I was a Fredrik Backman fan before reading My Friends, but I'm even more of a fan now. The characters are well written, the construction of the story and the timelines draw the reader in. This is a longer book but there is no fluff to cut out. There's both a sense of inevitability and triumph.

I read this book within 3 days of getting my Netgalley arc approval and the book does not even come out until late Spring of 2025.

My Friends is about the enduring power of childhood friendship. It is an emotional coming-of-age, found family story. It made me a bit jealous that I never had this kind of ride-or-die friend group.

The "friends" in the book have such a strong bond that makes it easier to deal with the hand they've dealt with in life. They have tough circumstances. Poverty, hopelessness and alcoholism are the backdrop of their childhood. But, men, do they love and support each other.

Backman tells this story in a non-linear manner. There is an Artist, one of the "boys" in the friend group, meets Louisa, a foster kid who has her own scars, both literal and psychological, right before his death. One of the "friends" of the Artist, Ted, ends up traveling with Louisa and the story slowly unspools.

There is an equal amount of hurt and love in this book. It's a sad but hopeful story. At the very center of the book there is a painting by the Artist. The story revolves around this painting. In a way the story is also about the ability of art to heal.

Backman, once again, creates the most beautiful characters. His words, the humanity in those words, are just as beautiful. I highlighted so many passages to come back to reread them again.

4.5 stars

HUGE thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Overall, gorgeous, gorgeous book surrounding friendship, love, loss, and art! It made me laugh, it made me tear up. I read this on the Kindle app and I was highlighting every other page. I would highly recommend this to anyone who considers themself an artist, especially one who deeply values their friendships and/or is going through grief. My biggest reason for not rating it five stars was that it seemed that there was an implied romantic element to many of the friendships. Maybe it’s something I missed or maybe it’s just personal preference, but I do wish this book had seen more truly platonic soulmates. I really enjoyed this read, though, and I’m really thankful to have gotten the privilege to be able to read it early.

MY FRIENDS is quintessential Fredik Backman in the best way possible. Incredible characters. Emotional but also so funny. I absolutely loved it!

So good! First 5 star read of 2025. I always feel like I’ve been put through the wringer after reading a Fredrik Backman book. In only the very best of ways. He makes sure you feel every emotion dialed up to eleven. His characters are always well written and relatable. I read this one slowly, trying to stretch it out as much as possible. I also keep typing and retyping this review because I have so many things and details I want to gush about. So many thoughts and feelings I want to convey…Just read this book!
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a feee and honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books!*

Wow! This book made me laugh and made me cry! Beautifully written story about life and love! I highly recommend this read!

✨Book Review ✨

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Fredrik Backman is a literary genius in my eyes and will forever be one of my favorite authors. His ability to tell stories and capture the human experience is unparalleled. This book is no exception!

My Friends paints an exquisite story about the friends you have when you are 14. The complex story is told when an artist finds “one of us” in 18 year old Lousia. The story is woven between past and present, but as Lousia she says when hearing the story, “it’s happening to me now”. To me the story felt so lifelike I felt like I was on the train with them listening to the story. I had the same fears and emotions while listening. I literally laughed out loud and cried so many times while reading this book, it truly is a beautiful journey about the capacity for humans to love.

I have nothing but praise for this book and can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy on pub day!



P.S. Please learn from my mistake and read this privately, unless you don’t care about laughing out loud and crying in public 🤷‍♀️

✨Pub Date 5/20✨




*Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💌




Review will be posted on both Goodreads and instagram on publication day

I really loved A Man Called Ove but have struggled with some of Backman's works that have characters with deeper trauma. This new book probably fits more comfortably in the latter category. But, as always, it was very nicely written and absorbing and I think Backman fans and new readers will both probably be quite happy with this sad and sweet read!

A very moving book that ties in themes of art, friendship, belonging, grief and more.

Louisa is turning 18, and has just run away from a foster home. She is determined to see a piece of art that’s become a life line to her. But then her life changes again when she bumps into a set of friends whose history is filled with trauma, belonging and love; this is their story.

I love how Backman sees the world and especially flawed and vulnerable characters. I went back to his Instagram page to see what he said about this book, and he notes it is based on his own friendships and the language we use in those lifelong cliques. If you have ever had a group like this you’ll know exactly what he means and it’s a love letter to friendship and belonging even if you don’t feel like you belong anywhere else. The ending was satisfying, the messages were lovely. I want to shout “tomorrow!” To my friends every day (this was a phrase the friends used in the book). I think fans, ironically, of Tomorrowx3 will adore this one.

