After reading Beartown by Fredrik Backman I knew I stumbled upon a very special author. He has such a way with words that make you feel so much! I'm a reader who can sit down and devour a book, but I took my time with My Friends. I've been trying to figure out how to write this review because I want to scream from the rooftops how amazing this book is, but also I feel this is a book that everyone needs to experience this one knowing as little as possible.

Ted and Louisa are strangers but one painting puts them on a journey together. A painting is the cause of everything and we learn so much about these two as well as Ted's childhood friends and how the painting came to be. This story is heartbreaking, hopeful, funny, and everything in between. There were chapters that made me want to stop reading because they made me so sad and I didn't want anything to happen to the characters I came to love.

There were also so many quotes that just hit so powerfully that I plan on buying a physical copy to go back and highlight all of my favorite quotes. It never ceases to amaze me when an author can make me feel this way about fictional characters. My Friends is about friendship, love, grief, and that family isn't always blood. This has become one of my favorite reads of 2025 and I know I'll be thinking about it regularly.

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on May 22nd.

All I have to say is you must read this book. I’ve never read anything like it. I didn’t see myself but so many of my students experiences. The found family, fierce friendships, sweet memories of summertime and being a kid. It had me laughing even though the really sad reality of it all. I think that’s what made this book so special is that it was unbelievably believable humanity. 5 stars easily and a few tears.

Backman does it again in this summers soon to be hottest novel “ My Friends “ .
This book really was touching , inspirational and I’ve never read anything like it recently.
The POV’s and multi perspectives really allowed the story to bloom and grow pulling me in.
One might say if you don’t laugh you’ll cry… and that humor of the saying can be found within the pages of this book!


My friends makes you feel like the four best friends in this book are the friends you know - HIGHLY recommend.
Left this book feeling some kind of way about everything

Twenty-five years ago, a teenage artist created a painting that would go on to become a priceless work of art, making the artist famous around the world. It's a painting that's ostensibly of the sea, but to troubled orphan Louisa, it's obviously a painting of the three friends sitting at the end of a pier, laughing uncontrollably, even though those three figures are barely noticeable to most people who view the painting. When the painting unexpectedly comes into Louisa's possession, she learns from the artist's close friend Ted the truth about those figures, and the deep transcendent power of friendship and art.

Given that this is a story about an orphan who has just aged out of foster care and just lost her only friend, and a group of teens whose friendship was the only refuge from their poverty-stricken and abusive homes, this book is incredibly uplifting and funny. The way that Louisa and Ted bond over sharing their stories, the way that they see something in each other that most people would overlook... something about it is magical. And I really really wish the painting described in this book was real, because I'd love to see it and connect it to these characters. What a wonderful story from Backman. Highly recommended.

My Friends
Fredrik Backman
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


The mystery and connection of childhood friends—and an extraordinary painting—masterfully unspool in this classic Fredrik Backman masterpiece, both heartwarming and heartbreaking. This is a sweet and enchanting story that even a grown man cannot help but alternate between laughter and tears while reading.

Louisa is a day away from her eighteenth birthday and on the run from yet another foster home. “Fish,” her best friend, has recently died with little acknowledgment from the adults around her. Louisa, a burgeoning self-taught artist, sets out to see in person a painting that has long held deep meaning for her. She has faithfully carried a postcard image of The One of the Sea by world-renowned artist C. Jat. While most see a beautiful seascape, Louisa has noticed something others seem to overlook: a small pier jutting out into the vast ocean. At the end of the pier sit three children, vibrating with what seems like laughter and joy.

She aches not only to see the actual painting but to possibly meet the artist and learn the story behind these children. Fortuitously, Louisa encounters the dying artist behind the auction house from which she was just rudely ejected. This meeting sparks a poignant and surprise-filled train journey across the country to the origin of the painting, accompanied by one of the grown teens once depicted in it.

Along the way, she gradually learns of the deep friendship and love shared by four fourteen-year-olds—Joar, Ted, “the Artist,” and “Ali.” Each comes from a flawed and difficult family, in uniquely painful ways, yet they are inexorably drawn together in an unbreakable bond. You’ll come to love these flawed and scarred characters, and perhaps feel a pang of envy that they weren’t your own childhood friends.

