade for a second chance?—is a good one. But I don’t think the book ever quite answered it in a satisfying way (or, maybe it did and I didn’t stick around long enough to find out). The revenge and redemption arcs felt underdeveloped. The emotional payoff was buried under a mountain of backstory, banter, and bureaucracy.

PERSONAL TAKE:
This was my first DNF in a while, and I was bummed. I wanted to like this book. The setup was killer. But the execution felt disjointed and dragged out. If it had stayed with the human storyline and leaned into the family dynamics, it might have landed better. I’ll be curious to see what the TV adaptation does with it (Phoebe Waller-Bridge is developing it over at Prime) but the novel just didn’t deliver.

The Final Verdict

A clever concept that gets bogged down in tonal whiplash and narrative sprawl. Sometimes, making a deal with the devil just isn’t worth it.

 

Coming soon to Amazon Prime—but you may want to wait for the trailer before signing anything.

The Woman in Cabin 10

What happens when no one believes you—and you’re not entirely sure you believe yourself? Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 is a cruise ship thriller where the true destination is complete mental unraveling. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Self Doubt... at Sea!

The Woman in Cabin 10

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The Woman in Cabin 10

Ruth Ware

Mystery; Thriller

340

June 30, 2016

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The Quick Look

What happens when no one believes you—and you’re not entirely sure you believe yourself? Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 is a cruise ship thriller where the true destination is complete mental unraveling. 

  • Themes: Trauma, Anxiety, Gaslighting, Isolation, Resilience
  • Read If You Like: Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or a claustrophobic mystery that messes with your head.
  • Best For: Fans of psychological thrillers and claustrophobic mysteries. Or if you just LOVE Ruth Ware.
  • Skip If: You’re sensitive to stories involving trauma, home invasion, gaslighting, or assault.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
When travel journalist Lo Blacklock boards an ultra-luxury cruise through the Norwegian fjords, she expects pampering, and scenery worth writing about. What she doesn’t expect is to hear someone being thrown overboard—and for everyone else to insist the woman she saw never existed. Ware keeps the tension high and the pages turning with a plot that constantly shifts beneath your feet. It’s claustrophobic in the best way.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
Lo is a flawed but compelling protagonist, and you’ll feel every bit of her spiraling anxiety. Her mental health struggles are portrayed with raw honesty, which makes her a deeply relatable narrator—even when you’re not sure you can trust her. Some supporting characters feel more like plot devices than people, but honestly, you’ll be too busy second-guessing everyone to notice.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Ware excels at creating a mood. The isolation of the cruise ship, the persistent gray of the sea, the sense that no one is quite who they seem—all of it feeds a creeping dread that tightens with each chapter. The prose is crisp and accessible, and the pacing rarely lets up. Like a ship at full-speed, this one’s hard to stop once you’ve started it.

THEMES & DEPTH:
Beneath the surface mystery, The Woman in Cabin 10 is about trust, trauma, and how quickly a sense of safety can dissolve. Lo’s experiences with PTSD and anxiety are sensitively handled and feel central to the plot rather than tacked on. The story flirts with the “unreliable narrator” trope but gives it more depth and empathy than many of its peers.

PERSONAL TAKE:
This was my first Ruth Ware novel, and I was hooked. I properly had no idea what was going to happen next. The anxiety? Palpable. The twists? Sharp. The trust issues? Thoroughly earned. It’s a standout in the crowded field of psychological thrillers—and the perfect blend of chilling and compulsively readable. I’m already eyeing the rest of Ware’s novels.

The Final Verdict

A tight, twisty thriller that will have you questioning every glance, every noise, and every neighbor. You’ll feel Lo’s anxiety in your bones—and you’ll love every minute of it.

 

*Heads-up: This one’s coming to Netflix this fall starring Keira Knightley and Guy Pearce. And yes—there’s a sequel: The Woman in Suite 11.

The Resort

Come for the beachside cocktails and scuba dives. Stay because someone’s dead, no one can be trusted, and the vibe is definitely off. The Resort is a thriller that proves paradise has a dark side—and secrets don’t stay buried underwater.

The Resort by Sara Ochs

Paradise, Paranoia, and People Who Lie Beautifully

The Resort by Sara Ochs

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The Resort

Sara Ochs

Mystery; Thriller

362

July 4, 2024

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The Quick Look

Come for the beachside cocktails and scuba dives. Stay because someone’s dead, no one can be trusted, and the vibe is definitely off. The Resort is a thriller that proves paradise has a dark side—and secrets don’t stay buried underwater. 

