I can see the beauty in this story. about helping the next generation by looking for the right qualities in others and lifting them when they don't think they are enough. This is a slower paced story that is very focused on character development. This isn't a bad thing. I am sad I read this immediately after the new Hunger Games book, because it felt much slower after an action packed book.

I think this story will be well received. I just suggest reading it when you are in the mood for a slower, character driven book.

I can imagine this to be even better on audio if it is done right. Having Ted telling his story. It would be so good.

I have not made my post schedule for May quite yet, but I plan to share this title right around publication date at the beginning of May. The post will be made on my instagram page at www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads

This was such a touching and meaningful story. I love the way Fredrik Backman writes characters that are flawed but lovable, it makes them so real and easy to connect with.

Fredrik Backman does it again! I will say, it took me a little while (50-60%) to connect with the characters, but once I did, the book opened up for me.

This was my first Fredrik Bachman novel and I can say that it didn't disappoint! The way that he can represent the depths of human emotion and suffering is incredible. The characters were so realistic that I wished I could have friends like them! I loved how all the friends fought desperately to protect each other, both physically and emotionally, and learned to love each other despite not receiving love from other people in their family. The writing style did take a little to get used to, but overall this is a fantastic book and will pull at the heart strings of every reader. Just make sure to read with a box of tissues next to you!

The literary style of Fredrik Backman never disappoints and this beautiful prose will stick with the readers for months to come. It was impossible not to become intertwined with the characters' pasts and presents and root for them all. Beautiful story through and through.

Fredrik Backman does it again. He creates a world where all the relationships feel so alive and you just keep hoping for a happy ending for everyone while also holding your breath waiting for the other shoe to drop. I also have never felt so old when someone who just hit 40 is described as old old.

Laughing and crying, page after page, make this an intense and wonderful experience. Don’t expect a fast-paced novel; this story lingers long enough to give each character a full personality and life. A painting is supposedly at the center of the story but it is really about friendship, trust, and love. Four teens, self-described misfits all, bond one summer vacation when their home lives are unhappy and, for some, dangerous. Many paragraphs are laugh out loud funny while others caused my tears drip freely. The writing gives the reader a chance to see and feel through the eyes of these kids. This is really an unforgettable reading experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

This was a beautifully written book. It was definitely true to his unique writing style. His writing is filled with words of wisdom that I like to ponder. He expresses feelings so well. This book is a story of childhood friends, growing up in a hard life. From the beginning of the book you know that "something" bad has happened, "somebody" has died. As Ted recounts the story of the friends it is not until the end that you find out the what or who. Maybe my favorite book of the author's yet. I believe this book will be one of the 10 best of 2025. Thank you SO VERY MUCH to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gift of a digital ARC. This review/rating has not been coerced in any way. I just happened to love this book.

As soon as I finished this book I decided that I need to read Backman's whole back log. I'm not usually a plain fiction fan but this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The beginning can be a little confusing as you start to figure out the timeline as well has trying to recall everyones names. This felt like it could of been a whole series on and then this book could of been like a novella. There was just something about the was the words flowed through the chapters and made the transitions through the timeline seamless which is usually something I struggle with in books. This was just such a wholesome down to earth book. The ending when you essentially are getting everyones resolution ], it just made my chest warm and fuzzy.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. I never thought Backman could top A Man Called Ove. That is one of my all time favorite books. But I am delighted to say that My Friends has definitely knocked Ove into second place. It is a rare author that can make you sob and belly laugh at the same time. I'm a sucker for books set in the art world, and thus was drawn into this book immediately with Backmn's signature quirky, but lovable and very real characters, with much wisdom to impart to the world.. Nobody does quirky Like Fredrik Backman. This author makes a whole world and a whole life out of one painting and one summer for a group of friends who only have each other for a short time. This book has my vote for best book of the year - and it's only March! Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity. It was truly a delight and a privilege to be an early reader of this wonderful book!

I have yet to read a Fredrik Backman novel I haven't loved! His newest addition "My Friends" is a beautiful rollercoaster of emotions. "I love you, I trust you." Those simple words says it all. Thank you NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this ARC.

“ At the end of his life, he only wished for what almost all of us wish for, to have our childhood summers back”

These four friends, the summer between the ages of 14 and 15 stretched out between them (25 years ago)would change everything for each one of them.

I think we all need, or hopefully have had friends like that time and time again in our life.

