oh fredrik backman. you thought that this book expects low expectations? well you're wrong because <b>i've teared up. AGAIN!</b> (and yes, it indeed exceeded my expectations)

it is set in dual timelines; the first is them being teenagers doing teenager things, while the second is set twenty-five years later, and that's how we meet louisa, an aspiring painter.

i love how both timelines has a story behind the characters. it has a mixture of funny humor and emotional scenes.

but i have a slight complaint about his writing. there are some scenes that threw me off a little bit (but oh well, it's a translated book)

all on all, this book is heartwarming

I loved Beartown, but something about Backman’s writing in My Friends just didn’t land for me. The story was interesting, but there were too many coincidences and I just didn’t connect with the characters, plot of writing.

i highlighted so many things the coast guard is going to use my book to lead ships into port .

bachman can do no wrong. actually i take that back. he can do a lot of wrongs and writing sentences that rip my heart out is one of them. he did this multiple times in this book, but i also chose to read it so….

bachman will always be an instant buy for me since beartown, 5/5.

Thanks to Atria, Simon Audio, and Netgalley for a gifted copy of My Friends.

I don’t know how Fredrik Backman always creates such beautiful books. He just has a way with words and telling wonderful stories.

My Friends might be my new favorite of his. It instantly sucked me in. I love how he leaves you guessing about how everything is going to work out and drops little bit of the characters throughout the books. It feels like learning about a person in real life. And the journey he takes you on is always filled with so much of everything especially emotions. I felt them all. I cried. I laughed. And I definitely smiled.

The characters are phenomenal! I loved them all. And wish I could be friends with them!

Marin was a wonderful narrator. They brought the story to life. And helped with all the feelings the story brought.

Definitely would recommend any book by Fredrik Backman but 💯 everyone should read My Friends!

I'm not really sure how I feel about this. While I didn’t hate it, I also didn’t love it. I don’t know if it was just bad timing on my part, or something else, but this one just didn’t hit the way I hoped it would. I was really expecting to love it, but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. It wasn’t a total miss, there were definitely parts I enjoyed, but it just wasn’t as amazing as I wanted it to be. It felt like something was missing, and I couldn’t quite figure out what.

I was super excited about this book as soon as I saw it was coming out. I’ve read a few of this author’s other books and really liked them, so I was genuinely looking forward to this one. I don’t know if my expectations were just too high or if I just wasn’t in the right headspace, but from the first few chapters, I could tell something felt off. I kept having trouble focusing, and I found myself putting the book down way more often than I normally would. And that was weird, because I was enjoying the little moments I was reading. I just couldn’t seem to stay with it for more than a chapter or two at a time.

The story follows Louisa, a young aspiring artist who becomes intrigued by three tiny, mysterious figures in the background of a famous painting. What most people see as just a wide sea, she knows is something more. Her curiosity leads her on a cross-country journey to uncover the story behind the painting and the group of teens from decades ago who inspired it. Kids who found comfort, connection, and purpose on an old, abandoned pier one unforgettable summer.

It took me a while to realize that the pacing was the issue. The story is really slow. Like, painfully slow in some places. And the alternating timelines didn’t help either.

This is a very character-driven story. Not a lot actually happens. The entire book is basically one long train ride with Ted and Louisa, where Ted is trying to piece together and retell his childhood. His story doesn’t follow a straight line, which got a little annoying sometimes, but I actually ended up enjoying the past timeline more than the present. Ted and his friends were great characters, and I really loved their bond. They had the kind of friendship that people dream about.

In the end, I’m still glad I read it, even if it didn’t completely work for me. There were some really beautiful and emotional moments, and I can see why others might love it. But overall, it just didn’t fully click with me the way I hoped it would. Maybe I’ll revisit it one day with fresh eyes.

Thank you so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is absolute perfection. From start to finish, this novel is a beautifully woven tapestry of perspectives and moments that truly touched my heart and left me utterly speechless. Backman’s ability to effortlessly transition between the present day and a poignant 25 years past added such depth and richness to the storyline — it felt like I was living within the pages alongside the characters.

Just when I thought the story couldn’t get any better, it surprised me again and again with its warmth, insight, and emotional resonance. This was my very first experience reading Fredrik Backman, and I’m genuinely excited to dive into more of his work. My Friends is a shining example of storytelling that stays with you long after the last page.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves a heartfelt, unforgettable journey.

Something about Fredrik Backman's writing is so simple yet so meaningful and soul-striking. His stories never fail to take my breath away -- Writing about something so seemingly mundane, like a group of 15-year olds on their summer break, but detailing it and twisting it in a way that makes me stare at my wall with tears falling down my face is something I'll never be able to comprehend.

