This was a good story about friendship and definitely had some emotional bits , but nothing major that made me weep, which I kind of expected for some reason.

Unfortunately one of the main characters is an 18 year old but she is extremely immature I found , especially after all she’s been through. She acted more like a 12 year old .. this super bugged me .

The way everything played out was super underwhelming and once I finished the book my first thought was .. wow that was boring . 😴

Bleh . Also way too much farting in this book ... I was grossed out rather than finding it humorous.

Probably the best Fredrik Backman novel I've read, and I loved Ove. The character flaws and behaviors he gives Ali, Joar, Ted and KimKim are so believable and touching, you swear you know a child like each one of them.

So many great quotes from this book. "Art is empathy" "Winks from Heaven" and many others. I hope he wins a book award for this story and it's made into a movie. Backman deserves all the accolades for this one.

I don't really know where to start with this review. I feel like this book touched my soul. It made me cry, it made me laugh and it gave me chills. It was such an incredibly touching read. I felt like I was brought on an adventure with the characters and in the end they were my friends just as much they were friends. Each character was well developed and so well written that I have a hard time grasping that they're not real. It was such a magical story and don't think I'll ever forget it.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Absolute perfection. As if there was any doubt. I don’t want to give spoilers but if you’re a fan at all of Fredrik (and even if you’re not) please add this to your TBR! Such a stunning story of friendship, grief, and just life!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The invisible line connecting the characters is a painting the reader will never see. However, as any reader of this book will learn, the artwork and the characters will live with them long after the last page.

We all become the broken eighteen-year-old Louisa traveling on the train with Ted, listening with bated breath as he tells her the story from his life 25 years earlier. We learn about his friends, their family, their hopes, and their harsh realities. Louisa asks the questions we would ask Ted, but maybe not so straightforwardly and hilariously. Their relationship builds quickly but realistically. And I’m happy they found each other.

This is storytelling at its finest. Yes, it’s an incredible example of a story within a story. Yes, it’s a quintessential coming-of-age story. Yes, it’s a celebration of the importance of all types of art, books, and friendship. But it’s much more than that. It’s about taking chances by breaking the walls that guard us from feeling our own emotions. It’s about forward momentum with the help of true friendship.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!! I was sooooo excited to get approved and dropped everything to read this book. WOW! It did not disappoint!!! Louisa is an 18 year old foster who is going to the art museum to see a famous painting. As she is accused of trying to destroy it , in her getaway she stumbles into a most unsuspecting character. The story iinterweaves between current day and of 4 friends 25 years ago. I loved all of the characters - especially Joar!!! Coming of age, discovering who we are, and the world around us. I will be thinking of this book for quite some time!!! DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!!!

Fredrik Backman never misses!!! There is no other author who can manipulate my emotions with words as easily as he can. I laughed, I cried, and I think I had goosebumps the entire time.
This book is like a beautiful collection of memories, absolutely bursting with nostalgia, that takes us along on a journey, both through the present and back to the past, with some of the most lovable yet realistic characters I've ever known. It is such a beautiful homage to not only art and artists everywhere but also to humanity. Backman's empathy bleeds off the page as he delves into the complexities of human relationships. He understands who his characters are on the most profound level, it makes you feel like he would understand you, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Every once in a long while, you read one of those books that changes your perception of everything. This book is one of those books, one that will have a mark on my heart forever. This was one of the most brilliant, emotional, and beautiful pieces of art I have ever had the honor of reading.

The way this book articulates what art is, what friendship is, what love is, and what trust is, was absolutely magical and life-changing.

3 tiny figures sit at the corner of one of the most famous, well-known paintings in the world. Louisa, an artist inspired by the painting, is determined to find out the story behind it. 25 years earlier, the painting arose from a group of teenagers were seeking refuge from their tumultuous home lives, giving each other a reason to dream and keep fighting: Joar, Ali, Ted, and the artist himself.

