Fredrik Backman is my favorite author. Period. End of story. His books move me to no end. I laughed like I never laughed before reading a book. It is simultaneously heart breaking and heart warming. It is about friends and friendship during your formative years. I loved this book so much. Joar will stay with me forever. His arc was the most impactful and I’m just so happy that I got to read this book.
"I love you. I trust you. "

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I just finished My Friends, and I already miss the main characters (particularly Louisa), like I am waving goodbye to dear friends through the rear windshield of a car. I often feel this way after reading a Fredrick Backman novel, as he has a way of creating characters who touch our hearts and give us hope. I did not want the story to end, and the emotions felt during the read still linger. Friendship, loss, inspiration, resilience, humor, heartbreak – My Friends has it all, delivered by a master craftsman. I loved A Man Called Ove, Anxious People, and Beartown, but this one surpasses them all. Adding to my all-time-favorites list!

"I love you, I trust you." What a great line in a great book. While I didn't always love the flow of this book I absolutely loved the story and meaning.

Frederik Backman is an incredible author and I always enjoy his books. They are written so differently than any other author. He writes with such emotion.

The story of friends, Ted, Ali, Joar, KimKim, is priceless and and beautiful yet so painful at the same time. These four friends were so lucky to have found each other at the age of 14. Lucky to have each other at a difficult age in life and especially with the hard life they each were thrown. The love they had for each other was shown with great stories of bringing cookies for the artist, giving the knife to Joar, teaching Ali to swim and of course the amazing picture the artist painted of them all together.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this ARC.

Will I ever not cry at a Fredrik Backman book? Unlikely. Backman is a master of weaving the past and present together, creating love for characters you have never met, and a master of storytelling. We have all had friends like these, we all meet people who we know are “ours.” Backman books always leave me with a love for all these complicated messy things that make us human and My Friends is no exception.

Truly wonderful. If Backman writes it, I’ll read it. I laughed and I cried. This is a true love story, a true friendship. It’s beautiful and poetic. Don’t miss it.

My Friends was a stunning read that was both funny and sad, as well as thoughtful and poignant. The characters were dynamic and well-written. I both laughed and cried while reading this book. Fredrik Backman never fails!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Fredrik Backman's My Friends is a masterpiece that delves deep into the complexities of friendship, art, and the human spirit. The narrative intertwines the lives of four teenagers—Joar, Ali, Ted, and the Artist—whose bond during a transformative summer shapes their futures in profound ways. Backman's storytelling is both poignant and humorous, capturing the essence of youth and the enduring power of connection. The novel's exploration of how a single summer can alter the course of lives is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. My Friends is a testament to Backman's unparalleled ability to craft characters that feel like old friends, making this book an unforgettable journey.

I was excited to receive a complimentary copy of the ebook, My Friends by Fredrik Backmaan, from NetGalley. The ideas in this review are completely my own.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is about friendship, life, and loss. The central theme revolves around the idea that friendship isn't always perfect but remains a vital source of comfort and understanding, even in the most trying of circumstances. I really liked how the friends supported each other throughout their lives. It was nice to see that they could recognize others like them and right away make them family.

Backman is an author I usually always enjoy, as I did this time. This was a bit slower paced than some of his other books, but still enjoyable. I liked how the story unfolded through the retelling of the friends' story to Louisa. As well, I loved how there was a theme of the healing power of art. I think sometimes this gets taken for granted. Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.

“He was good at seeing the beauty in everything, that happens if you’re no good at seeing it in yourself.”

MY HEART 😭🥹❤️‍🩹 I need to read more Fredrik Backman STAT. “A Man Called Ove” is, in my opinion, one of the best stories ever; one I feel that can be recommended to almost any person, and be enjoyed over and over again. I feel the exact same about “My Friends”, just as strongly, if not more so. I laughed out loud more times than I could count, sometimes through tears. This book is funny and heartwarming and heart-wrenching, all at the same time.

If you are someone who can appreciate the beauty in things like words, art, friendship, and think they can save lives and change the world, this is for you.

“Because in an ugly place, he was born with so much beauty inside him that it was like an act of rebellion. In a world full of sledgehammers, his art was a declaration of war.”

I don’t know if I’ve ever highlighted so many lines in a book. I have many more things to say, but may try to wait until closer to the pub date. THANK YOU NetGalley & Atria Books for the opportunity to read one of my most anticipated upcoming releases!

This is a true masterpiece! A great ode to the power of friendship and art. It’s crazy how much a book can make you feel and just consume you at the same time. Backman stories are so raw and real. He captures humanity so well. This book is about grief, hardship, belonging and survival and probably the most important trust.
I feel so bonded to these characters. This might be one of the best books I ever read!

Not only is this a beautifully written book, but it will also hold you in suspense the whole time. You are on the edge of your seat to see who makes it to the end. Make sure you grab the tissue for this one. It will have you on the verge of tears the whole time. Then, by the end you will be a mess!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC!!

