I knew to expect greatness with a new Backman but wasn’t prepared to be THIS destroyed. I adored every character and the sheer number of amazing quotes will make this one of the best books ever.

I'm new to Backman and it's been hit and miss with me on the few I've read. This one was amazing and I'm so glad I got to read it!

WOW, talk about a work of art! I didn’t think anything would ever come close to topping the story and characters of Beartown but My Friends is coming in a close second. It’s been a year and a half since I’ve read Beartown and I still think about that story and characters often. So to say that My Friends is a close second is definitely a high compliment.

I am a huge fan of Backman’s work, if he writes it, I’ll be reading it. I even enjoy his IG posts. He has a way with words that creates such a unique writing style that keeps you intrigued from start to finish and the use of figurative language, analogs, and sarcasm makes for some hilarious, laugh out loud moments. Only Backman can have me laughing on one page and heartbroken on the next, repetitively. His writing and storytelling is always emotionally beautiful and thought provoking, making you reflect on your own life.

In My Friends, Backman weaves together two timelines seamlessly as the story unfolds about a group of friends who have all been dealt a brutal hand in life. Like in Beartown, there are some extremely heavy, traumatic topics with incredibly realistic, complex, and relatable characters who will be unforgettable.

It took me several days to read it because I wanted to savor every word and didn’t want it to end. I had a physical ARC and decided to try annotating for the first time since I also ordered a finished copy through BOTM. I’ve never highlighted so much in a book, from funny analogies to life reflecting quotes.

I will never be able to have the right words to describe how highly I think of this book. And I don’t want to say too much for fear of giving anything away, so just trust me and do what I did, go in blindly, you won’t regret it!

Thank you @atriabooks, @backmansk, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m emotional, this was soooooo good 😭 This is the first Bachman I’ve read and now I’m thinking I’m going to have to go back and read the catalogue. Amazing depiction of trauma and grief and the magic of friendship and being understood. The pacing and the gradual unfolding of both storylines was amazing, kept me engaged the whole time. I loved every single character, they just jumped off of the page and you could feel all of the personalities. The plot kept you guessing the whole time, and the ending was so good. Can’t recommend enough!

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

My Friends is a quiet, emotional story about a young artist who uncovers the past behind a mysterious painting. As she learns about the deep friendships formed on a seaside pier years ago, she discovers how art and connection can shape a life. Moving, heartfelt, and beautifully told.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I truly love everything that Fredrik Backman writes, and I am incredibly excited for My Friends, which is one of my most anticipated releases for 2025. I’m delighted to say that it was amazing. One thing is certain about Fredrik Backman is he knows how to make readers feel a wide range of emotions. This book made me both laugh and cry. I absolutely admire Backman's writing style. It’s easy to get immersed in his stories, and his characters are well developed and multi dimensional. As you read, they really come to life. I've enjoyed every one of his works that I've read, and I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I’m still sobbing thinking about how this book made me feel somehow so much joy and also so much sadness at the same time. I’m not sure I could even describe the feeling this book gives me if I tried. The friendships in this book are so beautiful and raw. These people love each other so much and the way it’s written is so effective in portraying that. I’ve never read anything like Fredrick Backman’s writing before. I’ll never be the same.

My Friends was one of my most anticipated releases for the year, and let me tell you My Friends (ha, see what I did there?), it did not disappoint! Fredrik Backman is a master of observing people in all their wonderful, splendid, wounded selves and making us love them in spite of their all too human frailties.

This time around, Backman shares the story of a group of teenage friends who find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. To no one's surprise, one of them becomes a famously celebrated artist. When the artist's most famous painting ends up in the hands of Louisa, a teenage girl, 25 years later, she is determined to learn the story behind it.

And what a story. On a cross-country train ride, the stories are slowly revealed. As we learn more about these four broken souls, we also learn more about Louisa and how very like them she is. Backman's empathy for the vulnerable is poignant, raw and deeply moving as he tackles themes of friendship and found family, frailty and resilience, grief and loss, and the importance of art to save us.

I adored each of these characters as their lives spilled forth in a meandering, non-linear kind of way that is Backman's signature style. I often found myself laughing one moment and reaching for a tissue the next. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

“Good night, ghosts.”

This book. It was utterly heartbreaking. It’s a story of friendship between 4 friends the summer before they turn 15. Do you remember being that age? Because this story reminds you of what it’s like. It’s a story of love, because the love between friends is sometimes stronger than any other kind. It’s already so special to me, I loved every minute, every word on every page. Backman’s writing style is very unique and much like his other works, it oozes out of every detail. While this story may be long and winding, to me it was worth it to hear him tell it.