Fredrik Backman masterfully weaves a multi-layered, complex story with converging plotlines that escalate in tension and intrigue, culminating in a heart-rending denouement. With flowing and insightful prose, the narrative glides from one heartfelt moment to the next. This poignant tale explores the many diverse constructs of life: friendship, love, addiction, marriage, parenthood, and the far-reaching effects of death on those left behind. It is filled with both wisdom and the absurdities that so often define the human experience. Be prepared to laugh and cry.

I savored this novel, dreading the moment I’d have to say goodbye to so many unforgettable characters. Though intended as a standalone, I hope Backman will revisit the lives of some of these memorable figures in future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you love:

-found family

-childhood besties

-a good cry

-love & loss

-grief



Thoughts:

My thoughts are… infinite amount of stars. I cant imagine loving a book,ore this year and it is officially an all time favorite. This was the most beautiful story of friendship, full of love and heartbreak, and truly points out what a roller coaster life can truly be. The way Backman writes stories is just next level for me, and this is officially my favorite of his. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up!



Favorite Quote:

“It wasn’t a curse, it was a blessing. Those were little winks from heaven.”

Another excellent book by Backman. It is a story of true friendship and the people that shape us. It was propulsive, sad and hopeful all at the same time.. If you like Backman, you will like this.

My Friends
Fredrik Backman
Pub: 5/6/25
5☆

“I love you and I trust you.”

Backman is a forever favorite author. Nobody. I will repeat, NOBODY writes the way he does. The unforgettable stories he so expertly unravels layer by layer, the raw emotions, and the beautiful characters that forever remain in your heart. My Friends is another gleaming example. It was heartfelt, tender, and the most beautiful reflection on love, grief, and the complexities of friendship. I could not put it down, I cannot stop thinking about it, and I already want to reread it. A true work of art.

What I loved:
💙 Character Driven Story
💙 Past/Present Timelines
💙 LOL Humor
💙 Unlikely Friendships
💙 Heart Wrenching
💙 ALL The Feels

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and will without a doubt be atop my list of favorites for the year. An absolute must read! I loved it with my whole heart and I urge you to read and/or listen to this book if you have not already!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Fredrik Backman, and Atria Books for an ARC of this book!

This story was easily my most anticipated read of 2025 and wow it is so, so special to me. My Friends had me at page one and I can’t even count the number of times I cried throughout this. Fredrik Backman’s ability to write such real and raw characters is always incredible to me! And the characters we meet in this are no exception. As someone whose previous favorite book by Backman was Beartown, this story gave me all the things I loved about that story. It was pure art and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to read this!

I am a Backman Stan through and through and Beartown is one of my all time favorites. Well, I read My Friends and I am not ok. Welp. Talk about not just meeting but exceeding my expectations. The story of a young woman who ends up traveling with a man on account of a famous painting, only to hear the man’s rendition of the history of the painting and the friends in it. My heart is overflowing. I am a puddle. The stories were hilarious but so heartfelt and emotional. In true Backman fashion, sarcastic dry humor is peppered throughout and woven into the lines that he so perfectly writes, each word so perfectly placed. His characters have so many layers and are so real and so easy to become attached to. And the story itself was brilliant in how it was told and how it all tied together. I want to give this book every single star in the world. The best.

By all accounts, my life is pretty fast paced. My reading life is no exception, but every once in a while, a book comes along that really makes me want to slow down and savor it. It’s not typical for me to read sentences aloud to my husbands or book besties because they’re just so beautifully written, but when it *does* happen, it’s almost always a Frederik Backman book, and My Friends was no exception.

On its face, My Friends is a story about a famous piece of art. But it’s about the art world in the same way that the Beartown series is about hockey—the art is important but it is also the vehicle for a coming of age story about love, friendship, and belonging.

