This book was just perfect! I love every book I've read by Fredrik Backman, but this is my absolute favorite. I love how the author tells the story in two different timelines, and how he weaves them together throughout the book. The writing is brilliant. I loved all the characters and felt really connected to them throughout the story. This book dives into some very sensitive topics including grief and was done so thoughtfully. I cannot say enough good things about this book! This book will be one of my top reads for the year for sure!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

'My Friends' is one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful books that I have and probably will ever read in my life.
This is a story about friendship and love, about art and stories and grief, about laughter, about being young and getting older and about what it can mean to truly live.
It will break your heart countless times and then try it's best to put it back together again. It will make you weep and laugh all in the span of a single page, it will make you feel so so much but most of all this story will stay with you forever.

There is so much love in this book, so much of it that it was almost unbearable to read at times.
I don't think I'll ever get over these characters, they mean so much to me and will live in my heart forever. This wonderful group of best friends and all the lives they have touched with their love for one another.

I refuse to believe that they don't actually exist.

When it comes to Fredrik Backman's books I always expect the most gut wrenching and soul shattering writing, so consider me beyond devasted and sobbing my eyes out when this book exceeded even those expectations. ✋🏼 When I tell you there are lines in this that made me cry so hard that I had to pause reading for several HOURS..
I honestly don't know how it is possible for a person to write like this, not even just the writing style itself but also how the story was structured and the way it was told....I loved it so so much.

Stories like 'My Friends' are the reason I fell in love with reading and I am so incredibly thankful that I got to read this wonderful book early. 🫶🏼

This novel had all the makings of a great read: in-depth backstory, tragic characters, first love, art, friendship, courageous young people, etc. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it, mostly due to the writing style. I got tired early on of the author teasing with later plot points and with the repetitious reflections of the narrator. I liked the narrator, Ted, but felt the 'present day' storyline in which he recounts his past to a young, orphaned artist to be tedious. I was much more interested in the story of Ted and his friends in the past.

Frederick Backman’s newest book moves along, with the main characters interacting easily -- albeit quite strangely. I anticipated a generational progression as an ending, but the final resolution was a bit surprising. Backman’s writing, as always, flows smoothly, and the characters -- though certainly strange -- do come alive.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Something about Backman’s writing that I love is that you can feel the season of the book. Like this one feels like summer. Sticky popsicles, sunscreen and salty air.

Too hard to rank his books but it’s a favorite like everything else I’ve read from Backman.
Sensational writing.
Characterization is magical. I truly don’t know how he writes people to be absolutely fully formed in my head.

Loved.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an eARC

Writing this with tears streaming down my face, this was such a beautifully written story about friends and the family you create with them. It was genuinely perfect. This was my first Backman book and it definitely won't be my last; I need to go back and read the Beartown trilogy ASAP. This will have you experience all the emotions - you'll laugh and cry and feel like your heart is aching at times. I loved every single one of the friends in this book and the four of them had the most beautiful found family ever. They would do anything for each other and that hurts so bad. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Beautiful. Every aspect, every character, every relationship, every event is simply perfect. You will find yourself laughing, crying-experiencing all of the emotions-and, trust me, it's worth it. A must read. It's sure to become a classic.

I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Every book by Fredrik Backman carries its own unique human values. In My Friends, he takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, from moments of joy to deep sorrow. He also weaves in sharp critiques of how society operates, highlights the beauty of friendship, and sprinkles in thought-provoking quotes that linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page. I honestly couldn't stop crying while reading it—it’s hands down the best book of 2025 for me. And without a doubt, it’s a story worth revisiting time and time again.

This is the story of four friends. And one girl who needs to connect with them, Twenty-five years old ago, four teenagers forged a bond that nothing can break. They find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.

Four people, four different backgrounds, yet they all share one thing in common—a kind and compassionate heart. As I flipped from one chapter to the next, I found myself unable to hold back my tears. Their suffering resonated with me on a personal level, making it all too easy to step into their shoes and feel their pain. Watching them endure cruelty, harsh judgment, and a lack of appreciation from those around them stirred a whirlwind of emotions within me—sadness, frustration, and even anger. I couldn’t help but wonder why adults so often focus only on the surface, never looking deeper to truly understand. But sadly, that’s just how the world works nowadays—cold, indifferent, and blind to the emotions of others, leaving wounds that cut deep into the hearts of those who already carry so much pain. Fredrik Backman has never let me down, and My Friends is no exception. I truly believe this book will leave an unforgettable mark on every reader’s heart, thanks to the profound and beautiful values he brings to life.

Reading My Friends made me truly understand the saying, money doesn’t buy happiness. For some, wealth can grant them everything they desire, wrapping their lives in luxury and comfort. But The Artist showed me a different truth—happiness, for him, was not something money could ever replace. To him, joy was woven into the memories he shared with his friends, the moments that made life meaningful. No amount of money could turn back time, nor could it bring back the ones he had lost. Some things in this world are simply priceless.

