Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a tender and reflective exploration of friendship, loss, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit. Told through dual timelines, the story follows Louisa, who receives a hauntingly beautiful painting of three boys sitting at the end of a pier. As she embarks on a journey to find out more, she uncovers the rich, intertwined histories of the artist and his childhood friends.

Backman masterfully weaves past and present, sharing memories of heartbreak and healing. He invites readers to consider how relationships shape us—and how we carry the weight of those we’ve loved and lost. My Friends reminds us that friendship can be a lifeline through trauma and a mirror reflecting who we truly are. It’s a deeply moving novel that lingers long after the final page.

Fredrik Backman’s latest novel, My Friends, is a heartwarming and heart wrenching story of childhood friendship and found families. My Friends features four impoverished and neglected fourteen year olds, Jaor, Ali, Ted and “The Artist”, in the past, and an 18 year old foster child, Louisa, in the present.

The story is told from multiple points of view in dual timelines, with much of Backman’s story told via Ted retelling the story of the friends and the now famous painting, “The One of the Sea”. While Ted is depicted as a decrepit old man, he is only 40 years old in the present. He quickly sees in Louisa what “The Artist” did, and he speaks to her a bit like a fussy old man and a lot like a childhood friend. The friends’ story is suspenseful and captivating. I worried for them with each turn of the page, and each chapter brought new dread and new joy.

Backman is a gifted storyteller who manages to fully portray all his characters in all their colorful and damaged glory. Life, people, and relationships are messy, and Backman once again takes that mess and creates a beautiful story with meaningful messages and revelations.

I will be re-reading this book. #2025Favorite

Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, talk of death, talk of alcoholism and drug use

Backman has such a unique, ironic sense of humor. He always manages to find ways to bring small details back around to create a full circle moment. I just don't prefer his stream-of-consciousness writing style. This one was even more so than ANXIOUS PEOPLE...it was a bit jarring. And it took like 65% of the way in to get some little plot snafu on the adventure! Otherwise it was just a really really long winded story.

My Friends was the first Fredrik Backman book I've read. I have heard so many good things about his past books that I was really excited to read this.

I was pulled into the book quickly with Louisa breaking into a gala to view a painting that she has had a postcard of for most of her life in foster care. Louis soon meets someone that will change her life forever.

My Friends is told between dual timelines, 25 years ago and current. I really enjoyed the 25 year ago timeline and could relate to many of the things the friends did. It brought me back to the summer I was 14.

This book dragged on for me though. Many of the chapters were so wordy and had pages of descriptions. I didn't find myself wanting to keep reading and know what happened next. It got to a point I just wanted to know what happened. the last 20% of the book flew by for me though and wrapped things up nicely.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of My Friends for an honest review.

5⭐

fredrik backman has done it yet again. "my friends" was filled with love, grief, healing, and friendship. it was the perfect book - it had me laughing, in awe of these perfectly flawed characters, and of course bawling my eyes out.

i really loved luisa, she was so unhinged and nonchalant, the perfect picture of a young girl who had grown up dealing with a whole lot. she grew up bouncing from one foster home to the next, she befriends a girl who she calls fish, and all is well until luisa loses her. luisa is an artist and looks up to an incredible artist. she then runs into the artist on his last day of life. he is so enamored by her that he decides it's her who deserves the painting. so, lifelong friend of said artist, ted, seeks her out to give it to her.

ted, joar, and ali also stole my heart, i absolutely adored their stories. the found family aspect always gets to me.

from there, the story goes to tell the memories between ted, the artist, and their group of friends. it was so achingly beautiful and breathtaking. fredrik backman just has such a way with words that i simply adore. his writing never fails to make me laugh (and cry).

thank you to atria books for the e-ARC.

I’d give this ten stars. What a beautiful, affirming, and compassionate story. There were countless passages that I highlighted, and so many moments that made my eyes well. This is a love story between friends and an ode to found family—it’s perfect.

This is a beautiful but difficult novel. It is hard to read about dysfunction in families, especially physical and emotional abuse. Years ago three teens, Joar, Ted and Ali came together in Louisiana. They can find laughter and joy together even when their lives are hard. A fourth teen is the watcher who becomes an artist. One of his most famous paintings features these friends on a pier. Louisa lives in the present day and wants to learn more about the painting that she loves. She has a hard life of her own but she wants to know the stories behind the paintings.

As only Backman can, the story moves slowly but with precision. I cried tears and laughed outright more than once reading through the pages. It is a story of friendship, grief, hardship, family of choice and art. This will easily please fans of Backman and I am sure my book club will be reading it in the future.

What an amazing story! Told as a middle-aged man speaking to a younger person. You will laugh, cry and laugh again. This is one not to be missed!

