Fredrik Backman has done it again with My Friends, creating deep characters and relationships that pull on the heart strings of the reader.

Louisa is 18, leaving the foster system and alone in the world. A trip to visit a famous painting that has been a beacon in her life, results in a collision (both figuratively and actual) with a world famous artist. Stories are carefully layered together from different characters and timelines, pulling the reader deeper into an understanding of the relationships that define them.

This novel is heavy but has light-hearted moments. It is sad, but also hopeful. It other words, it is a bit of a class Fredrik Backman rollercoaster, with a lovable cast of misfits. I recommend this book for those who enjoy coming of age stories, stories about deep and complex friendships, and found families. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

OMG. Such a great book. I. couldn't put it down but I don't want it to be over. I just fell in love with all of the characters. The story was painful with some of the darkness of the Beartown series but there was hope and love and humor that made it bearable and actually uplifting. I just LOVE everything by Backman, but I think this might be the best on yet.

I mean did we think Backman was going to write a book that I wasn’t going to enjoy? I am already eager to re-read this!
This is another read for me this year where my highlighter goes dry, thankfully this was an EARC! LOL!
Backman always does such a delightful job writing a story about the human experience & empathy. My Friends is equal parts gut-wrenching & witty, making for a wonderful story. I never knew where the story was going to go next, it kept building & building, keeping me intrigued.

If you’re looking for a book with a storyline that feels fresh & never told before, look no further.

A major thank you to the author, the publisher, & to NetGalley for the EARC in exchange for my honest review!

“Art is what we leave of ourselves in other people.”
🖼️
In one of the most famous paintings in the world there are three tiny figures of teens sitting on a pier that most people don’t even notice. When the painting is sold at auction the author gifts it to a unhoused teen that he catches painting on the side of the building it was sold in. Louisa doesn’t want the responsibility of her favorite artist’s most famous work so she tags along with his best friend as Ted returns home following the artist’s death. On this journey Louisa learns about the four friends’ childhoods—both the good and the bad. The closer Louisa and Ted get to the painting’s place of origin, the more Louisa learns about the complicated relationships between the group and what happy endings can really look like.
🌊
I don’t know why I’m surprised that this novel had me bawling. At this point I should know going in that @backmansk is going to COMPLETELY RUIN ME and this was no exception. This book was poignant, thought-provoking, emotional and completely unforgettable. I highly recommend not just title, but the author’s entire backlist.

CW: death, illness, drug and alcohol abuse, imprisonment, death of a child, grief, domestic abuse, homophobia, violence, physical abuse, alcoholism, sexual assault, suicide ideation and attempt, self-harm, misogyny, panic attacks/disorder, bullying, addiction

It was a wonderful story about being different as a child, but being accepted as a friend. It is funny, heartbreaking, and kind. You can trust the author to do right by his characters and just enjoy the ride. When it was finished, I was sad, because I wanted to spend more time with the friends. And yet, it was just enough too.

FREDRIK thank you for this book! I learn something new about myself in every single book I read by him. It's beautiful, inspiring, and just wow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchcnge for my honest review.

i listened to this on audio and i actually have no idea what to say on it...? idk, i just don't think his writing style is for me 🥲

that said i did like this more than some of his other work (namely ANXIOUS PEOPLE). Backman is hit or miss for me and this wasn’t a hit or a miss. i liked the main characters but i felt like every chapter was a retell of the previous chapter in different ways? its just so wordy.

this book also deals a ton with grief so major TWs there. but the found family and friendship themes were strong and funny at parts. probably wouldn’t have finished if i didn’t listen— Marin Ireland narrated the audio and brought the personalities to life well!

buttttt i think this will be the last Backman book i read. not worth the length tbh, the only one i’ve “loved” is A MAN CALLED OVE.

This book is everything. I can’t even blurb it justice. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to prove to myself I’m not totally dead inside. All the emotions, all at once. Please be a mini series someday.

Thank you @atriabooks, @simon.audio, and @backmansk for my #gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“That’s all childhood friends are, people stuck on the same island. If you find a single one of them, you can cope with almost anything.”

My Friends is a story about friendships, life, loss, and, at its very heart, hope. Told in dual timelines, Backman tells the story of 4 friends whose bond was so strong it continued shaping the lives of people two decades later.

Ted, Joar, Ali, and “the artist” each had tough childhoods, but the one thing they had was each other. Their fierce trust and love for each other carried this book. Their life, encapsulated in a painting done by “the artist,” is what gives foster child Louisa hope to move through her days two decades after the summer that ended the four friend’s childhoods forever. After both losing the most important people in their lives and a chance encounter having to do with the artwork, Ted and Louisa find support in each other.

This has been a particularly difficult review to write because describing Backman’s writing feels impossible. All of his books are so full of heart and this one is no exception. My Friends made me laugh, cry, and feel nostalgic for my childhood friends. Backman’s immersive writing made me feel like I was friends with these characters and I mourned them after I closed the book.

Fredrik Backman has the incredibly unique talent of making you feel despair and hope often at the same time. I couldn’t recommend this book or any of his other work more. This story will stick with me for a long time.

I always enjoy Backman's characters and this one is no different. It's great to be back in the world Backman imagines with his unique observations on the world and the people in it. This book captures the nostalgia (and both the comfort and pain of that nostalgia) of childhood summers, childhood friendships and the family they become.
Thanks to netgalley and Atria books for eARC.

