I love everything Fredrick Backman writes. His prose is so simple but contains so much emotion and mystery. In My Friends, Backman takes us back and forth 25 years, from the childhood of a mysterious artist, to present day when an orphaned girl meets the now-dead artist's friend. There are parallels in their stories and a beautiful friendship unfolds. This one was a little slow for me, but overall was beautiful and well-written.

Synopsis: This is the story of four friends during one fateful summer, and the story of a teenage girl who connects to them via a painting two decades later. But all you really need to know is that this is a story of friendship, family, and the humanity that ties us all together.

Thoughts: If you’ve been here for a while, you probably know Fredrik Backman is one of my all time favorite authors. The Beartown series will always have a special place in my heart. But this book you guys - this story and these characters give Beartown a run for its money. Nobody writes human emotions quite like Backman. His writing is just so pure and earnest. The friends in this book immediately burrowed into my heart, and I can’t stop thinking about them. I laughed, and I cried, and I honestly can’t wait to read it again.
“I love you and I trust you.”

Read this if you like:
🖼️ found family
🖼️ friendship
🖼️ finding beauty in unexpected places
🖼️ grief and healing
🖼️ coming of age
🖼️ dual timelines

This made me feel every possible emotion. There were so many times I read and reread sections because it absolutely baffled me that something could be written so flawlessly. How Backman is able to effortlessly put into words things that I could never even fumble through saying is beyond me.

it's very hard to find something that makes me feel something as deep and painful as how beartown or us against you made me feel. i still haven't read any of backman's other novels, like a man called ove or anxious people, purely because i am afraid. i am afraid of liking a backman book too much and ending up needing to take a mental health day to get my emotions together, or worse: ending up not liking a backman book. i haven't even finished off the beartown series yet, and the winners is sitting on my shelf unread purely because i'm a coward and i'm not ready to feel the feelings that beartown #1 and #2 made me feel.

the only reason why i read this first was because there was a time limit on this; i wanted to review it before it released, and if i kept putting it off, then i wouldn't ever get to it. so, here we are.

4.5 stars, rounded down to 4. the only reason it isn't 5 is because for me, personally, a 5 means it's hard for me to start a new book afterwards and i end up continually thinking about it; i easily moved on from this, even if my heart does hurt a bit towards the end. everytime i think about the people in this, my heart hurts just a little bit more. everytime i think about how much genius it took to craft a story this emotional, this deep, with characters that somehow, someway, end up perched on the roof of your heart.

a book of friendship, loss, love, and art. it jumps a bit, at the beginning, the way backman's books normally do. going in blind is always the best way to go. i could tell you about the characters, about the summary, but in all fairness, it doesn't matter. going in blind means you meet the characters new, just like how all the characters are meeting each other—new. it takes a bit for the pieces to fit together, but once they do, you can't look away. there's something about backman's writing, that people either really love or really hate, and it's both for the same exact reason: he writes blunt. he says the most complex ideas in the simplest way. in a way that, when taken out of context, it means nothing, but when put against the backdrop of the entire book, paints the biggest lesson ever. this is precisely why i love backman's books; he crafts the stories that are the most tragic, most depressing, most hopeful, and most loving in this way. there's never a moment where you don't laugh, then want to cry, and then just purely have fun. he knows exactly what words to say, and has the driest sense of humor possible, paired with the best ability to make metaphors out of anything.

i have 70 highlights on my kindle edition of this book, and i need to buy a physical copy as soon as this comes out because i need to tab the hell out of it. my hands are itching to highlight all of my favorite lines, to tab pages that made me want to tear my ipad apart, to put hearts around the lines of my favorite characters. i wish i spent more time on this book, honestly, but if i did, i think i would have found it boring with how busy i am. reading it over the course of two days was the right move for me; the story itself takes place over the course of a day, and it felt like i was spending it with them.

fredrik backman: please please please write more i need more of your books (and i'll get to the other books i already have on my list asap i promise)

Well this sufficiently filled the Beartown-sized hole in my heart. Frederik Backman doing what he does best - creating a world that you want to live in forever. I will now proceed to bully all of my friends into reading this when it's released and if Marin Ireland also narrates the audio version of this I will revisit this story tomorrow without hesitation.