Fredrik Backman is always good for a life-changing story. A chance meeting of a girl and her artistic idol sets off a series of events that changes the girl's story and the story of those she encounters for the better. Fast read.

My Friends
by Fredrik Backman
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.
I feel so fortunate to have received the opportunity to read this early.
Backman is one of my favorite authors and I really love his style.
This is a tale where every character shines as the hero in their own right. While you might love one or two of them a little more, none of them feel insignificant.

It’s a masterpiece. I’m calling it now—the best fiction of 2025 and my favorite Fredrik Backman novel to date. (It even made me wonder if parts were inspired by his own childhood memories.) I cannot recommend this book highly enough—Read this one!

I am at a loss for words. This book has gutted me in all of the best ways. I have loved Fredrik Backman's work for many years, but I think this one is his best work yet.

This novel is about friendship and the effects that friendship can make on our lives. Four friends, Joar, Kim, Ali, and Ted, are outcasts who find a home in each other. All four coming from difficult homes, they find ways of connecting with each other through laughter and quite a few mischievous experiences. This novel is about art and how it can transport us to happier places, places that don't involve terrible foster care placements, bad life decisions, and most of all, grief. The book is difficult to read in places, laugh out loud funny, sob-inducing, and at the end, so uplifting. It took me from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other and back again. I didn't want it to end.

In an interview, Fredrik Backman said "I want the book to feel like you and I are sitting down at a table, we're having a beer, and I'm telling you a story. I don't want the story to feel like I'm standing on a stage and I'm shouting into a microphone and you're way back and there are 100,000 people. You have to remind yourself that a book is an experience between two people—a reader and a writer." This book felt exactly like he was telling a story, a story that you can't wait to hear and one that you will keep coming back to again and again.

Even though we're only about 6 weeks into the new year, I can guarantee that this book will be a top contender for my favorite 2025 read. 5 huge stars from me.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for this advanced readers copy. This book will be published in the US on May 6, 2025.

This is my 6th Fredrik Backman book and I was honored to get an advance reader copy. There is something so real and unapologetic about his writing style and the characters he creates stick with you long after the book is finished.

“My Friends” is about fiercely loyal friendships created in childhood, the power of art, and the celebration of those who are different. Many times I predicted what I thought would happen and each time I was wrong. Backman created a more compelling story than I had predicted.

The characters: Neurotic Ted who seems scared of his own shadow and Brazen Louisa, the young girl who deserves a much better life are quite the charming pair. The banter between them caused several laugh out loud moments. The Artist, not nearly enough time spent with your character but you were my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. Another beautiful book from one of my favorite authors.

This was a satisfying book after a rough start. I find with Fredrik’s books it does take a while to settle into the style and but once it got going this book was filled with so much heart. I love stories about friendships and this one lived up to my expectations.

My Friends is Fredrik Backman’s best book yet. This story about friendship from young to older is extraordinary in its character portrayals and their journeys lived and to be lived. Artful and exquisite! Highly recommend.

I have loved every single Fredrik Backman book I have read - and I have read them all! This one did not disappoint. It has all of his trademark style. He lays out a journey with some characters all of whom we may not initially like but most definitely come to love. There are time leaps back and forth but we know they are stories from the past so it's not one of those novels that's difficult to keep the timeline straight. It was a lovely, heartwarming story about how important that is to make connections in life - that we are not alone and that we can't survive alone. If family is not there for you, family can be made and we are all better off for it. I highly recommend this book - 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.

Fredrik Backman is someone I always love to read. He always finds a way to bring you into his world and the characters in his stories become "My Friends". This was no exception. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC and thank you to Fredrik Backman for continuing to write amazing stories.

Fredrik Backman never fails to make me laugh and cry — often within the space of a few sentences! And this book is no exception. This story about the lives of four friends over the course of a single summer and the ripples it creates for years and years was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and altogether beautiful.

The story took some time to start up, but is written in Backman’s classic, beloved style. Backman is funny and seems to not take himself too seriously but a is a true master at characterizing human relationships. He is one of my favorite authors of all time for this exact reason, and it’s a talent that makes his stories unforgettable. As with any of Backman’s books, this one was extremely hard to read at times.

A new parent myself, I didn’t expect to be hit so strongly in all my feelings with simple sentences about children and the adults who are supposed to be taking care of them — but their incredible resilience in the face of hardship makes these characters wonderful.

I pumped my fists when I found out that I had received an ARC of this book, and I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this to me in exchange for an honest review.

This was not the book I was expecting.

Looking at it, it has all the things that come with a Fredrik Backman book. The dark side of people. The deepest regrets, cruelty, violence, shame. The weight they have, and how they can be wielded, to everyone's detriment. How they threaten to swallow everything. Then, the other side. The shy smile, the tentative trust. The loudest laughter and love bigger than your body can contain.

Absolutely beautiful.

I can't wait for it to be May. For this to be out in the world, changing lives and perceptions and hearts the way only Backman can. I can't wait to have the audiobook always close, downloaded on my device for the times I'll desperately need it. I can't wait to read this one again and again, and for people to read it for the first time.