Fredrik Backman has a wonderful way with words. He expertly develops memorable characters, adds levity with his dry humour and sprinkles his stories with many wise tidbits to give you food for thought, all while stirring up your emotions with his unique storytelling ability.

His latest book, My Friends, is a coming-of-age novel about a group of teenage friends who feel like outcasts but who have found family with each other. Through flashbacks, Backman weaves a story around these misfits that reveals their individual struggles and the support and amazing bonds they build together. There is also a modern storyline that occurs 25 years in the future that involves a famous painting, its connection to the group and how it brings another lost soul into their lives.

This is a poignant tale that explores important themes, including tragedy and how it impacts our lives. His characters are believably and understandably flawed, and Backman shows readers how the bonds we make early in life can continue to help us, mold us and protect us when life gets hard.

Poignant, nostalgic and thought-provoking, if a bit meandering and slow moving, this is a story that took me a bit to get into but will hit readers in their heads and hearts and will possibly encourage them to reach out to their own teenage friends.

This book - and its absolutely gorgeous cover - hits stores May 6th from Atria Books.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Atria Books for the complimentary advanced digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

<b>*** This review was posted April 28. 2025 to my blog, FB, IG, StoryGraph and Indigo.ca **</b>

Subtitle: I love you and I trust you.

Okay, so I am still in a book hangover from this weekend. This was the second of 2 five star books I read and I'm almost scared to start another book because how can they compare with such perfection? So many times I stopped to reread a sentence or two to ponder or laugh about it. So many times I felt the angst of the author spilling forth this tale of friends, long ago and now. The characters all had heavy emotional loads to carry but their stories were told with such bittersweet descriptions. It is almost as though it pained the author to let these things happen to his characters. To balance this all out was intense love and support from each of the characters. This book is the definition of "found family" in all respects. The only part I had issue with was how Ted sounded so darn old when he was only 39! He sounded like he was 59 or 69! My favorite part was the concept about telling stories and the differences between the teller and the listener. But, I'll let you discover that gem for yourself, because you need to read this book!

This is a beautifully emotional story about friendship and love, skillfully told across two timelines: the present day and 25 years ago, when four of the main characters were 15. The characters feel incredibly real and relatable, and I found myself laughing out loud at their interactions throughout the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.

This by far, was my favorite Backman book to date. The way he wove this story in duel timelines and left a little bit of mystery in the story until the end was absolutely inspired. The amount of quotes and insights in this had me highlighting more than I ever had in a book. My Friends had it all. Emotional depth, found family, and a little bit of mystery and romance as well. A wonderful story of finding "your people" more than once during your life and the impact those people can have not only immediately, but years later.

A must read book. Definitely a top ten book of 2025 and of all time. Frederik Backman has done it again and with the beauty and quirkiness that is so beloved.

My Friends won me over right away. It was fast paced from day one with characters that are flawed but so enjoyable and they blend together perfectly. The plot is simple, yet, that’s the best part because then the characters can shine and tell the story. I’m not sure there’s anyone better at doing just that.

We meet Louisa right away. She’s mired in grief and life that’s been difficult so far, even at 17. She meets a man in an alley for a few brief moments and her life changes forever. What happens next saves Louisa and sets her on a trajectory that was meant to be while meeting a group of friends that teaches us all.

Advanced reader copy provided by Atria and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

My Friends is a nostalgic, beautiful story about everlasting friendship and love through hardship and survival. His words are so profound as he tells the story of a friend group in the past and present. The characters feel real and are relatable and human. They are resilient and kind and incredibly witty. They all face huge challenges but find solace in each other. The story is emotional and heartbreaking but nostalgic and though provoking. I loved this book and Fredrik Backman has become one of my favorite others.

Thanks to #net galley for the digital Arc!!

Love, love, love! Backman does it again. He had a way of sinking you right in to the storyline and making me feel like I was there with Louisa as she unveils all that is to come from the artist and his friends. Ted is an amazing character that has a lot of layers. It takes time to get to know him, but he’s amazing. Every new chapter of book keeps you wanting more and wanting to see where these characters go. There were sad times, but also happy! Thankfully there was enough happy to balance things out. I loved this book!

✨ A Raw and Beautiful Exploration of Friendship, Grief, and Healing ✨

Fredrik Backman always has a way of taming my heart. Like damn, this guy will always be one of the best authors I've ever come across. He never fails to amaze me with his stories. I always find myself deeply attached to his characters, feeling emotions so real it’s like I know them personally.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman follows four teenage friends—Joar, Ali, Ted, and Kim. (It honestly blew my mind that one of the characters is named Kim, I was so, so amazed.) As they struggle to find reasons to stay alive amid family and life challenges, they find peace and comfort in one another. They laugh, fight, banter, and fart together. Their lives are perfectly imperfect. They love and trust each other deeply.

