I’ve been a fan of Fredrik Backman since I first opened Beartown. I cannot believe my first ARC was written by him! Dreams do come true! 📚

My Friends is the story of four best friends from the past and a young girl in the present who gets drawn into their world because of a painting.

What I Loved:
🎨 The pairing of Ted and Louisa was perfect. From the instant they met on the page, they had the best character chemistry. Every time I thought I might cry in this book, they also made me laugh. They were complex and broken, witty, full of banter and sarcasm. They were loveable yet so alone until they found each other.
🎨 Every line and word has purpose and beauty - but not in a pretentious way that would be over my head! And as always, each detail weaves together perfectly by the end, even if it doesn’t connect in the way it initially seems.
🎨 Backman is the master of moving from past to present without using a single date or obvious transition. Moments from the past align so perfectly with moments in the present. Everything is seamless.
🎨 This was a story of friendship, love, endurance, trust, and the profound impact that a chosen family can have on a person’s life. You will cry and laugh in equal measure.

I am so glad I was able to read this at the same time as my ultimate book bestie @michaelbereading He beat me to the end so I could text me my every thought as I wrapped up. Thank you, Friend ❤️

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for (my first) eARC. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

I loved this one! Fredrick Backman writes such a moving novel. I really liked the dual timeline and story being told to Louisa by Ted. And I love that Louisa finally felt seen.

An ARC from my favorite author?!? Many thanks to NetGalley for this opportunity. My excitement to read an early copy of this book cannot be overstated and it fully lives up to every single one of my expectations. It’s a simply stunning book.

Two people with next to nothing in common are thrown together in a journey across country and time as Ted tells the story of one fateful summer from his childhood. The characters are so real and become more and more alive with each shared memory.

I laughed, I cried, I raged, and I cried some more. I know this is a story that will stay with me long after I’ve finished it.

Fredrik Backman is an auto buy author for me as this point and this book is no exception! He knows how to write excellent characters who you can relate to and tug at your heartstrings. This is definitely a character driven book, and while there is a plot, you'll love this the most if you focus on each character's personal journey and growth!

Book Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman

✨ My first book of 2025, and what a way to start the year! ✨

My Friends is a stunning exploration of friendship, love, and the passage of time. The story follows four teenagers and their bond over 25 years, all tied to a famous piece of art. Most people see the artwork as just a depiction of the sea, but for 17-year-old Louisa, it’s everything.

Fredrik Backman delivers a narrative filled with immense heartache and sadness, yet it’s beautifully balanced with humor, hope, and unexpected twists. His writing style is truly unique—this is only the second book I’ve read by him, but it seems to be a hallmark of his work.

What stood out to me most was how Backman lays the groundwork for the story. He weaves in small details that seem unassuming at first, only to revisit and expand on them later. It’s almost like the artwork itself—what we think we know is just the surface, and there’s so much more hidden beneath.

This book is heartfelt, thought-provoking, and deeply moving. It’s sad, yes, but also filled with hope and life. I loved every page and gave it a well-deserved 5 stars.

A huge thank you to Atria Books for my advanced copy! Also, a special shoutout to Jenna and Ashley for buddy reading this one with me—it made the experience even more memorable.

My Friends releases on May 20, 2025—mark your calendars, because this is one you don’t want to miss!

When a destitute teenage artist is gifted a legendary painting, she is determined to find out more about him and his inspiration. She travels with one of his childhood friends as he tells her the story of himself, the artist and their two best friends during their last summer together. Backman's beautiful prose and rich character development is stunning.

Fredrik Backman books are a delicate balance of the sad and the beautiful. Anxious People is one of, if not the most, beautiful books I have ever read. Unfortunately, My Friends skewed just too far to the sad side for me. As usual, Backman writes beautifully and lays bare the human soul and all the emotions contained therein. My Friend is about a group of friends during the summer when they are 14 years old and contains pages and pages describing the intense and all-consuming feelings you have toward your friends at that age. Backman captures that time of adolescence perfectly. These friends all individually face challenges at school and at home that become a backdrop for the salvation their friendship becomes to all of them. Wise beyond their years, the friends touch on both the permanence and fleeting nature of life.
I loved the end of the book and that part shows the tender beauty that I love so much in Backman's writing. But this is a long book with so much heartache that I was not sure the joy was enough to make up for the pain. My guess is my review will be the outlier because this is a beautiful book. Maybe if it had been shorter in the first 3/4 of the book, I would feel differently.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the free DRC for me to read and review.