My Friends follows Ted and Louisa, an unlikely duo who came to know each other through unlikely circumstances. Louisa has become the newest owner of a world-famous painting from the artist C. Jat, a childhood friend of Ted's. Throughout the story, we come to learn about Ted and the artist and their friends and how one summer when they were 15 changed the course of their lives. Reading anything by Backman feels so charming and effortless, and it's his attention to and description of everyday life and things that are so uniquely human that captures my attention and leaves me crying/smiling/laughing/longing for more every time.

If the previous two paragraphs don't make it obvious enough, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. "Thoroughly enjoyed" actually feels too bland to describe my reading experience, but to put it simply, read this!! Like all of Backman's works I've read, this story is so reflective and moving in ways I've not seen from any other author. My Friends specifically makes my heart ache because of how beautifully it is written -- the innocence of being 15-years old but also the weight of being 15-years old. How important and transformative the friends you have at that age are, and how at that age, everything feels (and IS) life-changing. I will never understand how Fredrik Backman can write such powerful stories while imbuing it with his signature humor and introspection and make me feel such an incredible book hungover. Read this and all his other books!

Maybe it’s because I went into this read with the notion that it could possibly be the last Backman book we get - but it hit different for me in the most wonderful way. My first experience with Fredrick Backman was A Man Called Ove, a book I still think about and recommend often. Then I read the Beartown series and felt like I was living within that world and it stole my entire heart. After that, Anxious People healed me in a humerus, heartfelt way that reminded me about the importance of people and connections.

Then I read My Friends and I was bulldozed. My Friends had everything I’ve come to expect from Backman, dark things, close connections, a wandering storytelling all his own, and so much humor woven throughout. What was different was his emphasis on art and creation which absolutely blew me away. Sure, I could make some small complaints about the repetition (but again, this is a Backmanism) or how some of the characters didn’t feel like they were necessarily acting their age, but overall the connections that spanned across 25 years and so many lifetimes was jaw dropping in the at their webs entwined.

It felt like Backman was really pouring himself into this story, trying to not only tell the story of the artist, Joar, Ali, Ted, and Louisa - but or himself too and his connection with us, his readers. While I heartbreakingly followed all the characters around, wishing to set the world on fire to serve them justice, I couldn’t help but in the back of my mind feel as though Backman was thanking his readers and showing us how much his experience as a writer of books beloved by so many has impacted his life - and how he hoped he’s impacted ours. For me, he has over and over again and for that I will forever be greatly. I have the Backman shelf to prove it.

You’re going to cry, you’re going to laugh, you’re going to see red with anger but if you read this book, most of all you’re going to learn and feel connected to characters that you’ll never believe aren’t real, because for me, they jumped right off the page and I felt like I was right next to them in that salt water, breathing in a life that really is, quite long.

And I couldn’t have asked for a better last line, I see you in there Fredrik: “What would someone like me write a book about?”

So much.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Fredrik Backman is a master at creating such a realistic cast of characters who make you become so emotionally invested. This book...I don't want to say too much other than you need to go into reading this blind. Then get ready for your heartstrings to be stretched to the absolute limit. Backman is brilliant at breaking you...as well as building you up.

You will laugh. You will cry. You will never look at your friends quite the same ever again...

5 stars

This one took me a long time to get into, but once I did, I liked it a lot. The characters are real (not perfect) and make you root for them. The way the author wove in humor with such deep feelings was great. I love his writing style, but it is hard to get into at first. I'm glad he's back to writing and I'm ready for his next book.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of My Friends by Fredrik Backman. I have been a fan of Backman since my pre-bookstagram days when I first read a Man Called Ove. I have read most of his other works as well, and he is definitely one of those auto-read, auto-buy authors- he never lets me down! My Friends was no different. I had high expectations going into this one, and Backman didn't disappoint. This was a beautiful story and one that will stay with me for a long time. It even made me a bit weepy. All the stars for My Friends!

The value of Fredrik Backman’s writing for me is through his storytelling aspect. He has the phenomenal talent of telling a deeply impactful story that explores trauma while still maintaining the importance of seeing the beauty of life and finding chosen family. Some deeply troubling things occur, but it only makes the story richer as it comes full circle.

To have a male author be as emotionally intuitive and witty as Backman is so refreshing. To be a grown man and be able to write about childhood as if we are all going through it in real time again is heartwarming. I would read anything this man writes!!

I enjoyed the storytelling in My Friends—Backman has a way of crafting emotional moments that really land. There were several scenes that moved me deeply, and I found myself genuinely affected by the characters and their relationships.