I enjoyed this. A solid story about friendships and the impact friends have on your life.

It was a little hard to get into at first, wondering where the story was going. Also struggled a bit with the jumping around in time. But overall, I enjoyed this.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

romance has taken over the world by storm, because everyone wants to hear a love story. but how often do you hear about love in friendship? the power of learning to trust, to find your own- all within adventures and laughter and finding art in the world.

MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman delves into a true love story within friends: the platonic bond that grows and grieves with you.

it’s clumsy, it’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s quirky and it’s a tender story that’ll put its hooks in you until the story is over and craves you wanting more.

there’s something about Backman’s straightforward writing that i keep being pulled back to. i find a comfort in his characters and find myself wishing i could bump into them and say hello. if you’re looking for something that feels real, this is your way to go.

thank you to Atria Books for allowing me to have this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always Backman delivers endearing characters and beautiful writing. Louisa could be a young, misunderstood Ove. Ted, the artist, Joar and Ali have a beautiful friendship. Though not much seemingly happens in this book, it’s the story of true friendship and artistry. Being misunderstood, and finally finding “your people.” Backman is a must-read author for me. Everything he writes is heartwarming and gives me hope for the world.

Another contemplative read from Fredrik Backman. A perfect blend of depth and humor and memorable characters.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

Five stars. Always. Backman never misses and I loved every moment of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early.

I love Backman’s writing. Anxious People is an all-time favorite. This one is different. It’s especially slow moving. I liked the characters, but felt like lost teens waxed too philosophical at times like they had been in therapy, which they had not. I loved Ted; a layered character who has a beautiful arc over the course of the book.
I was easily invested in the story of the painting and its journey. Lots of odes to art, sometimes too much as the storyline was illustrating the value of art time & time again.
This book is getting great reviews, and deservedly so, it just didn’t blow me away like I have felt in some of Backman’s previous books.

Backman books just make my heart happy and my spirit fulfilled in the way he is able to shine a light on all the beautiful parts of humanity. This story is about broken, forgotten and hurt people and the way they find healing, belonging and love through art and friendship. Part road trip adventure with a dose of intergenerational friendship we learn about the lives of four friends as two strangers bond over a dead artist's painting and travel back in memory of his life. Haunting, unforgettable and amazingly narrated by Marin Ireland. Another HUGE win from one of my very favorite writers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Fredrik Backman’s "My Friends" is a beautifully poignant exploration of friendship, art, and the echoes of memory. It’s the kind of novel that sneaks up on you—gentle in its prose and devastating in its emotional impact.

At the heart of the story is Louisa, a young artist who becomes obsessed with a famous painting that most people see as a simple depiction of the sea. Louisa recognizes more—a trio of figures at the edge of the canvas, their presence hinting at something deeper. As she attempts to discover the story behind the painting, she learns of the lives of 4 friends, captured in one glorious moment in time.

Backman excels at crafting characters who feel achingly real, and "My Friends" is no exception. The novel is steeped in nostalgia, exploring how friendships forged in youth can shape a person’s life long after the moments themselves have faded. The narrative moves between past and present, weaving together the golden summer of these four friends with Louisa’s search for the meaning in their story.

What makes "My Friends" so compelling is its raw honesty. Backman doesn’t shy away from the pain of growing up, the weight of grief, or the way art can heal and haunt.

If you’re looking for a novel that will break your heart and then gently piece it back together, "My Friends" is a haunting must-read. It’s a testament to the power of friendship, the resilience of art, and the stories that shape us—even when we don’t realize it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. This book was a solid 4 stars for me and is absolutely beautiful. Fredrik Backman does it again, but I am not surprised. The way he weaves the story of the past with a story from "now" is a work of art in itself. An homage to true friendship, art, complex family dynamics, and ultimately grief, this book broke my heart and put it back together again. We all need a little hope in today's world, and I truly believe this book provides just that.

Thank you to Netgalley, Fredrik Backman, and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of ¨My Friends¨ I cannot speak highly about this book enough!! This book made me laugh hysterically at all the right times, in between the most emotional and nostalgic parts of the book. This book will make you reflect on your own life´s passage, the friends you make along the way, and how the friends and family in your life influence who you are.

This book is told in the POV of a best friend as he tells the biography of the most precious person in his life, yet the world only knows him as a world famous artist. But to those who knew him - to those who REALLY knew him... he was so much more than just a world famous artist. I highly recommend this book for Backman´s thought-provoking storytelling and incomparable humor. You will not regret it!!