My Friends is the newest book from Fredrik Backman. I have mixed emotions about it. It's very long and slow-moving, but I really loved the main characters. The story centers around an 18-year-old orphan named Louisa who is grieving her only friend, and a 40-something-year-old named Ted, who has just lost his best friend. Their lives become entwined when Louisa meets the artist C. Jat after falling in love with his famous painting of the sea. What most people never see in the painting is 3 friends sitting at the end of a pier. Louisa not only sees them, but she wants to know everything about them. Fortunately, Ted's best friend was the artist, and Ted himself is one of the friends depicted in the painting. The story mostly takes place on a train that is taking Ted and Louisa back to Ted's hometown. Throughout the ride, Ted tells pieces of his childhood and one life-changing summer with friends who became family. I loved the relationship between the friends, but the book seemed unnecessarily long.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

Just extraordinary. I don't have the words to describe this book, but it's like every other book from this author. You will get wrapped up into the story, woven into every single word. Take your time, the book will go by too fast for your brain to understand all of the wonder and love that is put into every single word.

Loved it.

Louisa is gifted with a famous painting that is very valuable with the autograph of "C. Jat" on the bottom. Little does she know that she will soon go on an adventure with Ted and learn the history of the friends that are in the painting. Ted tells her that she spcifically has been gifted the painting because she is "one of them." She follows Ted on the train and the story unravels of the friends and the making of famous painting.

Louisa learns how these friends met over 25 years ago and how they met on a pier each summer day to escape troubles that they each had at home. She quickly gets interested in how the story unravels. She soons realizes that she does not want to be the owner of this painting and all of its history. She tries to get away from Ted and the painting by escaping the train while it is stopped. Ted finds her and she realizes that she is destined for this painting and the story of the friends. The story continues and Louise realizes that she truly is just like them and belongs to them through her love of art.

I have mixed feelings about the book. I found the story line a bit odd and slow to follow. I didn't find the book exciting and I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat. However, Backman's character development is superb! He weaves the characters through the present and past story line very well.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

Firstly, as my first Fredrik Backman novel, this did not disappoint. The way that Backman writes is beautiful and captivating -- I am looking forward to checking out more of his work!!

This book broke me in the best way. Louisa is lost in life. abandoned by her parents and passed from foster home to foster home she never really had a home until she met her best friend- Fish. When Fish passes away her life has no meaning until she meets two men outside an art museum and change each other's lives for the better. little does she know one of the men is a famous artist that she loved. when she learns he is very ill he has one last dying wish. As she has nowhere else to go Ted takes her under his wing to tell the whole story of how the painting came to be. this book had me crying my eyes out and laughing out loud. Louisa has such a perfect personality and she is so easy to fall in love with. thank you fredrik for this masterpiece.

An absolute masterpiece. This did have a slow start, but I got hooked and absolutely blew through the rest. The way Fredrick Backman writes is so multi-layered and so meaningful. I cried! Highly recommend.

Wow. Okay, so no spoilers.

A beautiful tribute to the power of childhood friendships, found family, and how we survive despite a world that tries to break us. This novel features one of my favorite non-romantic pairings of all time. Backman's ability to describe a moment or a feeling is unmatched. And he takes us on a wild train ride here, teasing us as the story within the story unfolds.

(Shout out to the translator as well.)

Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a beautifully crafted novel that will warm your heart and remind you of the importance of connection. Perfect for fans of emotionally rich storytelling, it’s a captivating read that leaves a lasting impression.

The story revolves around a group of friends who have been close for decades, each carrying their own secrets, regrets, and hopes. Through a series of poignant moments and humor-infused reflections, Backman paints a vivid picture of the enduring power of friendship and the importance of cherishing the present. His characters are richly developed, each with their unique voice and compelling backstory, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested.

What sets this book apart is Backman’s characteristic ability to blend humor with profound emotional depth. The dialogues are sharp and authentic, often laced with wit that brings levity to even the most serious topics. His writing style is accessible yet poetic, capturing the nuances of human relationships with subtlety and grace.

My Friends is more than just a story about friendship; it’s a meditation on life's fleeting moments and the value of companionship in navigating life's inevitable challenges. It’s a touching reminder that, no matter how much time passes or how far apart life may take us, true friends remain a vital part of our journey.

This book felt like a warm hug! Fredrik Backman had such a way of capturing human connections and heart. These characters felt like my own friends and I will miss them now that I’ve finished! I love how he covered themes of grief and loss and life’s hardships and also themes of found family, happiness, and youth. A beautiful book.

Fredrik Backman has long been a favorite author of mine, and once I had my hands on his newest release I know I had to start it immediately. Within the first few chapters, I knew it would deliver everything I'd come to expect from Backman's writing - the unforgettable characters, delicate balance of humor and heartbreak, and an emotional core I haven't been able to shake in the months between reading this book and writing this review.