Louisa is at an art gallery to view the painting that has shaped her life. When she is mistaken for a vandal, she flees and in the alley, she runs into a homeless man. Together they paint the wall behind the gallery and Louisa's life is changed forever.

Gorgeous. A tale of teenage friendship and pain, Ted recounts the story of himself, the artist of the painting, and their friends to Louisa as the pair travel to complete the circle. This is heartbreaking and funny all at the same time and left me feeling all the feelings about the characters. I couldn't help but love them all and wanted to both hurry up and find out their stories but also wanted this book to never end. I think this is my favorite Backman book to date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available May 6, 2025.

Some books don’t just speak to you—they settle into your soul. This one completely stole my heart. I cherished every single page and didn’t want it to end. I even made myself stop reading in the middle of the night just to stretch out the experience for one more day!!

Fredrik Backman has an extraordinary gift for weaving together friendship, loss, grief, love, and hope—wrapping them all in "long stories' laughter, tears… and even farts! This book was everything. Beautifully messy and unforgettable. All the stars—then all of them again!

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on May 7, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) will was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. I've been really excited to read his new book - My Friends.

Art and friendship are at the core of My Friends. The story starts at an art sale in current day. A painting of a pier is one of the most famous paintings in all of the world. There’s more to see on that pier - if you can. The paths of the artist that created that painting and a young woman who also wants to be an artist cross…

The past and the present are used to tell the story. There’s 25 years between then and now.

I love Backman’s characters. Three fourteen year old boys are spending the summer school holidays on the pier. It’s safer than a lot of their homes. The dialogue amongst them would sound not kind to those that don’t know them. But it’s the way they talk to each other and it’s perfect.

Flipping to the other narrative, we travel with Louisa and one of those teenagers that’s grown up now.
I couldn’t put the book down. I couldn’t stop reading. I needed to know what happened then and what’s going to happen now. I ached reading their situations, but also laughed along with them. Backman excels in creating characters that are just a step out of cadence with the rest of the world. Those that you want to save.

The different descriptions of art were quite interesting and had me seeing things from a different perspective.

Simply brilliant.

Backman meandered a bit in this book, which is why I was going to rate it just under 5 stars. Except...

Nobody...and I mean NOBODY...writes characters the way Backman does. It doesn't matter the gender, identity, age, or whatever of the character, he is truly the master of introducing us to fully-developed, complicated characters you INSTANTLY love. Even better, the reader can see themselves in so many of them. He's also one of the few men who know how to write women; you can see how much he loves his wife and reveres women in his interviews, and it translates beautifully to the page.

I ADORED all of the characters in this book. C. jat's friends became my friends. I could feel myself on the train with Ted and Louisa (oh how I wish I was more Louisa than Ted, but I'm very much a Ted lol). Despite needing to go to bed early due to total sleep deprivation the night before, I stayed up late to finish the book. It took me even longer because I would have to stop and have a good cry before continuing. There were several used tissues on my nightstand when I went to bed. I don't know how he does it, but Backman can make you cry and laugh on the same page. He has such a way with words; you often get a right hook directly to your soul and you can go from zero to sobbing in 2 seconds flat. He has a true gift of ripping your heart out and stitching it back together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the opportunity to read and review this book ahead of publication!

Fredrik Backman has once again written a story that reaches deep and resonates with your soul. My Friends is a tender love letter to art, the enduring power of friendship, and the profound comfort of finding your true people. It follows four friends, who might seem like outsiders to the world, but within their circle, they find belonging and perfection. Their bond is one of deep care, unwavering love, and constant encouragement. Beautifully, this support extends beyond their own group; as adults, they become champions for struggling young people they recognize as "one of us," offering the help and encouragement they did not receive from adults themselves. Backman's signature character development shines through, drawing the reader in from the very first line and holding them captive until the final, satisfying sentence. You'll likely find yourself wanting to immediately reread it, just to experience the beauty again. This is a story that tugs at your heart and serves as a reminder of the beauty and strength of human connection.

Whenever I begin a book written by Fredrik Backman, I feel like he is talking directly to me. Backman has a way of finding humor in the mundane, and his observational humor is unmatched. I just love it. This story, while different than Beartown, follows a trajectory similar to Anxious People. While the storytelling and character-building were the clear winners, and the plot was almost an afterthought, I didn’t mind. This was a story I wanted to hear, and I was sitting like a child in bed to listen to its end—five full stars from me.

