Fredrik Backman always delivers. You start reading and you immediately know you can trust him to take you on a journey. The back and forth of time was like a boat swaying on the water. I immediately fell in love with the artist, and then quickly with Ted and Louisa. The writing was superb, as always. The story drew me in, and I only hoped goodness doe the characters even though Backman tells you from the start, it’s not good for everyone.

FREDRICK BACKMAN YOU ARE A GENIOUS!! Leave it to this man to completely shatter my heart and put it all together at the same time. This book completely destroyed me but it also made me appreciate life, friendship and connection. It is a work of art and probably one of my favorite books he has ever written.

My friends is not only a love story to friendships but to the human experience. Fredrick has this unparalleled way of making you truly believe everything he says. From the characters to their stories to their personalities, I wholeheartedly believe these people are real and because of that, the connections that you make with these characters are even that much deeper.

My friends is nostalgic, gut wrenching, hopeful and full of quotes that will have you gasping. I can’t put all my thoughts into words, it feels as though I would never be able to make it justice but I do hope everyone knows this book is not for the faint of heart. But it is for all of us who crave connection, who believe in deep emotional friendships and who appreciate every single day we are living for what it is, momentary and fleeting but oh so beautiful.

I feel lucky to be alive at the same time as Fredrick Blackman. To find so much peace, healing and hope in his words and to be able to interpret and express grief in a way I never knew possible. I can’t wait for this book to be out into the world. Fredrick once again, you’ve outdone yourself.

Fredrik Backman does it again! He is absolutely stunning with words and is storytelling is something that I’ve never experienced before. This story has the same heart and emotionality as what I loved about the Beartown series. There are characters that you will fall in love with and want to see more of. This story is about much more than just friendship but about art and what it means to be an artist. But the friendship plays a large role and I loved it. Can’t say that enough!

Frederik Backman is a master at developing characters that are sympathetic and believable. His writing is exquisite with unusual descriptions and stories. This book, like his others that I've read, draws the reader in and engaged. I always recommend his books.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a heartfelt and introspective exploration of friendship, community, and the bonds that shape our lives. Through the eyes of a group of seemingly ordinary individuals, Backman skillfully reveals the depth of human connection, vulnerability, and the quiet struggles that define us all. His writing is both tender and witty, capturing the nuances of everyday life with a profound emotional resonance. The characters feel real and relatable, each carrying their own complexities and burdens, which makes their interactions both heartwarming and deeply moving. With its perfect balance of humor and raw emotion, My Friends is a beautifully crafted narrative that left me reflecting long after I turned the final page, earning a well-deserved 5-star rating for its compelling storytelling and universal themes of human connection.

My Friends is a beautifully written story about--no surprises here--friendship, but is also about art and the impact it can have on a person's life. The book opens with an introduction to Louisa, a girl on the precipice of her 18th birthday who has grown up in foster care and is an artist with a keen
fascination with a particular painting of by an elusive artist known as C. Jat. Most folks who see the painting think it is just a rendition of the sea, but it is so much more than that. The story from there follows Louisa's adventures as she learns the backstory of the painting, the artist who painted it, and the summers of friendship that inspired it.

Fredrik Backman is a master storyteller and he creates characters for which you feel deeply. Though some of the characters were hard to find real (for example, I could not believe that Louisa was actually 18 years old), the story was compelling and I could not put the book down. Heartbreaking at times, laugh-out-loud funny at others, this is a book I will recommend (and already have recommended) to others.

The last time I read a Fredrik Backman novel was in 2017 (A Man Called Ove, which I also enjoyed immensely) and this book reminded me of how beautiful his writing is. The chapters flowed so smoothly, and I will definitely be picking up more of his books soon.

Thank you to Mr. Backman, Atria, and Netgalley for my free electronic ARC.

Two decades ago four friends spent the summer they turned 15 jumping from a pier into the salt water below. Day after day after day.

It was the perfect summer.

Those warm days turned into a moment captured in a painting that became world famous, sought after, its importance in the art world unparalleled.

Louisa, a teenager escaping a difficult foster care experience meets the painter and one of his friends at a critical moment in all of their lives and the result is a deeply moving portrait of how friendship can be the key to survival.

In his characteristic style of storytelling, this is vulnerable, raw, unexpected, full of surprises.

And yes, your heart will break.

It explores the theme that friendship formed at critical times in your life can help you transcend pain and difficulty. That humans are resilient and find joy in even the most unbelievable circumstances, especially when they face it with friends.

These characters are flawed - angry, rude, morally gray - and still manage to be lovable. In fact, they long to be loved, despite not believing they are worthy, despite absolutely being worthy.

It doesn’t disappoint. My review is vague because it’s better to go in knowing little of what’s coming, to just let it unfold around you, envelop you, fill you with love and empathy and satisfaction.