My Friends is a beautifully tragic story that explores hardship and grief, set against the strength of friendship.

Fredrik Backman skillfully combines multiple timelines, taking us through the characters’ difficult lives. While the struggles of these teens is heartbreaking and difficult to read at times, their support for each other and hope for the future kept me invested in their journey.

The story highlights the importance of kindness, acceptance, and the healing power of love and art. Not all stories have happy endings, but this one reminds us that the moments of joy and connection are what truly matter in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fredrik Backman does it again with My Friends, a story brimming with heart, humor, and plenty of tears. So make sure to keep tissues handy. This is a book about art and artists, about children born with wings, and the kind of friendships that make life worth living. Backman’s signature mix of empathy and wit shines through every page, leaving you laughing one moment and crying the next. Each page is filled with sooo much understanding that you feel seen and accepted.

“Art needs friends”

Fans of Fredrik Backman’s unique style of storytelling that somehow manages to lift your spirits while breaking your heart will most definitely need to add this to your 2025 tbrs. Easily a 5-star read!

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors and I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) from NetGalley. I gave this book 5 stars and only wish I could give it more. I cried at least 4 times while reading this book, both at hearbreaking and beautiful moments, and sometimes they were both. Everyone should be so lucky as to have experienced the friendships in this book, people whose motto is, "I love you and I trust you". And no child should have to have grown up with the experiences and environments some of the characters had. As always with Backman's books, some sentences stopped me in my tracks as they tugged at my heart. I love the connections he makes between characters, and the way he makes you care deeply about fictional characters who only exist within the pages of his books. The ending left me hoping for a sequel, as I don't want to say good-bye to these characters. This review is also posted on my Goodreads account.

Fredrik, I need to commend you on this phenomenal writing and story. I was so taken back with how wonderful this book and story was done. Just incredible! Thank you for this story.

Fredrik Backman's books are comfort reads for me--yes, they're overly maudlin and emotionally manipulative at times, but damn if Backman doesn't know how to tug at our heartstrings. Even when I know how he plays with the reader (oh, you think this person is dead? Guess again!), I let myself get carried along.

A story about the power of friendship and art and how the friends we make when we're fourteen never quite leave us.

One small thing: enough with the comma splices! Use a semicolon!

I was so excited when I found out that Backman had a new book coming out this year, and it DID NOT disappoint. It was just as gorgeously heartbreaking as I had expected.

Backman is just.... he's the most stunningly beautiful writer I've ever read. There's just something about his style that I've never found with anyone else. This book made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me smile. It made me long for childhood. It gave me LITERALLY all the feels.

In other words, it's just like every other Backman book I've ever read -- in the very best way.

I fell absolutely in love with the characters in this book -- not just one or two of them, either. I saw my son (adopted) in Louisa and the artist. I saw myself in both Ted and Joar. I saw my mom in Joar's mom and my dad in a wild mix of characters. I saw my best friend in Ted and another best friend in Ali. I just... I loved it.

This review is so subpar because there is no way to truly review a Backman book. Nothing I say could properly explain the overwhelming beauty of his work. Just know that if you want to be transported back to your childhood... if you want to cry and laugh in equal measure... if you want to fall absolutely head over heels in love with the written word... this book is for you.

I could not have possibly picked a better book to start my year. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an ARC of this book. My heart needed it so badly.

I absolutely loved this book! I have enjoyed every previous novel by Fredrik Backman, but this one is especially magnificent. The dual timeline structure is powerful, and it works in showing the incredible friendship between a group of teenagers. Everything centers around a painting that was painted by one of the friends one summer when they were 14. Everyone in the friend group is dealing with a difficult family situation, and their friendship becomes more powerful as a result.
There is just something about Backman's writing that really makes you feel you like you are part of this friend group. You will love every one of the friend group, and the teenager in the present time story is also extremely likeable.
The story of this one summer is not unveiled at a quick pace, but that is part of the masterful writing by Backman, and the story never seems to move to slowly - it is perfectly paced.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was the first book that I read this year, and I find it hard to believe that any other book in 2025 will be better!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the e-galley. This book is a treasure!!!