Twenty-five years later, Kim and Ted meet Louisa, an orphan grieving the loss of her closest friend. As she struggles to accept that death, she crosses paths with Kim and Ted—and her life changes forever.

How can I explain how this book made me feel? I fell so deeply in love with it, and I still can’t move on. It was so beautifully written, my heart ached for the losses, yet I felt peace in the characters’ closure. I loved every single one of them, Louisa, Ted, Joar, Ali, and Kim. They were all so amazing that I found myself wishing I had friends like them growing up. Friends who make you feel like you belong, who remind you that you’re not alone, and who accept even your darkest parts. I felt envious of their bond, because despite all the hardships, they were lucky to have each other.

My Friends is a powerful story of found family and friendship, emotional depth, life lessons, and raw, realistic storytelling. It made me laugh through the banter, cry through the pain, and fall in love through the warmth of their connections.

Trigger warnings: Suicide, violence, rape, drug overdose, aggression.

Still, I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of literary fiction, coming-of-age, and emotionally honest stories of friendship and survival.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this beautifully written story of Louisa, Fish, Joar, Ali, Kim, and Ted.

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 Louisa paints the wall with skulls and cockroaches
📌 Louisa and Fish’s beautiful and painful friendship
📌 Louisa’s endless banter with Ted and their unexpected bond
📌 Joar and Ali’s love story
📌 Joar, Ali, Kim, and Ted’s perfectly imperfect friendship
📌 The “One of the Sea” painting by C. Jat, capturing their friendship and laughter
📌 Louisa helping others who are just like them

✨TROPES:
📌 Found Family
📌 Dual Timeline
📌 Grief & Healing
📌 Trauma & Recovery
📌 Unlikely Friendship
📌 Tough on the Outside, Soft on the Inside
📌 Art as Expression
📌 No Spice

Fredrik Backman returns with a powerful, bittersweet tale of four teenagers whose deep bond echoes across decades - and unexpectedly changes the trajectory of a young girl’s life.

Most people glance at C.Jat’s iconic painting and see only the sea. But Louisa, a young artist grappling with her own creative doubts and the horrors life has brought her way, is captivated by the small trio of figures at the edge of the canvas. She senses a story hidden in those brushstrokes and sets out to uncover it.

Twenty-five years earlier, on a quiet pier in a forgotten town, four teens found solace in each other’s company. Joar, the scrappy fighter; Ted, the grieving reader; Ali, always on the move thanks to her restless father; and a gifted, troubled boy who painted his way through pain. For one golden summer, they shared stories, secrets, and dreams - creating not only memories, but a piece of art that would long outlive them.

Now, with that painting unexpectedly in her hands, Louisa embarks on a journey to trace its origin and to reignite her own sense of purpose. What unfolds is a moving exploration of how friendship leaves its mark, how art holds memory, and how sometimes, the stories we discover become the ones that shape us.


“Stories are complicated, memories are merciless, our brains only store a few moments from the best days of our lives, but we remember every second of the worst.”

The fun thing about opening any book by Fredrik Backman is that you full well know he is going to break your heart - you just don’t know how yet.
My Friends is a story about the friends you make when you are a teen that become your found family, of art that is so all-encompassing that it shatters everything you ever thought you knew about the world and how it can make you feel less lonely in this big world and, at its core, about loyalty, trust and love.

If I had to pick one word to describe what this book is like, I’d choose devastating.
Masterfully crafted, there is so much pain in the way this story is told. You are constantly on the edge of your seat as you listen to Ted reminisce about the summer that not only shaped his life but his friends’ as well. You can practically taste the sense of doom and tragedy that permeates the whole story but always, always the brilliant friendship between the characters gives you a sense of comfort that is desperately needed.

Besides the past narrative, you also have the present in which Ted finds himself saddled with (and unable to let go of) Louisa, a brilliant teen who has already gone through so much in her short life. There’s a certain level of cynicism and street-smarts that come with her that somehow make the story feel even more unputdownable. She’s crass and funny and boisterous but she’s also just someone who has never belonged and, above all else, yearns for that feeling. In a way, you as the reader fall in love with the friendship of Ted, Joar, Ali and the artist alongside Louisa, which makes it feel all the more special.

I wish I could go deeper into the plot, but everything somehow feels like a spoiler. There’s death and grief and devastating fear, there’s parents who don’t behave like it, there’s a mirror held before society and how pretentious art dealers and buyers can be but there’s also the sense of infinite possibility when you find an artist who makes you feel alive just through what they create with their own two hands. There’s unrequited love and platonic love and there’s the sense that everything you’ve ever done or thought in your life ultimately determines just how you will leave this world. There’s the powerful belief that nothing shapes you quite like the friendships you make when you are young - even if they fall apart or change in ways you never expected them to. And that’s not even half of the topics Backman tackles in this.