Friends with who you can be yourself, who can see you for you, who can see the potential in you even at the age of 14 when you couldn’t see the potential in you.

To call this a book is an understatement, it was a lifetime, it was a journey, it was love, and the cruelty of life all wrapped in in one and written as only this author can write.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, for the arc. I definitely think it's the best book Backman has ever written! A story of friendship, grief, art, and love where all the characters find a great sense of closure! I love his writing style and the depth of the stories he presents. How he gradually unravels the story and makes it addictive to read.

Truth be told, I was in a bit of a reading slump, so I picked up the book I wanted to read most from my TBR shelf, My Friends by Backman. I am so glad I did! If you're a fan of Backman's writing, this book will not disappoint. His signature character development pulls you right into the lives of the main characters, and by the end, they feel like ‘your people’.

The book beautifully explores the complexities of friendships and relationships, in that very Backman way. He truly excels at making these connections feel real and raw and the connections show up in unexpected places. It’s a study of all that friendships mean, with a backdrop of personal tragedies that ultimately show the hope and strength that come from human connection.

The writing is absolutely amazing—lyrical yet straightforward, making you feel every emotion the characters experience. So much of it I wanted to highlight and quote. The book is a powerful reminder to live intentionally, and it’s a message we could all use in today’s world.

Would I recommend this book? Emphatically Yes!!! I can already tell this will be one of my top reads of 2025. It's going to be my go-to book gift for friends and family this year!

I was so excited when @simonschusterca and sent me a copy of this book for an honest read and review! @netgalley also approved my request before I receive the hard copy!

Thank you @backmansk for writing such enjoyable and immersive books. I know you have a hard time with all the other stuff that goes along with publishing a book, but please don’t stop writing them! Just stop doing all the other stuff that goes along with it! I’ll always be reading your works!

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors because of the character depth he creates when building his universe of brilliancy. In his latest novel, My Friends, four life-long friends have life paths that weave together and separate depending on various circumstances. But the main character, a teenage girl who is escaping her own problems, is the mechanism through which we learn about their history. She's charming, another quirk of life where we all question how we see things so differently when the honest truth she brings to every conversation is eye-opening. Literal. Strange. Remarkably on-point in many ways. While I loved the individual scenes, in particular the shenanigans on their train ride, I felt like something was missing to bring together the larger story. It moved me many times but nothing like some his other books. Worth reading. Intense in a psychological way. Slower moving in a plot way this time. Still, another example of why Backman is a top author in my lifetime.

Fredrik Backman has written another fantastic book filled with interesting and unusual characters. He is a master at developing characters and plot lines that draw the reader into the story and dare them to NOT read "...just one more chapter", and My Friends certainly does that! I could not put this book down and hated when it ended. But loved the ending!

I felt drawn to C. Jat, Ted, Joer, Ali and Louisa and the others as they struggle to survive a childhood of poverty and often cruel and abusive treatment and situations. Mr. Backman somehow makes even the saddest events seem hopeful with humor, limitless friendship, and true love.

I am lucky enough to have livelong friends who have helped me navigate and survive over 50 years of life. We would have loved being friends with all the wonderful people in this novel.

Fredrik Backman has done it again, I laughed, I cried, and I told my people I trust you and I love you. One of the best books I've read in a long time.

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about Fredrik Backman's work? He's a brilliant writer who has done it again! My Friends is another gorgeous novel that demonstrates the beauty and tragedy of the human experience, told in a way that will have you laughing but also wanting to give the characters a comforting hug. There are no other writers like Fredrik Backman and all his fans will love this one.

Wow! When I was 45% through this book, I forced myself to slow down to make it last longer. Backman's beautiful storytelling is back in this novel with Louisa and Ted in the present and Ted and his friends 25 years in the past. The weeping and laughter didn't just exist in the characters but also physically in me as I read. I marked several beautiful lines as I read, and I'm looking forward to going back and exploring them again. This just might be my favorite Backman book, and that is saying a lot since he's written so many masterpieces. 🩷

"Sometimes you don’t appreciate your own blessings until you see the envy in someone else's eyes."
I love Fredrik Backman books! I love his new book, My Friends! It is a beautiful story about friendships. A famous work of art unites a teenager, who has left her foster home, and Ted, a friend of the artist, who meet in an alleyway after the artist's death there. Their stories merge in this story of friendship, love, and trust. "..the most dangerous place on earth inside us. Fragile hearts break in palaces and dark alleys alike."
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! It is my new favorite!