REVIEW: The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
Book #57 of 2025, done!
📖BOOK: The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
🎧FORMAT: Audiobook via Audible and Kindle Exclusively
📚GENRE: Literary Fiction/Novella
📅RELEASED: December 1st, 2024
⏱️AUDIOBOOK LENGTH: 1 hr 49 mins (listened at 1.6x speed)
⭐RATING: ★★★★★ (5/5)
👉 PURCHASE: Click Here to Purchase
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🧳SYNOPSIS:
Lucas is a deeply introverted man just trying to live quietly in his apartment with his pad thai and video games, when a neighbor knocks with a seemingly simple request. But in a building ruled by rigid rules and unspoken expectations, that one small ask becomes a mirror for community tension, connection, and the strange politics of shared spaces. This is a story about boundaries, belonging, and the quiet rebellion of saying “no” when the world expects a yes. And dealing with some very quirky neighbors.
💬THE VIBE:
Quick, thoughful, and human. It’s one of those short stories that somehow manages to hold your entire heart in under 2 hours.
💡STANDOUT ELEMENTS:
Backman’s signature emotional clarity in a tiny, powerful package
Lucas, the main character, feels so real, especially if you're introverted (like me) or burned out
Gentle tension with a lasting emotional impact
The neighbors characters were delightfully annoying. #BlessTheirHeart
🧠WHAT STUCK:
The deep empathy for people who don't always have the energy to engage. The way in which introverted people have to navigate an extroverted world.
👎WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME:
Honestly? Nothing. It’s short, beautifully written, and landed in all the right emotional places. NO NOTES!
🤔IF YOU LIKE:
Backman’s other work (A Man Called Ove, Anxious People)
Character-driven stories
Stories that respect boundaries and still feel warm
🙅♀️IF YOU DON’T LIKE:
Short reads (this one’s under 2 hours)
Books where a lot happens in a short times pan but you don’t feel rushed
Gentle emotional gut-punches
📝FINAL VERDICT:
5 stars.
Introverts, boundary-setters, and soft-hearted realists…this one’s for you. It’s a novella that doesn’t waste a word, and it left me feeling seen.