In any case, My Friends feels like an absolute career highlight. I usually highlight about 30-60 passages. In My Friends? I had more than 350 highlighted quotes. It feels like Fredrik Backman took a look at his fans and went, “Oh, you think you know pain just because you read Beartown? You think you know what’s relatable just because you devoured Anxious People? Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet” and decided to blow everyone’s minds with a whole new level of relatability.

It’s no secret that Backman is one of my favorite authors but what strikes me even after multiple books, is that I somehow still remain baffled at the immense talent he possesses to make any read feel like it’s both calling me out and showing me just how relatable the human experience truly is.
Many of the things happening in this book are tragic and you can feel the pain the characters go through on such a visceral level that I had to put the book down multiple times because I didn’t want (quite like Louisa) to finish the story if it wasn’t going to turn out to be a happy one. But for me, this is always where Backman makes his boldest statement: We are all in this together. You are not alone in uncovering the secrets of that friendship and the summer 25 years ago when it took place. Together with Louisa, you discover just how magic the world can be if you have the right people at your side. And for that feeling alone this book is worth picking up immediately.

A devastatingly beautiful love letter to teen friendships and the way they shape who you are and who you want to be, My Friends is Backman’s best story yet.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do, with your one wild and precious life.”
“Being a parent is so strange, all of our children’s pain belongs to us, but so does their joy”
“ Stories are complicated, memories are merciless, our brains only store a few moments from the best days of our lives, but we remember every second of the worst.”
I have been sitting on this review for a few weeks, as my ambivalence towards Fredrik Backman’s new book has caught me off guard. I appreciate the beautiful writing; I often found myself stopping to write down quotes that gave me pause, stirred up emotion or nostalgia. I have read Beartown and A Man Called Ove, and the overall style of My Friends is similar, but I had a hard time connecting with these characters, despite that being the entire premise of the novel.
This story is about friendship, belonging, childhood friendship, trauma and art. How art ties us together, how humans become bonded through grief, joy, pain and how hard it can be to exist as a human being.
My favourite part about this book is the way that Backman describes childhood and friendship. The way Backman illustrates the way that we craved summer as children and adolescents, how our friendships during these years were so important to our development and sense of self-he captures this feeling beautifully.
The story follows two timelines: present day and 25 years prior. As unique as the story was, none of it was very surprising. It was clear from the start that the violence and trauma experienced by the 4 characters in the past would shape who they are as adults.
I really wanted to love this book but in the end it fell flat for me, and it took a long time to finish because I wasn’t roped into the story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me this ARC of My Friends.
3.5 Stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Fredrik Backman’s new novel, ‘My Friends.’ It was a different vibe from his others I’ve read (including favorite A Man Called Ove) but as always, his characters are so well done you feel like you know them. This is a story of teenaged friendship, of art, of family, of loyalty and love. How beautiful to survive a difficult and in some cases, dangerous, childhood to grow into a creative and caring adult. And then to meet another special friend 25 years later! This was not a quick read, there was much to process but the destination was well worth the journey!

<u><b>My Friends</b></u>
Fredrik Backman
Release Date: May 6, 2025

ARC courtesy of Atria Books and NetGalley.

Let’s get it out of the way - Fredrik Backman’s latest novel, <i>My Friends</i>, is, so far, the best book of fiction I have read this year. It is a beautifully crafted, emotional novel of a life-changing “endless” summer shared by four teenage friends twenty-five years ago, and how, in the present, through a world famous painting gifted to her, Louisa, an orphan teenager, discovers and relives this friendship.

The storytelling is masterful. The story, the characters, as well as the relationships, gradually unfold over time. It is a gradual unfolding that is best savored slowly, and reflected upon. The plot is not complex, but it is told in a compelling narrative that draws you in and keeps you reading. The prose is simple, not overly intricate, but heartfelt. The characters, even the secondary ones, are all fully and richly developed, as are the relationships between them.

<i>My Friends</i> is a tender love story among friends. The characters are all flawed, and I think that is what makes them relatable and real. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Highly recommended.