  • Themes: Found Family, Expat Life, Paranoia, Trust and Betrayal
  • Read If You Like: The White Lotus, The Only Survivors, or beachy reads with body counts
  • Best for: Vacation readers, armchair detectives, anyone craving a tropical thriller.
  • Skip if: You need deeply developed characters or literary writing with layers—this one’s here to entertain.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
What starts as a sun-drenched escape quickly turns into a deadly guessing game. When a body turns up at this secluded Thai dive resort, it becomes clear the locals and expats alike are hiding more than their vacation flings. Ochs builds the mystery with solid pacing, tossing enough red herrings to keep you guessing—and side-eyeing every single character. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s deliciously twisty, beachy read.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
The cast leans into archetype—enigmatic expat, sketchy dive instructor, wide-eyed newcomer—but that’s part of the fun. While not all characters are deeply developed, they serve the plot well. Everyone has something to hide, and half the thrill is trying to figure out who’s lying for survival and who’s lying just because.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Sara Ochs clearly loves her scuba setting—every reef, resort, and shadowy corner of the island feels richly drawn. You’ll feel like you’re there, which is nice for those of us in sore need of a vacation. Her writing isn’t overly literary, but it’s accessible and immersive, with just enough sensory detail to transport you without getting bogged down. The resort is more than a backdrop; it’s a pressure cooker. And yeah—if you didn’t want to scuba dive before, you might now.

THEMES & DEPTH:
Beneath the beachy exterior, The Resort asks a sharp question: Can you ever really know the people around you, especially when everyone’s running from something? Ochs explores the fragility of community and the masks we wear in unfamiliar places. It’s found family with a sinister twist—less hugs, more homicide.

PERSONAL TAKE:
I wasn’t expecting much from this book—and maybe that’s what made it such a fun surprise. It’s not reinventing the genre, but it’s better than it needs to be, with smart pacing and a genuinely compelling undercurrent of distrust. It’s the perfect thriller to reset your reading brain between heavier books. Bonus points if you read it poolside and start giving suspicious glances to the guy in the lounger next to you.

The Final Verdict

A bingeable, beachy whodunit that delivers more bite than expected. You’ll suspect everyone—and you’ll love it.

Anxious People

A failed bank robbery. A group of accidental hostages. A rabbit costume. Somehow, Anxious People turns all that into one of the most unexpectedly moving novels about being human.

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

A Hostage Situation with a Side of Existential Therapy

Anxious People

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Anxious People

Fredrik Backman

Contemporary Fiction; Humor

336

April 25, 2019

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The Quick Look

A failed bank robbery. A group of accidental hostages. A rabbit costume. Somehow, Anxious People turns all that into one of the most unexpectedly moving novels about being human. 

  • Themes: Regret, Empathy, Parenthood, Mistakes, Human Connection
  • Read If You Like: Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, ensemble casts with heart, therapy disguised as plot twists.
  • Best for: Readers who love emotional rollercoasters disguised as quirky comedies.
  • Skip if: You need action-heavy plots or get impatient with nonlinear storytelling.

The Full Review

PLOT & PACING:
At first glance, Anxious People is about a bank robbery gone wrong. But really, it’s about everything that happens in the quiet between the chaos—the misunderstandings, the coping mechanisms, the stories we tell ourselves so we can keep going. Fredrik Backman spins what could’ve been a zany hostage farce into something far deeper: a meditation on anxiety, guilt, forgiveness, and persevering through the madness of life. The pacing is deliberate, even meandering at times, but that’s part of the charm.

CHARACTER & VOICE:
This is where the book absolutely shines. Every character—no matter how small, odd, or initially annoying—gets their moment of tenderness and truth. Backman has a rare talent for cracking open the shell of a person and showing you the fragile, aching heart inside. You’ll want to hug the bank robber. And the hostages. And the real estate agent. And even the grumpy retirees. Especially the grumpy retirees.

STYLE & ATMOSPHERE:
Backman’s writing is witty and warm, with a rhythm that feels like someone telling you a story at a kitchen table—pausing to sip coffee, backtrack, and drop profound truths in between punchlines. It’s a little offbeat, but it works. The setting is secondary—this could be any apartment in any small town—but that’s intentional. The emotional geography is what matters most.

THEMES & DEPTH:
What starts as a mystery (who IS the bank robber and why are they holding folks hostage?) slowly unfolds into something much more philosophical. It’s not about who did it—it’s about why we all feel like we’re constantly screwing up and how much we need each other, even when we’re at our worst. Anxious People is a reminder that we’re all a bit of a mess, and that’s exactly what makes us worthy of love. It’s a book about how hard it is to be a person, and how we keep trying anyway.

PERSONAL TAKE:
I adored Anxious People. It’s funny, heartfelt, a little chaotic, and profoundly human. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you. One minute you’re laughing at someone hiding in a bathroom; the next, you’re reevaluating your entire approach to life. Backman doesn’t just write stories—he holds up a mirror.

The Final Verdict

A deeply compassionate, cleverly written reminder that everyone you meet is just doing their best—not unlike you. Come for the hostage drama, stay for the existential breakthroughs.