I really enjoyed this one, despite at the times heavy themes. I was instantly gripped by the story and group of characters. Backman is really good at writing about grief and how one copes or doesn’t cope with it.

This is a definite recommend. Thanks to the NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

My Friends by Frederick Bachman
C.Jat, Joar, Ted, Ali. These are the names of the fourteen year-old friends that had the summer of a lifetime twenty-five years ago. It was filled with typical experiences like long summer days swimming, laughing with your best friends, riding bikes, being daredevils, and with not-so-typical things like shoplifting, driving without a license, dodging blows from from a parent and trying to get through the day without hurting yourself.

In the present, the famous artist, C.Jat, creator of the famous “The One of the Sea”, finds a homeless and parent less girl named Louisa. He realizes that she is just like he was and does something to change her life. In the process, the summer of his friends is revealed to her through stories. And the artist in her is able to move beyond her past to a future she can hardly imagine.

The talent of Frederick Bachman is that he is an incredible storyteller. He layers stories from the past with the present, commenting on how we are shaped by our parents, our towns, our friends and our summers. He shows us that art teaches us to mourn for strangers and how art has saved these kids, opening up a new world for the artist. These kids decide that the artist must enter an art contest so that he can see that he is an artist and escape from his life in their small town.

In the end, Louisa sees exactly what the four friends saw twenty-five years ago: an endless sea, a great friendship, and a true love story.
#netgalley

I did not enjoy this book. It felt very meandering and the plot was lacking substantial events. I was intrigued by the premise at first, but kept reading just to see if anything would happen at all. I was really disappointed because I enjoy this author’s earlier work.

I was so excited to get this eArc from Netgalley. Fredrik Backman is one of my favorites. The way he develops his characters in all of his books is amazing. My Friends is no exception. Two would be friends meet and during a train ride, the reader gets an inside peek of both of their lives before they met. This book pulls on all of the heartstrings; sad, humorous, grief, friendship etc.

It is a delightful book reminiscent a little of Ove, but definitely its own story.

“This might sound like an unhappy ending, but only if you forget how many times during this story we’ve told you that someone laughed.”
My Friends is a captivating story about friendship, love, life, and forgiveness. It’s an uplifting story about how happiness happens even in the midst of unfortunate circumstances, as long as you have love in your life. Masterfully delivered in Fredrik Backman’s unique writing style, the book got my attention from the first page, and I found myself rereading several passages to reflect on their depth.
This was a 5-star read for me.

I’ve waited three whole years for a new Fredrik Backman book, and finally—finally—it’s here. And before anyone says, “But what about The Answer is No?” Let me stop you right there. That was a short story. And short stories don’t count. Because they are, well, short.

Backman’s My Friends delivers everything we’ve come to love from him: that unmistakable voice, the humor that sneaks up on you, and the way he handles heavy, heartbreaking topics with such a gentle, human touch. Honestly, I want to tuck this book in and hug it goodnight.

My Friends is a tender, funny, and beautifully honest story about the kinds of friendships that shape us—and sometimes save us. It follows four teens bound together by art, pain, and shared hope, and explores how that bond echoes through time. It’s about trauma and resilience, the power of connection, and the quiet magic of being truly seen.

This book made me laugh, cry, and immediately want to text my best friends. It’s everything I needed, and then some. A solid 5-star read. Don’t walk—run—to get your hands on it.

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. Sometimes begging really does pay off. All opinions are my own.

Fredrik Backman is forever the exception!! I ALWAYS know going into a Fredrik Backman book that I need to be fully prepared to feel things and most likely cry. This book was no different and met every single expectation I could’ve had.

The way he single-handedly gave us a the most beautiful platonic love story. Honestly, there isn’t a synopsis out there that can do this book justice. Trust the reviews and read this.

Thank you SO much Atria for the advance copy of this!

I remember the nerves I had sending the request to potential review an advance copy of a Backman book so when the approval email came in I was ELATED. I have such a respect for all authors but there is just something about his writing that struck a nerve with me after reading the Beartown series. It just sat with me for a long time and after reading this book I can tell you this struck me to my core. Those that know me, know that my favorite movie is "Stand By Me" and I couldn't help but see parallels between the two (trust me its still VERY different).

"Stories are complicated, memories are merciless, our brains only store a few moments from the best days of our lives, but we remember every second of the worst."

His writing is just so phenomenal and he has this way of making serious scenes also have humor. He also has this way of crafting a group of characters SO well. And in this case he is doing a story within a story which I feel like could be hard to do and yet he made it seem so easy.