Quick recap without spoilers:
Louisa is nearly eighteen when she runs away from her foster home to wait for adulthood. Her only constant is a postcard of a painting. The story behind the painting involves fourteen-year-old kids looking to escape the cruelties of their lives one summer. The painting was created twenty-five years ago and affected not only the children who lived it but those who viewed it. After viewing it in person, Louisa quickly feels the ripple effect of this decades-old painting. Art has the power to change lives.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy! I will post a review and recommendation on my site the week of the book release.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a moving story of love, loss, and friendship. Beautifully written with a cast of characters that will get under your skin in the best way, this is a book that you don't want to miss!!

When four friends, each escaping their own personal demons, meet up on a pier, telling stories and sharing dreams, they don't realize the impact that their relationship will have twenty five years later. Louisa is just about to age out of the foster care system. Her one prized possession is a postcard of a famous painting called "The One of the Sea". When she learns that the painting is up for auction, Louisa knows that she must see it for herself. A chance encounter with a man leads her on an unforgettable journey to discover the story behind this painting and the magic of friendship.

Backman's writing style is so unique and I am here for it! This one does get off on a bit of a slow start but it is well worth it in my opinion. The character development is always top notch from Backman, and My Friends does not disappoint! Thought provoking, moving, realistic, and humorous this is one of those books that has it all! If you loved The Beartown series you will want to add this to your TBR!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Fredrik Backman, and Atria Books for this ARC!! Publication date: May 6th 2025.

Fredrik Backman strikes again! Oh, my beating heart.
My Friends follows 18 year old Louisa as she is gifted a famous painting she doesn't know what to do with and goes on a cross country trip to where the artist first painted. She travels with the famous artists' best friend while learning about the background of the painting and the life of the people portrayed in the renowned piece.
Twenty five years before, the artist was a teenager, laughing and farting with his best friends. Louisa learns from one of the friends what the backstory of the artists' most famous painting was about, and the story of that
summer.
This book was fabulous. I loved the story and the timeline of events. I think my favorite part was when we got to hear the story from another persons perspective, as we mostly hear from one person. This book had heartbreak, laughter, confusion, and some suspense. The feelings from Louisa specifically really resonated as well, because (we are told often) while it happened 25 years ago, it is happening now for us.
This book definitely kept me on my toes. I feel like we were intentionally misled to assume some things and then 'bam!' it's something totally different! But I enjoyed the journey. I had to take breaks while reading as there are some heavy topics and it was really sad to let go of some characters as we learn what happened that summer.
My Friends was also reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, 'Stand by Me. Similar vibe of before/after. Great read, and very unique.
Thank you to netgalley and atria books for the arc of this novel.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Wow. This book was so beautiful. Fredrik Backman's storytelling is so unique and captivating. This is a love story between friends and how their friendship one summer changed a random stranger's life 25 years later. It is so full of love and heartbreak. I felt as though my heart was being squeezed the whole time I read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending time together at the pier. Their figures sitting at the end of a long pier are almost unnoticeable in one of the most famous paintings in the world. To the normal eye, the painting is a depiction of the sea. But to Louisa, an artist herself, she wants to find the story behind the people in the corner.

I have no doubt that devout Backman fans will consider this a good read, but I will not recommend it. I am disappointed in the boring plot and unrealistic actions of characters to force a connection. I had to constantly fight the urge to not skim pages at a time. Maybe every Backman book isn't for me.

Happy Pub Day, Fredrik Backman! My Friends is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Thank you to NetGalley, to Atria Books, and to Mr. Backman for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I struggled to start this - the almost florid, quote-fodder language was an adjustment for me - but once we got onto the train things were really moving. I will say this, this is not really a book that can be rushed; it is a story that unfolds in its own time. The foreshadowing did make me very nervous. Ultimately you have to approach this book like a painting: the closer you get to it the more details jump out, and then you need to back up again at the close to re-assemble everything you've absorbed into the full picture. I felt the friendships were the highlight, the amber bubble of childhood and friendship and the golden years of laughter. It's also about grief and grieving, which was harder for me at the moment for personal reasons. I agree with other reviewers, the character development is absolutely stellar. Each character is a gold mine.

My book club partner and I have already selected this as our library's August read and I think our book club members are really, REALLY going to like it. They are definitely in for a treat.

This book started out slow for me. I am very familiar with Backman's rambling writing style (and I am a huge fan) but the plot in this one is a bit rambling too. The story is not quite linear and it took a bit to get into the rhythm, but it was so worth it!

As is typical of a Backman book, Fredrik has a way of capturing the best and worst of humanity, and My Friends is no different. A single sentence could make me laugh and break my heart all in one go. This story centers around a group of teenagers who share a bond that is unbreakable. I lived and breathed with these kids throughout the entire read. I wanted to scoop them in my arms and save them all, and at the same time, I wanted to be fourteen sitting on a pier with them.

This book has Pay It Forward vibes but in a much more subtle and impactful way. It left me spent in the best way and will have me thinking about it for weeks to come.