5 stars

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

It’s introspective. It’s deep. It’ll get you in your feels. It’s the newest from the best, the one and only Fredrik Backman! My Friends tells the story of Louisa, a young artist on the run from her foster home after her best friend’s suicide, who meets another artist, famous for his painting of the ocean. With dual past and present timelines, Louisa slowly learns the story behind the famous painting while opening up to new people and learning what family truly means.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Fredrick Backman, especially the Beartown series! My Friends was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m happy to say it lives up to those expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a sad story, but it reminds you of the simple things in life and the power of friendship. It takes you back to when you were 14, when the world was simpler and we thought our friends were forever. Some were, some weren’t, but that doesn’t change how we felt in those moments. And this is the true beauty of Backman’s work, how it’s so relatable even if the story itself isn’t relatable. Read My Friends. You won’t be disappointed if you like Backman’s other books!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this novel!

My Friends is a gut-punch of a novel - a raw, beautiful tribute to the friendships that carry us through the hardest parts of growing up and the way those bonds echo through the rest of our lives. It’s emotional, yes. It’s heartbreaking. It’s hopeful. It’s about love in its most stubborn, ferocious form.

Backman doesn’t just write stories; he writes emotions you can feel pulsing off the page. He doesn’t hand you a narrative - he invites you into it and forces you to reckon with your own memories, your own losses, your own moments of forgiveness. It’s the kind of novel that meets you exactly where you are, whether you're ready or not.

I’m not certain anything could top the Beartown series for me, but Backman continues to wow me with the depth of his writing.
This doesn’t just tell a story - Backman hands you your own heart and asks you to remember. This wrecked me, then healed me.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC. My Friends releases on May 20. Pre-order it, hug your people, and get ready to feel EVERYTHING.

It's so hard for me to review Fredrik Backman's books because I feel like I can't do them justice. His books just work so damn well for me as a reader.

I love how he creates characters that I feel like I know right away, and the characters in My Friends are no exception. The structure also worked really well for me.

I honestly can't wait to reread this someday.

** I received an e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Backman's books are always gorgeous, but I think this is his best yet. Reflective, thoughtful, tragic and yet redemptive. Somehow felt like his most personal. I loved every one of these characters wholeheartedly. The ending is surprising without being ridiculous. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

“I love you and I trust you.”

My Friends is my most anticipated book of the year since this is one of my favorite authors! I have been eagerly anticipating his next book. It’s been a few years, minus the Amazon short story. He’s coming to my local bookstore/library for an author event, and I could not be more excited. Anyway, I had to emotionally prepare myself before starting this book. Backman is my favorite author, but he knows how to destroy my emotions. I am going to gush a lot, and I apologize in advance. I adored this book and came close to overtaking A Man Called Ove as my favorite. This is a story about amazing friendships, family, and love.

Backman has a unique writing style that starts slow and full of detail. You don’t know where he’s taking the story until it hits you in the face. My guesses were wrong many times! I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. Some moments hit you hard, and it can sneak up on you. This story is in two timelines, and we learn about all the friends through stories from the past. A lot is happening, and you are constantly on your tippy toes. There can be so much heartbreak in Backman’s books, but that’s life. It feels so real and relatable because just being alive can be hard. The lessons he shares throughout are always inspiring and full of hope. Something I always see in his writing is how ONE SMALL decision, instance, or second can make or break someone. Many little butterfly effects can lead to major impacts. The world can be such an unfair and cruel place. It just takes one small act of kindness to change someone’s life.

“It’s a long life, but fast, one single step in the right direction can be enough.”

One of my favorite things about Backman’s writing is how characters can pop up for a small amount of time and make huge impacts. It’s something that he often does in his books. Louisa is a character that I felt for right away. She’s had a hard life and doesn’t know what to do. It is easy to fall in love with all these characters as the story unfolds. This group of friends that have come together because of their differences. They celebrate each other and love each other. Count yourself blessed if you are lucky enough to have friends who will do anything for you. Each one brought so much to the group and left their marks.

I will never be able to do this book review justice. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking, wonderful, and sad. I went through a roller coaster of emotions. I found myself crying many times and laughing out loud. This book is why I enjoy Backman’s writing so much. It’s such a journey and full of reflection. I read this book in two days. I hope he decides to keep writing because this world is a better place with his stories.

Thank you, Atria Books and Netgalley, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I finished the book a few weeks ago and haven't stopped thinking about it. The way Fredrik Backman writes is so beautiful and just makes you feel every possible emotion so deeply. I laughed. I cried. I felt everything. This book, while it has its light moments, definitely covers some heavier topics. Cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy when it comes out!!

My Friends is a lovely portrayal of how a few friends spent a fantastical summer (full of terrible ideas!) and how they’re still living with (and grieving) the memories of that summer 25 years later.

Not one character turns out who they seem to be on the surface, and every single relationship brings a bit of surprise. No one brings characters to life quite like Fredrik Backman and this is another stunning example of the beauty of human nature. It gives me hope we’re all able to find the people who are “one of us” 😭