Some might think my review is biased simply because Backman is a favorite author of mine.
Given that, this is a wonderful superb book. It is about profound friendships of 4 teenagers under difficult circumstances and secondarily, but absolutely essential to the novel, about art and initially undiscovered genius. It will make you laugh heartily but tear up and cry just as deeply. It’s about true deep friendships ("I love you and I trust you”) and the sacrifices we make for friends. It is a story of dysfunctional families and the harm they can cause their children (physically and emotionally). And for me, it is above all a story about love. All of us could only wish to have/had such profound friendships in our lives. I read and reread so many sections that I can’t tell you if the book is long-all I can ask of you is that you read it and I hope it speaks to you as it did to me.

Fredrik Backman does it again! A heartfelt, emotional story of two unlikely friends. Beautifully written.

Wow, he's done it again. In a most unconventional way, Backman has woven together a touching story of friendship. I loved the multiple POVs used to tell the story. I have given this 5 stars, which is rare for me. One of the things Backman does so well is develop characters (Beartown series is a great example as well). Through his unique storytelling method, he makes the reader fall in love with these people. Incredible.

What an emotional ride. This depicts friendship in the most amazing way. The characters each stand out in their own way. Easily could see this being the best book of 2025.

In this beautifully crafted coming of age novel, Backman illuminates the mantra "friends are the family we choose." (Although more than once that choice began after literally running into the person.). Backman once again shows his deep understanding of neurodivergence and the impact of childhood trauma. He has a unique way of infusing humor and hope into a potentially heart breaking and depressing story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Fredrik Backman and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of My Friends! My Friends is a brilliant masterpiece of fiction. On the surface, it is a story about the summer that a group of friends lost the glow of childhood. But it’s so much more than that. The emotional depth and breadth of this novel is both uplifting and crushing all at once. You will feel everything while reading this book. Louisa, Ted, the artist, Joar, Fish and Ali are written so clearly that you leave the book feeling like these are people you have known for years.

I really enjoyed the storytelling format that Backman used for My Friends, where it felt as though I was sitting in the train car with Louisa and Ted and got to experience the story in the same way as Louisa. This is one instance where time jumps truly added to the story vs. taking away.

Even though they lived decades apart, Louisa has a special bond with the artist, Ted, Ali and Joar.

“She’s one of us.”

Many reviewers are gushing about My Friends. I completely agree. Its impact is deep. It’s a darker, complex story with moments of happiness.

The novel covers sad subject matter, but Backman writes so beautifully you won’t want to miss a sentence. It’s so amazing. I paused and reread so many paragraphs. Sigh. I will reread this book again.

I come from a large reading family. I’m always thrilled to tell them when a new Fredrik Blackman book is coming out.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC of My Friends. I received this complimentary ebook in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Fredrick Backman writes stories and characters that sneak under my skin and bones and shove me face first into my feelings. My Friends might have been the story that made me feel the most. By the second chapter, I felt seen. By the sixth chapter, I was in tears. This is a beautiful story that is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking; I’m sure it will be one of my favorite books of 2025.

My Friends is a book for those who
- Love Beartown with everything they have
- Need another character like Benji
- Are fine laughing and crying in the span of one page
- Feel a connection to art
- Would do anything for their friends
- Love annotating/highlighting their books

Once again, Fredrik Backman knocks the ball out of the park with another incredibly powerful story. My Friends shows the lengths that a person will go to for those that one loves. A truly moving story about friendship, grief, love, and the life-changing power of art.

17 year old artist Louisa's entire life fits in her worn-out backpack. Inside is a postcard with an image of a world famous painting that has become her motivation and hope. When she unexpectedly meets the artist of the painting while she is on the run, and the priceless painting ends up in her care, her world is changed. Now on a new adventure, she is given the true meaning behind the three figures in the piece of art. Four teenagers each with tragic backstories who give each other a reason to dream. Backman's writing style makes the story come to life before your eyes and gives every character such depth that you feel their emotions personally. I laughed, I cried, I celebrated with the characters, and I will never forget this memorable experience of a book.

4.5 stars rounded up.

“My Friends” by Fredrik Backman is a highly emotional and brilliantly written novel. It’s about a teenage girl who has been in foster care for most of her rough life and has just lost her best friend. As an aspiring artist her drawings and love of art are what’s kept her alive. She has one treasured item that she has kept with her, a postcard of a world famous painting that she identifies with. As she flees the foster system to see the painting with her own eyes in a museum, she very unexpectedly meets the artist in a back alley. This is the begining of the fantastic and sad journey told in dual timelines about the artist’s life, the masterpiece he painted and the important humans that kept him alive. This encounter will forever change her life as she comes to terms with her own tragedies and uniqueness.
Nobody has the ability to describe human behavior and flawed characters like Mr. Backman. The book is an extraordinary lesson in friendship, loyalty and the power of love even through the darkest moments of one’s life. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley and Altria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.