I enjoyed this journey to the sea, even though it took waaaaay longer than it needed to. His writing style meanders, and you have to be prepared for lots of side trips and flashbacks. All in all, a good read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publish for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fredrik Backman has done it again! All our main character Louisa wants is to see the world's most famous painting in person. Growing up, she would look at that very painting on a postcard and dream about what her life could become. When she meets the artist, they form a special bond that will change the course of Louisa's life forever. Told in dual timelines, this kept me hooked from the very start. Backman has once again broken my heart and put it right back together again.

I love Fredrik Backman. I love how all of his stories make me feel so deeply. This one is no exception.

This book is about art. And love. And friendship. It’s about a time when a group of friends were kids, having fun and living life to the fullest, also living with some hardships that kids shouldn’t have to deal with. It’s also about a time when those friends have grown older, how they think about their past, how they help someone with their future.

As always, Backman is an amazing writer. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I got there, I felt like I was part of the gang.

Fredrik Backman does it again. With delicious twists and heartrending turns, he gives us another novel that makes you appreciate life both the ups and the downs, especially the downs, and the people that make up the adventure.

This book was such a contradictions of emotions - both a gut wrenching and heart warming read that centered on the strength and importance of platonic love and friendship. I laughed and teared up many times - feeling like I was along for each of the characters journeys. I loved how the author chose the setting of the book - most obviously a physical journey on a train, but we were also on a journey back in history of the story of the group's friendship. It was sometimes hard to stomach what these children faced at such young ages, but I couldn't stop reading - eager to know how their lives unraveled throughout the years and hopeful for a happy ending. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a book that tugs at your heart strings and makes you want to snuggle your loved ones closer.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for this advanced read copy!

Thank you, #Partner @atriabooks, for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 5/6/25.

#FredrikBackman is a one of a kind writer. Literally nobody can write like him! MY FRIENDS was incredible, and I fell in love with all the characters. This was a coming of age story about friendship, love, loss, and so much more! I laughed, and I cried, and this novel literally just had so much emotion to it. This will be a huge hit in May, so make sure you pre-order!

All Eighteen-year-old Louisa wants to do is see the world's most famous painting in person. She grew up looking at that painting on a postcard, and it means so much to her. Then, she accidentally meets the artist, and they form sort of a bond in the small amount of time they were together. When she learns of his passing and that he left the painting to her, she has no idea what to do with it. She befriends Ted, the artists friend, and he tells her the story behind the painting. Told through past and present this novel will pull at your heart strings. 💕

This is a beautifully written story about 4 teenagers whose friendship became enshrined in a painting by one of them. Twenty-five years later Louisa, a talented artist herself who is escaping the foster care system, meets the artist and begins a journey of learning more about these friends who are depicted in the painting. The eccentric characters become very real and Louisa's anticipation of hearing the entire story is palpable.

This book is a masterpiece, and I expected nothing less from Fredrik Backman.

I love how unique his writing style is. It’s not complicated but it’s intricate. It doesn’t try too hard or force anything. It’s simple, yet extremely complex. It pulls at your emotions from the very first words. The minute I started this book I felt entirely too much lol. There’s humor, anger, sorrow, hope, love, loneliness and a million others. He makes you feel such empathy for each character!!

Louisa has no one. Her best friend just died and she’s run away from her foster home. But she has a plan. It’s a perfect plan. We’ll, it was, a perfect plan.

There’s a painting called The One Of The Sea. But it is not of the sea. Not at all. It is so many things. And only those who can see it, can see it.

There is a famous artist, who painted a famous painting, that is hanging on the wall inside a church, ready to be auctioned. But the artist has just met a strange girl, in an alley. And that’s the beginning of the end of the story.

This is a heavy book. It is not for the weak lol. It will absolutely smash right into your heart and shatter it, in good ways and bad. But, it is also a must read. It is a story of love and friendship. Of finding the light in the darkest of times. It is about acceptance. Of yourself. Of others.

I am I love with Fredrik Backmans writing, even if it does emotionally traumatize me lol. It’s so worth it!!

I can't adequately describe how much I loved this book. This is a story with a famous work of art at its center. The picture is a beach scene and there are three children sitting at the edge of a pier. The children can almost go unnoticed in the picture. There are four children who are friends, but the fourth is not in the picture. The children live in a poor neighborhood, and some of them are abused or neglected or both.