Goodness, My Friends is an amazingly written novel that will give the reader all the feels. There is something about the way Fredrik Backman weaves a story and is able to portray every emotion possible. His latest novel is no exception. I absolutely loved this book from the very first page and never wanted it to end. It is just so beautifully written. 5 stars and highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Fredrik Backman has been my favorite author for quite a while now. He seems to tell a story in the exact right way for my brain, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of My Friends, which is my absolute most anticipated book of the year. Right from the start, I knew My Friends would be another favorite of mine. While it tells the story of four friends in the past and another young woman now, it also delves into the hardships of life, relationships, the meaning of true friendships, why we make art, and grief. If you've liked Backman's others, you're sure to adore this one as much as I did. It was an internal debate of devouring the book vs. savoring it.

I fell in love with the banter between Ted and Louisa, and the slow unravelling of Ted's story. The characters in this book are exactly what you'd expect from Backman's writing, and I loved every moment of it. They're not perfect, but that's the best kind of characters. They're real and you'll relate to them, or know someone who reminds you of them. If you've had people in your life that left indelible marks on your soul, you'll relate to these characters. It left me crying, laughing, rolling my eyes from both a young person and and an old person's perspective. It left me reminiscing about my own pier and about the people who still make me feel that way now. I loved this book. I trusted this book.

If you like character driven novels, had friends when you were a teenager that were your entire world, grieve someone or something you've lost, or make art in any small way, you'll love "My Friends".

I am SO thankful to netgalley and Atria books for granting me an ARC of My Friends in exchange for my honest review. The best book I'll read all year was one of my first.

Oh my heart. There is just something about Fredrik Backman’s books that flays me right open, and My Friends is no exception. There is no one who captures the beauty and the pain of the human experience like he does.

This novel captures the truly special bond between teen friends who have nothing going for them except each other. A plot summary is on slide 2 so I can use this space just to gush. 😆

Every character is flawed but deeply wonderful, and one thing I love about a Backman book is you can just tell that he truly loves his characters.

Read if you love:
💙 Books that are both tragic and deeply hopeful
💙 Beautiful friendship stories
💙 Flawed but lovable characters
💙 Deeply empathetic treatment of anxiety and other struggles
💙 Any previous Backman books (though this would be a good one to start with if you haven’t read him before!)

But also, read it no matter who you are and what you like because it’s wonderful. I highlighted 53 quotes on my kindle and feel like some of them will stay with me forever.

I think it goes without saying, but five glowing stars. I’m calling in the first week of January that this will be in my top 10 of the year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Atria and NetGalley for making my month with an advance review copy of My Friends. It has my whole heart. 💙

My Friends is a poignant novel that intertwines the lives of four teenagers and an aspiring artist, exploring themes of friendship, art, and the passage of time. The story follows Louisa, an 18-year-old artist, who becomes captivated by a painting depicting three figures on a pier. Determined to uncover their story, she embarks on a journey that leads her to the original artist and unravels the deep bonds shared by Joar, Ted, and C. Jat during a transformative summer 25 years earlier.

Backman captures the essence of human connections, blending humor and emotion to create a narrative that resonates deeply. His portrayal of the characters' struggles and triumphs offers a heartfelt reflection on the impact of friendship and the enduring power of art.

This novel is recommended for readers who appreciate character-driven stories that delve into the complexities of relationships and personal growth. Fans of Backman's previous works, such as A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, will find My Friends equally compelling and moving.

Fredrick Backman’s new novel tells the intertwined story of four teenagers in the past and a young adult in the present. Using poetic descriptions and analogies that only Backman can, you see the rarest bond of friendship, loyalty, and love that exists when you have found “your people”.

I devoured this book yet took my time to absorb the beauty that was presented in it. I felt very attached to each of the characters from page one and had the emotions running high the entire time. While art was a main focus of this book, I didn’t feel as though I couldn’t relate to the artist(s) being very non-artsy myself. I don’t think I can give this one enough stars. If I had the option to give it five million, I would!

This book is for anyone who loves love stories about friendships, underrated humor, and has a deeper appreciation for the beauty that is around them in the world.

This is hands down one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Backman’s writing is breathtakingly descriptive and poetic. He has a remarkable way of capturing a character’s darkest thoughts, most painful emotions, and deepest fears, transforming them into words that touch your soul.
At its core, this book is about friendship. A bond that stands the test of time. It tells the story of four friends who saved each other because they are incapable of abandoning those who needed them. It’s heartfelt, profound, and will stay with me forever.

| RATING | 5

| FOR READERS WHO LIKE |

• Contemporary/ Literary Fiction
• Found Family
• Coming of Age
• Alternating Time-line
• Small Town
• Friendship

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.