This story encompasses heavy topics, like grief, sadness, mental health struggles, addiction. It was also a story brimming with hope, love, friendship, and the importance of found family.

Fredrik’s writing spoke to me in a way very few authors have. The way he writes is mesmerizing; he is a breath of fresh air. This is not a book you simply move on from when you finish, this is a book that you will think about forever, that will have you phoning your loved ones and telling you that you love them and trust them.

Deep, moving, real, brilliant, and one-of-a-kind. One of my favorite books of all time, and the book that has changed my perception on life the most.

“For the janitor it was a blessing, for the boy who would become the artist, it was a miracle. Because all that spring the boy wanted to die.”

“We’re not allowed to die for our children, the universe won’t let us, because then there wouldn’t be any mothers left.”

“I believed in God when I saw him paint.”

My Friends is a beautifully written and heartbreaking story about friendship, dreams, and so much more. This book broke my heart multiple times and slowly pieced it together.

I knew this was going to be a 5 star read not even halfway through. It’s one that has left a mark on my heart. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Fredrik Backman’s writing and the characters he creates. His writing makes me feel as if Im right there with the characters and has a way of pulling each of my heartstrings.

I loved learning about each of the characters. Their friendship was so special. It’s a beautiful thing to have a group of people you can rely on and form strong bonds with that will last a lifetime. “I love you. I trust you.”. They all deserve the world and more.


Thank you so much Netgalley and Atria for the arc!

Much gratitude to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. I do believe this is now one of my favorite Backmans. Who knew that Fredrik would gift us two books back to back - one a novella about trash and two a book about farts. Okay, this book is about more than farts, but about friendship. “In a good summer, everything is all just bicycles and comic books and salt water, time being wasted with the sun on your face. One or two small farts, one or two little giggles.” I keep remembering a photo of me and two friends, a friend farted before the take and we are all laughing so hard in the photo. Yes, we are giggling and look absolutely joyful. Oh, the memories. I absolutely loved The Goldfinch-ness (this book centers around one piece of art), and especially the call out to Donna Tartt. “It’s a secret whisper from an alleyway. Psst, you. Hey kid. Yes, you.”

Read this book!!! It will be released on May 20th.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for honest review!
Wow. It is very rare for me to know a book is going to be fantastic from the first chapter. I knew immediately that I needed to savor every word in every chapter to try to make this book last as long as possible. I knew right off the bat that I would wish I could go back and read this book for the first time. Everything single part of this book gets 5 stars. The story, the characters, the feelings it envokes....all 5 shining perfect stars. The characters are funny, sad, idiotic and, completely relatable. This is a story about friendship, grief, life, art.....and farts. I honestly can't believe a book can be this utterly amazing while mentioning farts so many times lol
This book is going to win awards. This book is going to make you laugh and cry and reminisce on your childhood. Just read it. I think everyone should experience the hug that is this book.

Every time I read one of Backman’s works, it feels like catching up with an old friend I haven’t seen in a while. It’s comforting, makes me laugh, makes me cry, gives me a sense of nostalgia, and leaves me wanting more. My Friends was no different. Throughout the book I knew there would be heartbreak and sadness, but Backman always leaves you holding out hope that things will turn out for the characters involved. This was a beautiful story of friendship, new and old, and how it changes us for the better.

10 stars rounded down to 5 because I don’t have a choice. I don’t know how any book could possibly top this for me this year. What a privilege it was to read and experience. I’ve never highlighted so many things, PROFOUND things, in any book ever.

I won’t say what it’s about because finding that out as you go is part of the magic. But what a beautiful love letter to art, to friendships, to childhood, to humanness. Prepare to sob and then to laugh out loud while the tears are still running. I don’t know what noise I made when I finished, but it was some combination of a cheer and a scream. I didn’t want this to end, I could live inside this book. One of those books you’ll forever wish you could read again for the first time.

READ IT.