I highlighted so many quotes, as I always do with his books, but I cannot share any until after the book is published.

I devoured this book! I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Touching characters, that will stay with you. Easy easy 5 start review! I would give it more if I could

Fredrik Backman does it again! This book is tender, funny, hopeful and so many other wonderful things. But at its core, it's a love letter to teenagers, and how they're the greatest and dumbest people on the planet, and I love that so, so much.

Let me start by saying as soon as I read the paragraph my book loving heart was in it's happy place! All tucked in , nice and cozy, but knowing it will be going on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
I don't know how Backman does it. I really don't. How can someone make you laugh out loud one minute and the next have you sobbing? And not just once but all throughout the story? He takes such simple little things and makes ;you realize that is what makes up this thing called life. And he makes you thankful for all the good moments as well as all the bad ones.
This book felt a little different from his others. More along the lines of a fairy tale? Maybe? I don't know. But what I do know is that it is absolutely brilliant! These kids have my whole heart, right alongside One and Benji.
So, basically, READ THIS BOOK!! But buckle up your emotions! Actually, never mind. They don't stand a chance. But it's a ride you definitely don't want to miss!

5/5 ⭐️
“I love you, I trust you”
This book had me crying with ugly tears and laughing out loud countless times! I absolutely adored it. Fredrik has become one of my favorite authors; his writing has a way of making you truly feel every word. Each character in this story felt distinct and special. I can't wait for everyone to experience it when it's released on May 6, 2025. Huge thanks to NetGalley for providing this amazing ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fredrik Backman for an ARC of this book. I was very excited and grateful for the chance to read it.

As the title of the story suggests it follows the story of a group of friends. But it is more then that. It has themes and representation of friendship, family, grief and many more. And all these are linked to the overall idea of art and the impact it has on our society and humanity.

This story takes place between two timelines; past and present. A story about the group of friends is slowly being told. More and more gets revealed and connected to the present.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It had a similar voice that rings true of a Backman novel. He seems to find a way to describe simple, human things but in such a profound and beautiful way. It is one of the things I truly enjoy about his books. I do have to say that at times I was a bit confused between the dual timelines and the presence of so many characters. The ending I found satisfying as I felt that things came full circle, but it felt a bit rushed.

I still highly recommend this book, and think that most people would find something that they connect to within the story.

This is my new favorite Backman book. I laughed and I sobbed while reading. The friendships felt so real and were so beautiful. I loves Louisa and Ted's friendship and how the story of the painting was so carefully crafted. I will carry this book and these friendships with me forever.

It’s sometimes hard to pick up a new book by an author you love; you’re always comparing the new one to the ones that came before, the ones that you love. And sometimes that sets you up for disappointment. But there is nothing disappointing about Backman’s new novel, My Friends. If anything, it’s even better. It has all the found-family vibes of A Man Called Ove, all the narrative intricacies of Anxious People, and all the heart and wit that has endeared Backman to me.

What I particularly love about this book is the spotlight that it puts on a group of teenagers, and not “well-behaved” ones by the world’s standards. From the novel’s opening line, “Louisa is a teenager, the best kind of human,” I knew I would love it. I fell in love, not only with Louisa, but with the group of teenage friends whose story unfolds through the lens of memory and art. A good character-driven story is usually enough for me, but the added layers of commentary on art and class, and the way the narrative unfolds in fits and starts that make it feel so authentic, make this novel something special. The characters feel real as they experience both triumphs and heartbreaks, and Backman avoids making their brightest moments too saccharine or their darkest hours exploitative in the way some stories of “tragic” characters do. Like his other books, I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to those who love art and love teenagers (or need to learn to love both more).

I felt misled by the heart-wrenching buildup, only to realize that the characters' situations were not as dire as I felt I was led to believe. Don't get me wrong—the stories are undeniably tragic, and it's heartbreaking that these situations really happen. But why lead the reader to believe it will be even worse than it turns out to be? Maybe it is a commentary on what grief can feel like in the moment. All-encompassing with little hope?