Nobody does it like Fredrik Backman. This book was no exception. It was beautifully written while also having his signature humor and also touched on some hard and heavy topics while still feeling so human.

Highly recommend and will forever be a Backman fan!

Thank you to NetGalley & Atria books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

A beautifully crafted novel that echoes with laughter even as it describes seasons of great pain. Backman's latest (MY FRIENDS) may be The Book of Summer 2025. The characters (childhood friends Ali, Ted, Joar, and the artist) are so compellingly drawn that they linger long after the last page is turned, and the novel's prose is as lyrical as the children's laughter. Other reviewers will say that the novel is about art -- and they aren't wrong. The plot circles around a famous painting, the circumstances that led to its creation, and the artist's final wishes for his masterpiece. It is art that saves the characters from the despair of poverty, abuse, and hopelessness. Yet the novel is titled MY FRIENDS and not MY ART -- and the book is one of the loveliest testimonies to the power of friendships that can be imagined.

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this was a beautifully written tale of friendship, loss and grief. The plot was intricate, the pacing methodical as told in present day and in flashbacks…giving the reader time to absorb the meaning behind how the past and people in your life shapes the future. I was drawn to the artist backstory, artist references, and the power of the eye of the beholder: knowing that one painting can affect many people in many different ways. I was entrapped in the beautiful prose, the themes found within the powerful plot, and the character development. This was my first novel by the author and look forward to fitting in his backlist.

As great as it sounds to be young and 14 again with carefree summers, big dreams, and my best friends, I forget how hard it is to be trapped in the awkward stage between childhood and adulthood. 𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 captures the last summer before it all changes for four friends and how one painting can change lives. In many respects, this novel is also tribute to art and everything it embodies.

This is the third book by Fredrik Backman that I have read and I love it even more than 𝗔𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. I absolutely love his beautiful writing, the emotions he evokes from laughter to sadness to anger to hope, and his imperfect, well-intended, yet vulnerable characters.

But mostly, it is the little truths and life reminders along the way in his books that leave me blown away. For example: "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮." “𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴. 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦.” The last one especially hit home.

When I did finish my audiobook and ebook, I immediately run out and bought the book to put it in circulation with my friends and family. Bonus I went to a new-to-me bookstore (@monarchbooks) and chatted up the owner who also reading 𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 and didn't want this book to end.

5 Stars

This is hands down THE book of 2025! This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. I will be shouting about it from the rooftops. I don't think I have ever read a book with such amazing story telling. . I appreciate art in a whole new way now. We could all use friends like the ones in this book. Every character has such depth that you feel like you know them personally. At times it was absolutely heart wrenching and you just want to jump in the book and save the day. I cannot wait to have my own copy of this book so I can annotate it. I have never annotated in my life but I feel such a desire to do so with this book. This will for sure be a re-read for me. This is a must read for everyone.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

ARC Review: It’s hard to put into words what feelings this book can make you feel. There’s truly only a few plot locations, but the book is written as an intricate story over a timespan of one summer that a few friends shared together. A sorta former teacher is telling it to a young adult who is an aspiring artist (and definitely a thief). The summer was hilarious, adventurous, stupid, boring, and full of farts- making it a summer to never forget. It was life-changing. You get to know each of the characters on a personal level. You root for every happy ending, knowing that life doesn’t always turn out that way. You cry over every sad ending, but also when the characters finally get what they deserve. This book will have you crying and laughing on the same page! In the meantime, you experience the artist and teacher running into dumb obstacle after obstacle in their uncanny friendship and mission. This author does a remarkable job of having the book come full circle with each parallel and repeated phrase.

Details: summer, grief, laughter, abuse, pills, art, swimming, jokes, friendship, foster home, trains, stories, rebellion, vandalism, parents

Absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I cried and I became so invested in the story and the characters. From start to finish, this book kept me intrigued and wanting more.

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this one and how Backman managed to outdo himself following greats like Anxious People & Beartown.
Louisa is almost 18 and an inspiring artist, though faced with too much hardship as a young person in the foster care system. For years, she’s held onto a postcard of a painting by a mysterious artist - a piece of art placed into her possession by a chance encounter with the artist. She embarks on a journey with a friend of the artist and begins to learn more about how the piece came to be. Simultaneously told through the novel, we’re taking back to decades before, when a group of friends only had each other - leading to the creation of that painting.
I laughed, I cried, and felt every emotion in-between. This was a beautiful novel I couldn’t put down and will be thinking about for a long time to come.
Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

📚My Friends by Fredrik Backman

⚠️CWs for grief/loss, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, terminal illness, death of a loved one, grief/loss, foster care system, rape, alcoholism, substance abuse, overdose, dead animals (birds), and more

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5). I will never be able to write a review that can do a Fredrik Backman book justice. Full stop. He just has such a way words that resonates with me on a different level. This was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, a story about love in all his flawed forms. I wanted to rate it a full 5 stars, but the sheer number of times the word fart was used prevented me from doing that. I will definitely need to do a physical re-read so I can annotate the heck out of this.

✨I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review (however I opted to wait until after release day to read this so I could listen to the audiobook).

I sadly wasn't able to finish this one. I had a hard time with the slow development, and often time felt like things were reiterated too much. I hope to pick it up again one day and finish it, and I appreciate the opportunity!