I’ve been a fan of Fredrik Backman’s ever since I stumbled upon Anxious People, which is still one of my all-time favorite books. The way he fully develops all of his characters and his smooth, effortless writing gets me every single time. You get everything with this story…love, heartache, tragedy, friendship, nostalgia - just to name a few. It’s a beautiful story about the strong bond between long time friends. The dual timelines and flashbacks were a bit confusing at times, but that wouldn’t stop me from recommending this book. I can’t wait for his next one!

I finished this book a few days ago, but every time I sit down to write a review, I can’t seem to come up with just the right words to express how much I love this book. It has been a very long time since I have read a book so slowly, savoring each day I spent with it, and wanting it to never end. By the time I hit the 20% mark, I had already fallen so head over heels in love with it that I raced to my computer to pre-order a signed hardback copy for my bookshelf.

It’s also been a long time since I have highlighted SO MANY passages in a book, but Fredrik Backman has such an incredible way of describing the human experience that it’s impossible not to want to save those words forever.

This story was incredibly raw, honest, and moving, and I am sure that the story of Louisa, Ted, Joar, Ali, and the artist known as C. Jat is going to stick with me for a long time. Two thumbs up, highly recommended!

A handful of Backman’s books (Beartown series, Ove) rank among my favorite books of all time. I had high hopes for My Friends, but it lacked the poignant punch I was hoping for. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Can Fredrik Blackman do any wrong? I love this book - it made me have the feels. Will be recommending!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Review time here’s what I’ve got: preorder this book like yesterday. It’s the greatest Backman yet, which is definitely saying something (because have we not enjoyed every single story this man gives us?!) I just felt like the entire book was full of quotable moments and phrases that will stay with me long after I set the book back on the shelf. Such a beautiful found family of friends and what it means to be a young person figuring out who they want to be. There were also a lot of strong mother / son duos in this book, which obviously tugged at my heart strings! A huge thanks to @atriabooks for the privilege of reading this one before it comes out in May ❤️

Fredrik Backman has such a unique writing style, with an ability to tap into the human existence with just the right phrase or two. I can always count on many laughs and quite a few tears whenever I read one of his books. When I read his books I know I’m going to be highlighting multiple sections. This was no exception.
This one does get off to a slower start than some of his other books. Louisa is an 18 year old who has just lost her best friend. Having just reached the age when she’s passed out of the foster care system, she literally has no one she can turn to or rely on. One night she meets a well known artist and in a fluke, he ends up bequeathing her his most famous painting, created twenty five years earlier. He created the painting when he was 15 and it covers his best friends from that time, one of whom has seen him through his final illness. Louisa and that friend, Ted, will embark on a cross country trip returning to the town where it all began.
The book is deeply philosophical and thought provoking. It covers creating art, grief, love, obviously friendship, but mostly the willingness to live life to the fullest. This work shows us the best and worst of humans. Backman’s writing is so realistic it made me want to hug some characters and throttle others.
I’m often not a fan of dual timelines, but here, the method worked perfectly. And that was down to caring just as much for Louisa as the earlier friends. Not to mention, getting to see how Ted had turned out. The ending was perfect and wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
I highly recommend this as a perfect choice for book clubs.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

Like everything Backman writes, this gave me all the feels. I was holding onto the ARC to read it just when I needed it. What a treat! It was devastating in so many ways but still managed to restore my faith in humanity.

This book was just perfect! I love every book I've read by Fredrik Backman, but this is my absolute favorite. I love how the author tells the story in two different timelines, and how he weaves them together throughout the book. The writing is brilliant. I loved all the characters and felt really connected to them throughout the story. This book dives into some very sensitive topics including grief and was done so thoughtfully. I cannot say enough good things about this book! This book will be one of my top reads for the year for sure!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

'My Friends' is one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful books that I have and probably will ever read in my life.
This is a story about friendship and love, about art and stories and grief, about laughter, about being young and getting older and about what it can mean to truly live.
It will break your heart countless times and then try it's best to put it back together again. It will make you weep and laugh all in the span of a single page, it will make you feel so so much but most of all this story will stay with you forever.

There is so much love in this book, so much of it that it was almost unbearable to read at times.
I don't think I'll ever get over these characters, they mean so much to me and will live in my heart forever. This wonderful group of best friends and all the lives they have touched with their love for one another.

I refuse to believe that they don't actually exist.

When it comes to Fredrik Backman's books I always expect the most gut wrenching and soul shattering writing, so consider me beyond devasted and sobbing my eyes out when this book exceeded even those expectations. ✋🏼 When I tell you there are lines in this that made me cry so hard that I had to pause reading for several HOURS..
I honestly don't know how it is possible for a person to write like this, not even just the writing style itself but also how the story was structured and the way it was told....I loved it so so much.

Stories like 'My Friends' are the reason I fell in love with reading and I am so incredibly thankful that I got to read this wonderful book early. 🫶🏼

This novel had all the makings of a great read: in-depth backstory, tragic characters, first love, art, friendship, courageous young people, etc. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it, mostly due to the writing style. I got tired early on of the author teasing with later plot points and with the repetitious reflections of the narrator. I liked the narrator, Ted, but felt the 'present day' storyline in which he recounts his past to a young, orphaned artist to be tedious. I was much more interested in the story of Ted and his friends in the past.