Toward the end, I found the sudden and repeated use of "damn" in several paragraphs annoying. It's not my favorite of his works, but the genius is undeniable. As always, his writing is beautiful, filled with so many poetic phrases that just have to be highlighted.

I laughed, I cried, I never wanted it to end. I closed the book, grateful for the tears rolling down my face, hugged my mom, and called my Fish.

My Friends is a masterpiece. Finishing it before the publication date felt wrong. I was the security guard staring at a painting that had been stolen—no, placed—in a gallery years before anyone recognized its brilliance.

I’m afraid I’ll never read a book this perfect again. Tender, human, flawed, brilliant. This is a love story—not necessarily romantic, not necessarily whole—but the truest one I’ve ever read. I love you and I trust you.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for the eARC.

Frederik Backman has done it again. The story of four friends is told mainly through Ted to Louisa - a girl that would have fit in with their crew. The story bounces between present day and the past. There is no way you will not fall in love with Ted, The Artist, Joar, Ali and Louisa. Backman has a gift for creating characters that pull you in and captivate you. He mixes humour and sadness throughout the story - so many emotions to feel when reading this book.

There were even a few plot twists that I didn't see coming in the story. I thought I knew exactly what had happened, but I was wrong. Backman keeps the reader entertained and guessing. He is brilliant!

I couldn't put the book down and I didn't want it to end. You will be rooting for all of these characters!

I legitimately almost cried when I saw I’d been granted an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Truly. Somehow Frederik Backman’s writing manages to be absolutely magnificent in every word. Like every. Single. Word. Makes me feel something. His language has this way of subtly making you consider things and laugh at things constantly. I don’t even have the words to describe it. But this book, of course, was a masterpiece.

my first Backman novel! a modern fairytale filled with tender, heartbreaking moments balanced with hilarity and found family love. to travel back and forth in time with the characters and experience their summer was magical and vibrant. thank you netgalley for the arc, this was wonderful!

This book is pure magic. The kind that grabs hold of your heart and refuses to let go. I laughed, I cried, I gasped—I even had to throw it down in frustration, only to snatch it back up moments later because I had to know what happened next.

The story weaves together the past and present, following a group of teenagers whose bond is so profound it echoes across decades. At its heart is Louisa, an 18-year-old orphan who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of a priceless painting—one that holds a mystery she can't ignore. Her journey to uncover the truth leads to stunning revelations, stirring emotions, and an exploration of art’s power to connect souls across time.

The characters feel achingly real—flawed, broken, but so deeply human. Their friendships, their struggles, their love for one another…it’s all written with such heart-wrenching beauty. The suspense, the nostalgia, the aching hopefulness—it’s all here in perfect harmony.

This is a book about love in all its forms: the love between friends, the love we have for art, and the love that remains long after people are gone. It’s devastating and uplifting all at once. I have no doubt this will stay with me forever.

I wish I could give it more than five stars—I want to shout my love for this book to the whole world! READ THIS. You won’t regret it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Frederik Backman is an auto buy author and this book is another reason why. I love his characters, their banter and the lives that they live. Flawless writing. Loved this!

How apropos that Backman’s artistry brought me together to reflect with friends, and now he’s written a book about the power of art and friendship. Like always, Backman masterfully, yet self deprecatingly, creates a beautifully written novel that perfectly captures the “I can’t believe someone else feels that way too” sentiment that is so very powerful and genuine, whilst telling a superbly plotted story.

My Friends felt a little more stream of consciousness to me than his previous works, perhaps even a little more personal? It seems completely counterintuitive that a novel that examines the perils of fame and how the masses likely never truly know the artist really made me think of Backman’s personal posts—I could be VERY wrong here (and likely am) but the portrayal of the artist seemed very much to be Backman himself.

Anyway, even if I weren’t searching for the equivalent of “Swiftie clues” in this book, I would still walk away completely satisfied—the friends, the art, the laughs, the sighs, the tears—they all made for a five-star reading experience.

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the digital ARC.