📖ARC Review

PUB Date : May 19th 2025
Pages : 448

My Rating : 💚💛🧡❤️🩵

I hope I can do this book justice with my review and like a quote referenced in the book I have learned I can Trust this author whom I’ve grown to love ❣️

“I’m insanely good at destroying things , lady .Everyone I love dies.”

“That’s all of life .All we can hope for.You mustn’t think about the fact that it might end,because then you’ll live like a coward , you never love too much or sing too loudly.”

This is a story within a story.

You’ll never have friends today like you did when you were 15.

Backman writes these imperfectly perfect characters that are so raw , real , tender & broken who we cheer for because they are One of Us 🫶🏼

The story jumps back and forth between past and present of 25 years and how an 18 year old girl named Louisa meets a complete stranger who changes her life forever and how another stranger finds friendship and leans to love 💛

I loved every moment in this book , my highlighter feature on my kindle got the best workout of its life , I am so thankful to have been introduced to this author ( thanks to Bookstagram) because he is one of my favourites that writes really , really special stories and this is one of them 🙏

And if you’ve come this far and need more convincing check out the photos 🎨

Thank you NetGalley , Atria Books & Fredrik Backman for this quirky heartwarming ARC !

"My Friends" is for all of us who are grown up, yet not grown up. It bridges friendship, being seen and known, and interweaves a beautiful story of growing up and becoming all while dealing with loss, grief, and moving forward despite the life and it's setbacks. I wasn't expecting "My Friends" to be what it was for me and here I am sitting in sadness that it is over. Fredrik Backman has a way to intertwine characters into your heart and share through memories and snaps of time that create a beautiful piece of work. I also believe that there is a level of artists in all of us that will love and connect naturally to the journey throughout. I loved, loved, loved the portrayal of C. Jat, and Louisa and how it spans generations of being part of "My Friends" and the life of artists. It makes me think of those of the past that have paved the way for the new and how many artists would respond with their art being what it has become. I mean I think of VanGogh, Monet, Seurat and the madness and brilliance that they brought to life. Did people think they were wacky? Absolutely. DId they go through extreme hardships and difficulties? Again, yes. Here we are as humans on the other side of the gallery marveling at the masterpieces that they created. C. Jat and Louisa, Ted, and Fish all are characters that will leave you longing for the soft moments of life.

Thank you to Fredrik Backman for this brilliant piece of work that I will without a doubt recommend to friends and buy on pre-order even after having read the ARC. Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for the ARC to start 2025. I anticipate that "My Friends" will captivate others hearts as it did mine.

Such a beautiful story of friendship, found family and faith in others. Filled with Backman’s signature quirky humor softening the sadness. Just when you are about to lose hope for a happy ending, he crafts the most beautiful, sweet ending possible. Loved this.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

I absolutely adored this book! Backman continues to amaze me with his ability to create immersive stories filled with deeply layered characters and compelling plots. Even the side characters bring so much depth to the story I would be happy to read an entire separate book on them. This book explores grief and friendship, and Backman portrayed both themes so well. The story made me feel so nostalgic and longing for my childhood.. There was some parts I found a bit cringey, however I was able to overlook it because I was so invested in the characters. As with Backman's other books, his writing is filled with vulnerability, warmth, and the power of human connection.

Every time I open a Fredrik Backman book, I know I am going to enjoy it. My Friends certainly doesn’t disappoint. A book on friendship and belonging takes you for a ride through life. The story is funny, sad and emotional. Found myself continually smiling and laughing throughout and at the end, i started to tear up. Overall a fantastic book!

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic book by Fredrik Bachman. This was an emotional rollercoaster that discusses true friendship. This feels like reminiscing with old friends about the good and the bad.

What an emotional book! Fredrik Backman has such a unique writing style. I like that he writes in all POVs at once. This story was full of every emotion you could possible think of. I love that it was set up in present time but going back and forth between what’s happening in the present and telling stories of the past. This story made me feel like it had so many twists because each character’s story ended in a way that I didn’t expect coming. Very emotionally fulfilling book.