What is important is what these children meant to each other, even as they grew to be adults. They grew up in a poor town where substance abuse and domestic violence was common. The timelines jump around and there are several different narrators. I've read it three times and always find something new.

I received an e-arc from the publisher Atria Books, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

Wow, this book was amazing! That might not be the most loquacious of reviews, but I struggle to find the words to express how wonderfully heart-wrenching and poignant this story was. This is my third book by Backman and my favorite so far. I’ve wanted to explore more of his titles, but they require some emotional preparation. However, I will overcome and continue this journey with Mr. Backman as he brings characters to life in nuanced and often unpredictable ways that mentally and emotionally challenge me. There’s no better way to describe his writing than to say, “I love you, and I trust you.”

The story unfolds gradually, centering on Ted and Louisa's current predicament. Their journey is made possible by the bonds formed between four friends—Kim, Joar, Ali, and Ted—who grew up in a tough neighborhood and had to overcome traumatic home lives. A trip to a museum to see a very special painting leads Louisa to an accidental meeting with the man responsible for the art. An unexpected turn of events leaves her with that very painting, which holds astronomical value, and sets her on a journey with one of the artist’s best friends, Ted.

Louisa and Ted's journey is not linear; it is marked by heart-palpitating and tragic events. As they return to Ted’s hometown, he shares the artist’s story with Louisa, helping her understand the origins of the painting. Their tale of friendship, kindness, tragedy, and the lengths to which the human spirit will go to overcome challenges are epic. This story embodies the essence of miracles.

Mr. Backman has a unique way with words that elicit strong emotional responses, making it impossible to remain detached from his stories. "My Friends" delivers a visceral gut punch at various plot points and it serves as a powerful reminder of how strong bonds of friendship can heal even the deepest wounds. I will not forget this story, and it will stay with me for a long time. The best recommendation I can give is: PLEASE READ THIS. Leave any expectations behind and simply revel in the intensity of the narrative.

I love everything Fredrick Backman writes. His prose is so simple but contains so much emotion and mystery. In My Friends, Backman takes us back and forth 25 years, from the childhood of a mysterious artist, to present day when an orphaned girl meets the now-dead artist's friend. There are parallels in their stories and a beautiful friendship unfolds. This one was a little slow for me, but overall was beautiful and well-written.

Synopsis: This is the story of four friends during one fateful summer, and the story of a teenage girl who connects to them via a painting two decades later. But all you really need to know is that this is a story of friendship, family, and the humanity that ties us all together.

Thoughts: If you’ve been here for a while, you probably know Fredrik Backman is one of my all time favorite authors. The Beartown series will always have a special place in my heart. But this book you guys - this story and these characters give Beartown a run for its money. Nobody writes human emotions quite like Backman. His writing is just so pure and earnest. The friends in this book immediately burrowed into my heart, and I can’t stop thinking about them. I laughed, and I cried, and I honestly can’t wait to read it again.
“I love you and I trust you.”

Read this if you like:
🖼️ found family
🖼️ friendship
🖼️ finding beauty in unexpected places
🖼️ grief and healing
🖼️ coming of age
🖼️ dual timelines

This made me feel every possible emotion. There were so many times I read and reread sections because it absolutely baffled me that something could be written so flawlessly. How Backman is able to effortlessly put into words things that I could never even fumble through saying is beyond me.

it's very hard to find something that makes me feel something as deep and painful as how beartown or us against you made me feel. i still haven't read any of backman's other novels, like a man called ove or anxious people, purely because i am afraid. i am afraid of liking a backman book too much and ending up needing to take a mental health day to get my emotions together, or worse: ending up not liking a backman book. i haven't even finished off the beartown series yet, and the winners is sitting on my shelf unread purely because i'm a coward and i'm not ready to feel the feelings that beartown #1 and #2 made me feel.

the only reason why i read this first was because there was a time limit on this; i wanted to review it before it released, and if i kept putting it off, then i wouldn't ever get to it. so, here we are.