I want to try to describe this book without giving too much away. This book is told from two timelines - the present as well as the past. In the past we get to learn all about the 4 friends and their magical summer when they were fourteen - The artist, Ted, Joar and Ali. The hardship that all 4 have gone through in their home life but their friendship is what made them keep going every day. They just had such immense respect for one another even if they didn't always know how to show it. A phrase they often said to one another is "I love you and I trust you." Oh my heart.

In the present timeline, Louisa an 18 year old orphan learns about that summer from one of the key players and how that summer 25 years ago changed all their lives and how it plays an effect on Louisa currently. The present timeline was such a hoot. Louisa and the key player (sorry not giving up a name!) went on such an adventure across the country and their banter was hysterical. As much as they didn't want Louisa to be around, you knew that they were going to eventually be charmed by her. And their relationship just felt so natural. Two individuals who have each led such a life were able to bond over their love of this painting, grieve together and most of all learning how to trust one another.

"All children are born with wings. It's just that the world is full of people who try to tear them off."

This book has so many layers to it and moving parts. And you would think it would be hard to keep track of and I thought I would have a difficult time but it all comes together. The middle part was a little slow compare to the beginning and the last 30% but the way that Backman writes, he makes you want to keep going and will leave on you chapter cliffhangers. I do wish I had the physical copy in the beginning so I could flip back and forth easier than with my kindle. I am going to be seeing Fredrik speak next month about this book and I am so excited to hear about how this story came to be.

Reading a Backman book is an experience. And this is an experience that you want to share with others. It was just so beautiful!

If you are looking for a story about platonic friendship and the love that doesn't go away with childhood friends but also a book filled with so much hope, give this book a read!

Extra Insights:

When I first read Beartown, I was tabbing all these amazing quotes and let me tell you, I highlighted so many moments and quotes in this more so than I ever have with any other book. I don't even know where to begin with ones that hit the hardest because they all hit. But here is a small round up of some of my favorite out of context quotes.

"Grown men don't have enough things they're afraid of on this planet to become good at running."

"It has to be said that Louisa hates many things about herself but most of all her height and weight. She wished for many things throughout her childhood, but perhaps more than anything she wished to be smaller."

"People always say that you should live as if every day was your last, but when you have children you realize that you have to live as if every day was their first."

"This must have been the longest train trip of your life."

"It suits you, that laugh. I'm glad they didn't manage to take it from you."
"Who?"
"All the people who have tried."

Thanks to Netgalley & Atria Books for the E-ARC! Another tear-jerker from this author. Great characters & loved the friendships. Beautiful story.

Where to begin… when people ask for a book recommendation from me, my go-to is always Beartown. My Friends will be my newest rec. While any Fredrik Backman is an automatic read for me, this may be his best. It is so thoughtful, humorous, heart-breaking, but life-affirming. Every page was perfection, especially the very end. Though I was of course sad for the book to end, the resolution was perfect and felt complete.

This story is told as just that, a story, that bonds two people for life. A death connects Ted and Louisa and sees them through an adventure that is equal parts nerve wrecking and hilarious. It is for anyone who was ever a child and hopes to be one again. I smiled and teared up so frequently throughout this novel. This is why Fredrik Backman is the best author. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Backman, Atria, and NetGalley for the ARC.

“I love you and I trust you.”

Fredrik Backman, you have written yet another book that caused me to feel every single feeling there was to feel, and I loved every second of it. Louisa and Ted were such lovely characters, along with the artist, Joar, Ali, and Christopher. I really was entranced with each of them and found myself wanting to read more to hear their stories. It felt like I had the pleasure of living out the summer with them.

What an incredibly powerful story about grief and fate and meeting someone at just the right time. And how all of that can change your life’s entire trajectory.

This book is, at its core, about friendship. About new friends and old friends. About how the people who are your friends during your formative years will shape everything you do going forward. How reminiscing about those days can help you to move forward after a tragedy. And about how people you’ve just met can heal you. But it’s also a book about art. About how art can immortalize a moment. About how art can bring together unlikely companions.

This might just be my new favorite Backman book which is high praise considering almost every book is a 5 star from me. It’s amazing that a book this brilliant talks about farting a lot. Like more than what you’d ever think. But a big part of this story is retelling a story of a particular summer with a group of fourteen year olds.

If you love Backman’s writing style, you will definitely love this. It’s a beautifully written and told story.

I don’t think I have the right words to describe how much I loved this book and why. Just know that I do and I feel so grateful to be able to read a book that stirs up so much emotion in me.

This book is about profound friendship, a love story (not the typical love you expect) and how it all shapes you. The stories of these friends made me laugh, made me cry and made me just reflect on the special people that shaped my life.

There really isn’t much I can say without spoiling it so do yourself a favor and read it. Bring the tissues with you, ya know? And prepared for this very long story.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.