this was my first fredrik backman book and man was it a beautiful book. this book is perfect to make you feel all emotions, love, hurt, joy, excitement, anxiety, etc.. the story of the group of friends was absolutely beautiful. the way that ted took louisa under his wing made my heart ache i loved it so much. it felt like louisa gave them a purpose after losing the artist. the story encapsulates exactly what it feels like to be an “outcast” in your youth but have the perfect group of friends. overall i loved this book. definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year!

*4.5 stars rounded up*

I return to Backman’s work again & again because he’s able to pull out the core elements of being a person & somehow put them into words, infusing humor into the bewildering & beautiful experience that is life. I found myself highlighting many lines in this work that captures the essence of being alive, showcases the power of artwork & storytelling, & honors the way that friendship can help you endure heartbreak.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just like Catherine Ryan Hyde, Fredrik Backman just really gets people. Even when life is difficult, he can make it seem beautiful by his narrative style and by the connections between his characters. Even the ones who don’t really want to connect.

That is the case with Louisa and Ted. They are thrown together by the painting and the man who painted it—who actually dies pretty early on in the story. As they travel to the town where the painter began his career, Louisa gradually pries from Ted the story of how the painting came to be, and what became of the various friends. This history is not always easy to read, but Backman gives us a picture of the importance of friendship, especially for young people who have no other advantages in life.

Louisa, more than most, understands this. She has lost her only friend in a life that has dealt her nothing but hard knocks. But she has a gift, the same gift the painter had, and it is her recognition of the truth of his first and most famous artwork that sets the story into motion. As it progresses, she learns to trust and learns to accept the great gift life has given her—despite rejecting a very different kind of gift.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Swearing, abuse, drug use, alcohol use, LGBTQ representation. Theft and vandalism (of a sort).

Who Would Like this Book:
Those who enjoy stories that aren’t always neat and tidy, but are able to contrast the ugliness of life with its great beauties.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-good-week-for-readers.html

A Heartrending Tale of Love, Loss, and Second Chances

Fredrik Backman's "My Friends" is a deeply moving and masterfully crafted novel that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring power of human connection.

Backman's writing is both poignant and humorous, creating the narrative with a cast of unforgettable characters and their intertwined stories. The novel beautifully captures the essence of grief and friendship in their many forms, highlighting the unspoken bonds and unwavering support that can sustain us through life's most challenging moments.

"My Friends" is a testament to Backman's ability to create richly textured narratives that resonate with emotional depth and philosophical insight. The novel delves into profound themes such as the nature of identity, the passage of time, and the importance of living a life filled with meaning and purpose. Backman's prose is both lyrical and accessible, making this a truly immersive and unforgettable reading experience.

This is a novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. It is a celebration of the human spirit, a reminder of the preciousness of life, and a testament to the enduring power of love. A well-deserved five stars.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Friends is a heartwarming & moving story about teenage friendship, their bonds, and its ability to change the life of a stranger 25 years later.

In Backman’s hallmark style, he effortlessly captures the human spirit and the intricacies of relationships with humour, wit, and sharp realness. His ability to shine a light on the sheer messiness of life includes tenderness and humility and inspires hope. Life is messy. And, it’s ok to not be ok. And being your authentic self is good enough and worthy of connection.

His ability to look beyond the surface, hold up and value all our messy & chaotic bits and make them beautiful is inspiring. And, is why I will come back to Fredrick Backman time and time again.

Thank you @simonandschuster and @backmansk for my digital copy!