My Friends is a story of trauma, friendships, and the art that comes at the intersections of both. The novels follows Louisa, a teenage artist going through some of the worst the world has to offer, as she is finally able to see her favorite painting in person. The story unravels in her own time and in the lives of a group of teenage friends decades before. Both threads are a masterful glimpse of connection through tremendous pain.

I will never not read a Fredrik Backman book, but that means that my expectations were high walking into this one, and it did not disappoint on any level. I recommend looking up the triggers, but absolutely recommend this for readers ready for a breathtaking emotional journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel

Backman is the master. Best wordsmith out there. Pick this one up. You won’t regret it.

Found family ✅
Funny ✅
Thoughtful ✅

I’ll read anything Backman writes

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an ARC of this book.

I will be honest. I was super nervous to read this one. I have read only one other book by this author and I didn’t connect with it as deeply as most. I really didn’t want to be disappointed again.

This book is anything but a disappointment. Nearly instantly I was absorbed into this incredible story. I do think there were a few pacing issues but overall really loved everything about this.

Fredrik Backman never misses. This was a combination of Anxious People and Beartown in that it’s silly, clever, AND emotional. The premise, yet again, is incredibly unique but it still relies on my favorite trope: found family. The events of this book take place over a few days in the present, and over one summer in the past and it is similar to Evelyn Hugo in that the flashbacks are one main character telling the story of past events to the other. I enjoy that format quite a bit in books and movies because the stories tend to be so engrossing, you forget it’s a flashback and that is certainly the case here.

Louisa is a homeless teenager whose chance encounter with a famous artist leads to her inheritance of his most famous work. Louisa and Ted, the artist’s lover and childhood friend, wind up going on a trip to bury the artist’s ashes and to sell the painting. This setup is an excuse for Ted to recount the story behind the painting, and the close group of 4 teenagers who were bound together by their struggles.

I liked the book, but didn’t love it. The writing was sometimes too cute for me. I also found Louisa annoying (I know that she was supposed to be annoying, but I wanted to strangle her). However, I found the story of the friends compelling and I also liked the discussion of art. I just thought it took Ted too long to tell it, primarily because it was broken up by the picaresque adventures of Ted and Louisa.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Fredrik Backman's My Friends is a touching, deeply personal coming of age story. Louisa is a lonely girl who experiences loss and then meets an artist who inspires her. Backman looks and touches on the many aspects of friendship in this tender story. Louisa and Ted's friendship is one of my favorite stories in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I just straight up am not going to be able to do this book justice in a review. Fredrick Backman is one of the most talented writers. He combines witty, dark, dry humor with gut wrenching and wholesomeness sometimes within the same sentence. I don't think I've highlighted a book as much as I did this one. I really hope one day this becomes a movie. Everyone who reads this will find something they relate to in it. As I mentioned, few pieces of media can make people laugh and cry within the span of the same moment.

I feel like the more I write about this, the less I am able to truly convey my thoughts. There is so much more to this book than what's in the synopsis but I don't want to spoil anything and I think each person should discover on their own. This book is a journey. It's a journey through time, emotion, experience, it's just incredible. It will make you feel things you never thought a book could make someone feel.

Please read it. It's not an easy book to read at times, in terms of emotions, so check for trigger warnings if needed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This one gave me all the friendship feels and nostalgia of childhood friends! It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, of years past and present that were so relatable. I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention the writing. The words and sentiment in sentences were touching and empathetic; if I had a highlighter for every passage that hit, the book would be neon. The way the character voices were written made them endearing and quite funny. Please go read this and then call me so we can discuss!!

Frederick Backman's fantastic new novel, My Friends, easily surpasses his previous ones for its emotional impact and complexity. Louisa has just aged out of the foster system, which and been cruel to her, and becomes entangled with the subjects of a painting she has loved since first seeing it on a postcard. My Friends is a study of these characters; of these friends who are a family; of the importance of friendship and trust; of the importance of mentoring and supporting people who have special talents that will touch lives and impact the world; and of the importance of love and friendship and overcoming the challenges, heart-aches; and wonderful moments of life. Readers who are Backman's fans, who appreciate a novel that doesn't focus on action or mystery or any special genre, and who want to reap an emotional experience from a novel will be well rearded.

I will read anything Fredrik Backman writes but this...this one solidified him as one of the greats (and one of my favorites). I love the way Backman writes children/teenagers and keeps that spirit in the way he writes adults as well. What a treat, My Friends is.

Fredrik Backman has a unique ability to create complex characters with whom the reader will empathize, regardless of their differences. In "My Friends", he builds a world around the tiny characters in a world-renowned painting, and then weaves those characters into the present day in the person of a young artist struggling to find her own way.

I'll happily read anything Backman writes. The reader is guaranteed to find characters who will stay long after the cover is closed.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.