Frederick Backman’s newest book moves along, with the main characters interacting easily -- albeit quite strangely. I anticipated a generational progression as an ending, but the final resolution was a bit surprising. Backman’s writing, as always, flows smoothly, and the characters -- though certainly strange -- do come alive.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Something about Backman’s writing that I love is that you can feel the season of the book. Like this one feels like summer. Sticky popsicles, sunscreen and salty air.

Too hard to rank his books but it’s a favorite like everything else I’ve read from Backman.
Sensational writing.
Characterization is magical. I truly don’t know how he writes people to be absolutely fully formed in my head.

Loved.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an eARC

Writing this with tears streaming down my face, this was such a beautifully written story about friends and the family you create with them. It was genuinely perfect. This was my first Backman book and it definitely won't be my last; I need to go back and read the Beartown trilogy ASAP. This will have you experience all the emotions - you'll laugh and cry and feel like your heart is aching at times. I loved every single one of the friends in this book and the four of them had the most beautiful found family ever. They would do anything for each other and that hurts so bad. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Beautiful. Every aspect, every character, every relationship, every event is simply perfect. You will find yourself laughing, crying-experiencing all of the emotions-and, trust me, it's worth it. A must read. It's sure to become a classic.

I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Every book by Fredrik Backman carries its own unique human values. In My Friends, he takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, from moments of joy to deep sorrow. He also weaves in sharp critiques of how society operates, highlights the beauty of friendship, and sprinkles in thought-provoking quotes that linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page. I honestly couldn't stop crying while reading it—it’s hands down the best book of 2025 for me. And without a doubt, it’s a story worth revisiting time and time again.

This is the story of four friends. And one girl who needs to connect with them, Twenty-five years old ago, four teenagers forged a bond that nothing can break. They find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Four people, four different backgrounds, yet they all share one thing in common—a kind and compassionate heart. As I flipped from one chapter to the next, I found myself unable to hold back my tears. Their suffering resonated with me on a personal level, making it all too easy to step into their shoes and feel their pain. Watching them endure cruelty, harsh judgment, and a lack of appreciation from those around them stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me—sadness, frustration, and even anger. I couldn’t help but wonder why adults so often focus only on the surface, never looking deeper to truly understand. But sadly, that’s just how the world works nowadays—cold, indifferent, and blind to the emotions of others, leaving wounds that cut deep into the hearts of those who already carry so much pain. Fredrik Backman has never let me down, and My Friends is no exception. I truly believe this book will leave an unforgettable mark on every reader’s heart, thanks to the profound and beautiful values he brings to life.

Reading My Friends made me truly understand the saying, money doesn’t buy happiness. For some, wealth can grant them everything they desire, wrapping their lives in luxury and comfort. But The Artist showed me a different truth—happiness, for him, was not something money could ever replace. To him, joy was woven into the memories he shared with his friends, the moments that made life meaningful. No amount of money could turn back time, nor could it bring back the ones he had lost. Some things in this world are simply priceless.

Fans of Backman won't be disappointed with this tale of four friends tied together by grief and circumstances. The book focuses on an orphaned girl on the cusp of adulthood who accidentally meets the artist who has unknowingly impacted her life. Both are tragic figures and as the girl learns more about his past, she comes to grips with her own history.

This is a dual timeline story told in a series of flashbacks. There were entire pages and passages that I skimmed due to repetitiveness. Backman was at his best when the story focused on the present. Although the book was dark, the author did a good job of balancing it out with instances of lightness. 3.5 stars

Backman has written yet ANOTHER classic. The story begins with Louisa, her best friend, and her love of a painting. The story progressed towards meeting the artist and learning the story behind the painting. The major themes of art, childhood woes, and friendship. This book made me laugh, cry, and gave me hope. Thank you for sharing, it's a lifechanging book!

Story of grief and survival and the importance of friendship. Thankful for the bits of holier to lighten up parts of this emotional read.

Thank you for the ARC. I’ve seen so many great things about this authors work so of course I requested this one.

This was my first Backman book and I enjoyed it. It's a thought-provoking story about friends, family, art, and death. It has humorous and tear-jerking moments. The characters are well-developed. Backman is an excellent writer and navigates the past and present very well.

Well, well… reach into my chest and yank out my heart.

I fully believe (and tell everyone willing to listen to me go on and on) that Backman’s books are aging like fine wine. Exquisite. Rich. Decedent. Superb!!

My Friends is a story for all of us. It’s pure teenage summers with innocence rolled up tightly in love, loss, and lots of shenanigans.

The story follows a young runaway who happens to come across a famous painting where she develops a deep curiosity of the three friends painted on the pier, overlooking the sea. Over a few days, her journey leads her back to what happened to those best friends and that one summer twenty-five years ago. She will never be the same after she learns of the whole, true story.

Backman’s style is present in the characters’ back-and-forth banter, quippy comebacks, and deep, gut-wrenching prose when you can’t help but love someone so much it hurts.

I highlighted so many lines in this book. It hit so good.

I can’t decide now which is my favorite, Beartown trilogy or My Friends.

Backman’s books, to me, are like Pokémon. Gotta catch them all!!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for an Advance Readers Copy. All opinions are my own.