4.5 stars, rounded down to 4. the only reason it isn't 5 is because for me, personally, a 5 means it's hard for me to start a new book afterwards and i end up continually thinking about it; i easily moved on from this, even if my heart does hurt a bit towards the end. everytime i think about the people in this, my heart hurts just a little bit more. everytime i think about how much genius it took to craft a story this emotional, this deep, with characters that somehow, someway, end up perched on the roof of your heart.

a book of friendship, loss, love, and art. it jumps a bit, at the beginning, the way backman's books normally do. going in blind is always the best way to go. i could tell you about the characters, about the summary, but in all fairness, it doesn't matter. going in blind means you meet the characters new, just like how all the characters are meeting each other—new. it takes a bit for the pieces to fit together, but once they do, you can't look away. there's something about backman's writing, that people either really love or really hate, and it's both for the same exact reason: he writes blunt. he says the most complex ideas in the simplest way. in a way that, when taken out of context, it means nothing, but when put against the backdrop of the entire book, paints the biggest lesson ever. this is precisely why i love backman's books; he crafts the stories that are the most tragic, most depressing, most hopeful, and most loving in this way. there's never a moment where you don't laugh, then want to cry, and then just purely have fun. he knows exactly what words to say, and has the driest sense of humor possible, paired with the best ability to make metaphors out of anything.

i have 70 highlights on my kindle edition of this book, and i need to buy a physical copy as soon as this comes out because i need to tab the hell out of it. my hands are itching to highlight all of my favorite lines, to tab pages that made me want to tear my ipad apart, to put hearts around the lines of my favorite characters. i wish i spent more time on this book, honestly, but if i did, i think i would have found it boring with how busy i am. reading it over the course of two days was the right move for me; the story itself takes place over the course of a day, and it felt like i was spending it with them.

fredrik backman: please please please write more i need more of your books (and i'll get to the other books i already have on my list asap i promise)

Well this sufficiently filled the Beartown-sized hole in my heart. Frederik Backman doing what he does best - creating a world that you want to live in forever. I will now proceed to bully all of my friends into reading this when it's released and if Marin Ireland also narrates the audio version of this I will revisit this story tomorrow without hesitation.

I highlighted so many quotes, as I always do with his books, but I cannot share any until after the book is published.

I devoured this book! I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Touching characters, that will stay with you. Easy easy 5 start review! I would give it more if I could

Fredrik Backman does it again! This book is tender, funny, hopeful and so many other wonderful things. But at its core, it's a love letter to teenagers, and how they're the greatest and dumbest people on the planet, and I love that so, so much.

Let me start by saying as soon as I read the paragraph my book loving heart was in it's happy place! All tucked in , nice and cozy, but knowing it will be going on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
I don't know how Backman does it. I really don't. How can someone make you laugh out loud one minute and the next have you sobbing? And not just once but all throughout the story? He takes such simple little things and makes ;you realize that is what makes up this thing called life. And he makes you thankful for all the good moments as well as all the bad ones.
This book felt a little different from his others. More along the lines of a fairy tale? Maybe? I don't know. But what I do know is that it is absolutely brilliant! These kids have my whole heart, right alongside One and Benji.
So, basically, READ THIS BOOK!! But buckle up your emotions! Actually, never mind. They don't stand a chance. But it's a ride you definitely don't want to miss!

5/5 ⭐️
“I love you, I trust you”
This book had me crying with ugly tears and laughing out loud countless times! I absolutely adored it. Fredrik has become one of my favorite authors; his writing has a way of making you truly feel every word. Each character in this story felt distinct and special. I can't wait for everyone to experience it when it's released on May 6, 2025. Huge thanks to NetGalley for providing this amazing ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fredrik Backman for an ARC of this book. I was very excited and grateful for the chance to read it.

As the title of the story suggests it follows the story of a group of friends. But it is more then that. It has themes and representation of friendship, family, grief and many more. And all these are linked to the overall idea of art and the impact it has on our society and humanity.

This story takes place between two timelines; past and present. A story about the group of friends is slowly being told. More and more gets revealed and connected to the present.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. It had a similar voice that rings true of a Backman novel. He seems to find a way to describe simple, human things but in such a profound and beautiful way. It is one of the things I truly enjoy about his books. I do have to say that at times I was a bit confused between the dual timelines and the presence of so many characters. The ending I found satisfying as I felt that things came full circle, but it felt a bit rushed.

I still highly recommend this book, and think that most people would find something that they connect to within the story.