It is funny and tender and beautifully written. I legitimately cried multiple times and for multiple different reasons while reading this book, and I am not usually someone who cries over books. This was easily a five star read for me, and I already know it will be one of my favorite books of 2025. I CANNOT URGE YOU STRONGLY ENOUGH to go grab a copy!!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for the ARC of this masterpiece. I genuinely loved it and still think about it frequently.

heartfelt, emotional, and honest- this novel tells a raw story about the journey of life and the up and downs that come with it.
i highlighted easily over 100 lines because each backman’s writing is so poetic and beautiful. this story was beautifully to read about and you can feel the care backman put into creating this. the themes tackled in this were executed well and i definitely can see myself picking up other works by him. my only complaint was the pacing was a little slow for my preference

I was so happy to see that Fredrick Backman had a new book out, and for a change, I bought the hard cover copy of it, even though I had a copy on NetGalley waiting for me. I've been so busy with getting ready to move, and then moving to a new home as well, which has been quite an adventure, and quite exhausting. .

I absolutely loved reading this, and recommend it - especially to fans of Backman.

There's a lot of charm in these pages!

Many thanks for the opportunity to read this wonderful story!


Pub Date: 06 May 2025

A group of teenagers spends their summer on an abandoned pier where they take solace in their friendship, as they dream of leaving their small town and difficult childhoods. From that friendship comes one of the most famous paintings in the world which, years later, is given to 18-year-old Louisa, an aspiring artist.

After receiving the unexpected item, and struggling with her own feelings of abandonment and homelessness, she embarks on a cross-country journey to find the story behind the painting. What follows is a deep, touching story, of teens forced to grow up too soon, found family, and finding the light in the darkest of times… told as only Backman can write it.

Trigger Warnings
Domestic Violence

Why Kirsten loves it
It took me ages to read this book because of the incredible ruminations on life, love, death, and friendship peppered throughout this treasure of a novel. Numerous times, I would read a sentence, pause, read it again, and then marinate on the token of wisdom that felt like a gift from Backman.

This is not a story to be rushed, but one to be savored. Resoundingly one of my favorites of the year, it’s Backman at his best. #gifted by Simon and Schuster

I was so excited to read this book. The way the story of the friendship years ago gets reignited when it’s being told so many years later is magical. You can see how these friends were truly family for one another. Highly recommend!

Just dive into this one. What appears to be a simple story on the surface quietly unfolds into something far richer and more resonant. At its core, it’s about four friends who find solace and a sense of home in each other as they navigate the complexities of their own lives. But this story grows beyond them—it becomes an artwork in itself, one that deeply touches others, like Louisa, for whom the story becomes truly life-altering.

The author has an extraordinary way with words—never relying on overwrought prose or flashy language, but instead crafting sentences that are deceptively simple and deeply meaningful. So many lines are gems, worth pausing over, worth rereading. Without ever feeling heavy-handed, the book explores grief, belonging, family, friendship, and the purpose of life in terms that feel achingly real and profoundly relatable.

The dual timelines add another layer of intrigue, gently revealing where the characters are now and how their past shaped them.

A true masterpiece: quiet, powerful, and unforgettable.

Fredrik Backman is such an auto-buy author for me. I was worried this one wouldn't live up to my love of Beartown but I was wrong! This book is beautiful, I laughed out loud and cried. Backman as always, manages to make me feel every emotion when I read his work. The observations on life, death, grief, and friendship in this book was incredible and personally, it hit close to home for me.

I loved everything about this book. It amazes me how the little tidbits he wrote about each character was enough that I felt each character in the stories was fully developed and I cared about them all! Beautiful work. Tragically wonderful story

Fredrik Backman does it again, this time, leaving my jaw a bit on the floor. This is a beautiful friendship story and holds some of the best characters I've read all year. I absolutely loved it and was incredibly moved by it.

As always, Fredrik Backman never ceases to amaze me with how talented of a writer he is. This book was a bit more introspective than his others, and it felt like a book that Backman needed to write for himself. It's filled with observations on life, death, grief, art, friendship, and love. In true Backman fashion, he struck a fairly good balance of levity and seriousness, though this book had more of a melancholy tone than most of his others. As always his characters are what really stood out with this one. You can't help but love them all. Overall, this isn't my favorite Backman book but it's still really good and he remains one of my favorite authors of all time.