My Friends is classic Backman– characters that feel real with all their baggage and brokenness and joy looking for human connection. It was somehow both full of dramatic irony and surprises. While this isn’t my favorite of Backman’s books (that’s either Anxious People or Beartown), it’s still a heartfelt, lovely book that I’d absolutely recommend.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 stars)

If there’s one thing Fredrik Backman knows how to do, it’s create characters that I’ll spend the rest of my life wishing were real so I could be friends with them. My god, what a beautiful story. I’m just sitting here in awe after finishing it. A true love story of friends that are family, art and adolescence, My Friends will make you laugh, cry, dream and want to call your friends. It was such an intricately written narrative and I’m so thankful for it. I feel somewhat changed for the better for reading this one. If you’ve loved his other books, you’ll love this one. Classic Backman and I mean it in the best way. I will never forget this book.
CW: domestic violence, chile abuse, bullying, alcoholism, mental illness, sexual assault, death, animal death, violence

Thank you to Atria Books for the digital reader’s copy!

Fredrik Backman takes an enormous deep dive into the human soul with his new novel. The story is all-consuming and wonderful. This one is a gift from a brilliant writer. Don't miss this one!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Another incredible story from Backman! This gives us a journey of friendship that feels genuine and heartfelt, and Backman gives us great insight into each character, never favoring one over the others. A big thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of one of the best books of 2025.

Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a tender and reflective exploration of friendship, loss, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit. Told through dual timelines, the story follows Louisa, who receives a hauntingly beautiful painting of three boys sitting at the end of a pier. As she embarks on a journey to find out more, she uncovers the rich, intertwined histories of the artist and his childhood friends.

Backman masterfully weaves past and present, sharing memories of heartbreak and healing. He invites readers to consider how relationships shape us—and how we carry the weight of those we’ve loved and lost. My Friends reminds us that friendship can be a lifeline through trauma and a mirror reflecting who we truly are. It’s a deeply moving novel that lingers long after the final page.

Fredrik Backman’s latest novel, My Friends, is a heartwarming and heart wrenching story of childhood friendship and found families. My Friends features four impoverished and neglected fourteen year olds, Jaor, Ali, Ted and “The Artist”, in the past, and an 18 year old foster child, Louisa, in the present.

The story is told from multiple points of view in dual timelines, with much of Backman’s story told via Ted retelling the story of the friends and the now famous painting, “The One of the Sea”. While Ted is depicted as a decrepit old man, he is only 40 years old in the present. He quickly sees in Louisa what “The Artist” did, and he speaks to her a bit like a fussy old man and a lot like a childhood friend. The friends’ story is suspenseful and captivating. I worried for them with each turn of the page, and each chapter brought new dread and new joy.

Backman is a gifted storyteller who manages to fully portray all his characters in all their colorful and damaged glory. Life, people, and relationships are messy, and Backman once again takes that mess and creates a beautiful story with meaningful messages and revelations.

I will be re-reading this book. #2025Favorite

Trigger Warnings: domestic violence, talk of death, talk of alcoholism and drug use

Backman has such a unique, ironic sense of humor. He always manages to find ways to bring small details back around to create a full circle moment. I just don't prefer his stream-of-consciousness writing style. This one was even more so than ANXIOUS PEOPLE...it was a bit jarring. And it took like 65% of the way in to get some little plot snafu on the adventure! Otherwise it was just a really really long winded story.

My Friends was the first Fredrik Backman book I've read. I have heard so many good things about his past books that I was really excited to read this.

I was pulled into the book quickly with Louisa breaking into a gala to view a painting that she has had a postcard of for most of her life in foster care. Louis soon meets someone that will change her life forever.

My Friends is told between dual timelines, 25 years ago and current. I really enjoyed the 25 year ago timeline and could relate to many of the things the friends did. It brought me back to the summer I was 14.

This book dragged on for me though. Many of the chapters were so wordy and had pages of descriptions. I didn't find myself wanting to keep reading and know what happened next. It got to a point I just wanted to know what happened. the last 20% of the book flew by for me though and wrapped things up nicely.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of My Friends for an honest review.

