All the stars!! Fredrik Backman is my all time favorite author, and receiving an ARC of this book the day before Christmas felt like an amazing gift. I read as much as a could while still being present for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but had difficulty separating myself from this brilliant story about the power of friendship and art! I knew it was going to be another winner when I started laughing out loud and crying within the first 15% of the book. I immediately loved the characters and their relationships. Every word is so perfectly chosen and translated. I wanted to find out how the story ended, but also didn’t want it to end. A reminder of what a perfect book experience can be like as they don’t come around often enough for me. Highly recommend!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A truly fantastic read from beginning to end. After reading this novel, I'm heartbroken and need a hug, but I loved every second of it.

<blocknote>She becomes someone else's postcard.</blocknote>
i just have to say, december has treated me so well, in terms of books. it's been banger after banger after banger, and this one couldn't be anything other than a masterpiece.

my friends explores childhood friendships, grief and, most importantly, the art of it all. the novel follows two timelines, the past, where we meet out trio (joar, ted and c.jat — better known as the artist-). it's set during the summer, one filled with both laughter and hopes and dreams, and violence and the aformentioned grief, and the present, where louisa encounters the artist when she sneaks into an auction to see The One of the Sea— a painting that captured that summer feeling the trio felt back in the past, in the form of three small figures no one but her seems to notice. louisa's journey is one of healing and love.

every single one of the characters we meet througout the book is nothing but extraordinary in their own way, and the all have the power to reflect on your own life and make you feel different emotions.

if i have to give a small critique, i'd say the double timeline sometimes left me high and dry when it changed so abruptly, but it wasn't bothersome in the grand scheme of things.

i fell in love with backman's work when i read And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, and i told myself i had to read beartown, because everyone was raving about it, but didn't. so i'm going to take this book as a wake up call to start reading this man's entire work.

thank you to every single person working at ATRIA for giving me the opportunity to read this masterpiece, and thank you fredrik backman for writing it.

Backman is a must-read author in my book! It doesn't matter the topic, I'm going to check it out. This story was interesting and had me invested in the first few pages. I hope it becomes a Book Club title because there's much to discuss. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Who doesn’t love Fredrik Backman’s books? I sure do. His latest My Friends was remarkable, just as I expected.

First book I read by this author and AHHH. It was so interesting and I liked the storyline. My friends is a book that is fun, interesting, and one of and would recommend

This author never disappoints. This very nostalgic book written about our first friends the ones who know our truths. Just beautiful. And hopeful. This is my favorite book of his yet! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

Ahhhh Fredrick Backman does it again. I am sobbing and smiling and throwing this book from my hands and then running to pick it back up again to read more. This book is a work of art - I never wanted it to end. I adored each character & the heartwrenchingly sad stories that soaked through the pages. You can’t help but root for all the characters, even knowing where they end up. I really appreciated Backman’s ability to continue to hit on the hard points of life and evoke empathy from the reader as you follow along with the story. I am just so happy and thankful to have an advanced copy of this & can’t wait for it to come out.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well-developed and the story kept me engaged from start to finish. If you’re a fan of this author, you will definitely enjoy this book. I absolutely recommend this book to others!