That said, I did feel the pacing was off. The story progressed slowly, and at times it felt repetitive. I think some of that stems from Backman’s poetic and reflective style, which works beautifully in moments but can also make the narrative feel like it’s circling the same ideas.

Despite that, I was satisfied with how the story wrapped up. It felt true to the tone and heart of the book. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of Backman, who are familiar with and appreciate his unique voice. For casual readers or those new to his work, though, I might hesitate to suggest this as the first one to pick up.

“I sometimes think,” she whispers to the postcard, “that the artist who painted all that must have been in so much pain, but he must also have been the world’s happiest person. It’s like he must have felt every single feeling inside himself all at the same time, and it must have been almost unbearable, because otherwise no one would be able to paint like that. You know?”

OVERWHELMING 5 STARS! WOW!!
Backman absolutely breathes humanity into his books and he outdoes himself in MY FRIENDS. The storytelling here sucks you in from the start, and takes you on a marvelously swirly path of interconnectedness between the characters, to the rest of the world, and through the power of art. I had to slow down reading because I didn’t want it to end and afterwards needed time to reflect before a review. Even just reading my highlights brought me to tears.

This is the story of a tribe of misfits that may not be understood by society as a whole, but completely known within. I LOVED every character. Most everyone is multidimensional, not all bad nor all good. Friends are EVERYTHING. Some of my favorite moments are between Ted and his brother, Christian and the artist, Christian and his mother. There were moments I felt Backman was sharing HIS most vulnerable thoughts as “the artist.”

The power of art comes across so strongly, it’s like another character in the book. Quotes by various artists underscore the value and how one lives through art (e.g. the poet Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do, with your one wild and precious life?”). The painting (THE ONE OF THE SEA) is so precious, telling the story of the friends very subtly, but unraveling embedded secrets if you know where to look.

The book is about friends, family, the enormity of parenthood, grace, misfits and found family, abuse, grief, loyalty, anxiety, wanting to be enough and to be loved. It’s about art, it’s power, it’s relevance, it’s importance.

My soul needed this.

I’ve never wanted to reread immediately after reading a book, but I am excitedly waiting for the audiobook to relive it. And Marin Ireland is an exceptional narrator, so looking forward to her delivery.

“Once you’ve seen his art, you can’t imagine a world without it,”....this, to me, is Backman.

Thank you NetGalley for this most incredibly beautiful ARC!

this is simply a standard fredrik backman novel. I loved it. the melancholy way he tells his story whilst keeping you hooked.

loved this one and would definitely recommend

Backman is an expert at character and writing. This was devastating but hopeful. Nostalgic and wholly it's own. I love his work and this was one that had me sobbing at the end. Found friendship. Love. Adventures and mishaps. This has it all.

This is another masterful book by Fredrik Backman. His signature style hooks the reader from the first sentence and doesn't let go until long after the last page has been turned. He has managed to write a book that is at once hopeful and despairing while always being achingly true to real life. The reader is introduced to the characters in an organic way that feel true to life and seems to intertwine their life with what is happening in the story. Everyone should add this book to the top of their to be read list.

No one will ever be able to write the way Fredrik Backman writes. His books are, and forever will be, such an absolute treat to experience.

Fredrik Backman never fails to impress me with the emotional depth he brings to every story. “My Friends” is a character driven story that follows teenager Louisa after she inherits a piece of art from a famous artist, and Ted, the artists childhood friend. Ted slowly reveals stories from his childhood with the artist and two other friends - Joar and Ali. What follows is a simultaneous tale of childhood antics and profound grief. I really enjoyed how Backman sets you up to expect the story going one way and then it goes another way completely.

My main critique is that I found it a bit repetitive, and wanted more from the ending. While I’m glad to have read it, it wouldn’t be the top Backman book that I’d recommend.

Some books quietly steal your heart. My Friends is one of them.

It starts with Louisa, a young artist who becomes obsessed with three nearly invisible figures at the edge of a famous painting. Her search for their story leads to a cross-country journey and a deep dive into a long-forgotten summer on a weathered pier, where a group of misfit teens once found refuge, laughter, and the kind of friendship that changes everything.

Told in beautifully woven dual timelines, this is a story about chosen family, the healing power of art, and how we hold each other up when the world gets heavy. The characters feel achingly real and Backman evokes the full spectrum of emotions.

I cherished every moment with these characters and I think you will too.

Read this if you:
-love stories where art and emotion collide
-enjoy Backman-style insights that stop you mid-page
-are overdue for a good cry