5⭐

fredrik backman has done it yet again. "my friends" was filled with love, grief, healing, and friendship. it was the perfect book - it had me laughing, in awe of these perfectly flawed characters, and of course bawling my eyes out.

i really loved luisa, she was so unhinged and nonchalant, the perfect picture of a young girl who had grown up dealing with a whole lot. she grew up bouncing from one foster home to the next, she befriends a girl who she calls fish, and all is well until luisa loses her. luisa is an artist and looks up to an incredible artist. she then runs into the artist on his last day of life. he is so enamored by her that he decides it's her who deserves the painting. so, lifelong friend of said artist, ted, seeks her out to give it to her.

ted, joar, and ali also stole my heart, i absolutely adored their stories. the found family aspect always gets to me.

from there, the story goes to tell the memories between ted, the artist, and their group of friends. it was so achingly beautiful and breathtaking. fredrik backman just has such a way with words that i simply adore. his writing never fails to make me laugh (and cry).

thank you to atria books for the e-ARC.

I’d give this ten stars. What a beautiful, affirming, and compassionate story. There were countless passages that I highlighted, and so many moments that made my eyes well. This is a love story between friends and an ode to found family—it’s perfect.

This is a beautiful but difficult novel. It is hard to read about dysfunction in families, especially physical and emotional abuse. Years ago three teens, Joar, Ted and Ali came together in Louisiana. They can find laughter and joy together even when their lives are hard. A fourth teen is the watcher who becomes an artist. One of his most famous paintings features these friends on a pier. Louisa lives in the present day and wants to learn more about the painting that she loves. She has a hard life of her own but she wants to know the stories behind the paintings.

As only Backman can, the story moves slowly but with precision. I cried tears and laughed outright more than once reading through the pages. It is a story of friendship, grief, hardship, family of choice and art. This will easily please fans of Backman and I am sure my book club will be reading it in the future.

What an amazing story! Told as a middle-aged man speaking to a younger person. You will laugh, cry and laugh again. This is one not to be missed!

Louisa is at an art gallery to view the painting that has shaped her life. When she is mistaken for a vandal, she flees and in the alley, she runs into a homeless man. Together they paint the wall behind the gallery and Louisa's life is changed forever.

Gorgeous. A tale of teenage friendship and pain, Ted recounts the story of himself, the artist of the painting, and their friends to Louisa as the pair travel to complete the circle. This is heartbreaking and funny all at the same time and left me feeling all the feelings about the characters. I couldn't help but love them all and wanted to both hurry up and find out their stories but also wanted this book to never end. I think this is my favorite Backman book to date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available May 6, 2025.

Some books don’t just speak to you—they settle into your soul. This one completely stole my heart. I cherished every single page and didn’t want it to end. I even made myself stop reading in the middle of the night just to stretch out the experience for one more day!!

Fredrik Backman has an extraordinary gift for weaving together friendship, loss, grief, love, and hope—wrapping them all in "long stories' laughter, tears… and even farts! This book was everything. Beautifully messy and unforgettable. All the stars—then all of them again!

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on May 7, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) will was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. I've been really excited to read his new book - My Friends.

Art and friendship are at the core of My Friends. The story starts at an art sale in current day. A painting of a pier is one of the most famous paintings in all of the world. There’s more to see on that pier - if you can. The paths of the artist that created that painting and a young woman who also wants to be an artist cross…

The past and the present are used to tell the story. There’s 25 years between then and now.

I love Backman’s characters. Three fourteen year old boys are spending the summer school holidays on the pier. It’s safer than a lot of their homes. The dialogue amongst them would sound not kind to those that don’t know them. But it’s the way they talk to each other and it’s perfect.

Flipping to the other narrative, we travel with Louisa and one of those teenagers that’s grown up now.
I couldn’t put the book down. I couldn’t stop reading. I needed to know what happened then and what’s going to happen now. I ached reading their situations, but also laughed along with them. Backman excels in creating characters that are just a step out of cadence with the rest of the world. Those that you want to save.

The different descriptions of art were quite interesting and had me seeing things from a different perspective.

Simply brilliant.