Fans of Backman won't be disappointed with this tale of four friends tied together by grief and circumstances. The book focuses on an orphaned girl on the cusp of adulthood who accidentally meets the artist who has unknowingly impacted her life. Both are tragic figures and as the girl learns more about his past, she comes to grips with her own history.

This is a dual timeline story told in a series of flashbacks. There were entire pages and passages that I skimmed due to repetitiveness. Backman was at his best when the story focused on the present. Although the book was dark, the author did a good job of balancing it out with instances of lightness. 3.5 stars

Backman has written yet ANOTHER classic. The story begins with Louisa, her best friend, and her love of a painting. The story progressed towards meeting the artist and learning the story behind the painting. The major themes of art, childhood woes, and friendship. This book made me laugh, cry, and gave me hope. Thank you for sharing, it's a lifechanging book!

Story of grief and survival and the importance of friendship. Thankful for the bits of holier to lighten up parts of this emotional read.

Thank you for the ARC. I’ve seen so many great things about this authors work so of course I requested this one.

This was my first Backman book and I enjoyed it. It's a thought-provoking story about friends, family, art, and death. It has humorous and tear-jerking moments. The characters are well-developed. Backman is an excellent writer and navigates the past and present very well.

Well, well… reach into my chest and yank out my heart.

I fully believe (and tell everyone willing to listen to me go on and on) that Backman’s books are aging like fine wine. Exquisite. Rich. Decedent. Superb!!

My Friends is a story for all of us. It’s pure teenage summers with innocence rolled up tightly in love, loss, and lots of shenanigans.

The story follows a young runaway who happens to come across a famous painting where she develops a deep curiosity of the three friends painted on the pier, overlooking the sea. Over a few days, her journey leads her back to what happened to those best friends and that one summer twenty-five years ago. She will never be the same after she learns of the whole, true story.

Backman’s style is present in the characters’ back-and-forth banter, quippy comebacks, and deep, gut-wrenching prose when you can’t help but love someone so much it hurts.

I highlighted so many lines in this book. It hit so good.

I can’t decide now which is my favorite, Beartown trilogy or My Friends.

Backman’s books, to me, are like Pokémon. Gotta catch them all!!

Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for an Advance Readers Copy. All opinions are my own.

thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced digital copy! I loved this book. My first reading of this author and I really enjoyed it! It brought back memories of my childhood and I resonated with all of the characters. The writing was excellent. I laughed out loud multiple times, which hasn't happened to me in awhile. I loved the quotes and references to art and how life-altering and healing it can be. So much humanity shined through. It was just such an honest and open take on childhood, adulting, and navigating the complexities of growing up, as well as honoring art and it's ability to heal and transport us! I can't say enough about this, it just felt deeply personal and absolutely relatable. I can't wait to recommend this title to readers!

I think this is my favorite Fredrik Backman book. It's a story about friendships, old and new, and the importance of art in today's world. I laughed and cried and reread passages again and again to savor Backman's understanding of human nature. I can't get this story out of my mind.

Thank you, Atria books and Net Galley for an advanced coy of this literary gem.

From the publisher: An unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

My Friends is a rollercoaster, of joy, pain, anxiety, loss, beauty, and most of all friendship. It was so intense at times that I had to set it aside for a bit, and yet, truly, nothing much happens. An adult tells a teenager he has just met about his childhood friends. That’s what this book is about.

And yet that’s totally not what this book is about. Backman excels at making me care about people who would drive me crazy in real life. The author suffers from anxiety and it permeates everything he writes to the point that it makes me as the reader anxious. The focus is on the summer the four young friends were 14. They and the teenager in the present are neglected, abused, bullied, and in pain. They are also talented and loyal. Their friendships are beautiful; their lives are not.

My Friends is also about art, and how powerful and even life saving art can be. Because I know Backman does not spare his characters pain, I was nervous the entire time I was reading the book. There were a couple of true surprises for me. I never know where he is going. Backman drops a lot of hints about what’s coming, and he is good at dropping hints that are accurate and yet deceitful.

Backman is a must-read author for me, and My Friends did not disappoint. Translated works often lose something in the translation. I don’t think that’s the case with Backman. It’s amazing how he phrases things sometimes, like this quote: “Ted evades her gaze like a silverfish beneath a bathroom lamp that’s just been switched on.” (ch. 10 of the advance reader copy) The comparison makes me shudder but also completely understand what’s happening.

I’m not sure I understood the significance of some of the secrets the author kept until the end or near the end. I definitely need to read the book again once it is published, and I hope a movie is in the works.

I do not love the cover; I really wish the cover showed the painting that is a character in the book, but I guess they were afraid they couldn’t do it justice.

I read an advance reader copy of My Friends from NetGalley. It is scheduled to be published on June 17 [and will be available for checkout at the Galesburg Public Library in multiple formats.]

Fredrik Backman’s writing is so strong, rich in emotions and artistic wonder, that the characters felt like old friends. A story about love, grief, hope, and found family amidst tragic circumstances, this book will remind you how we all longed for the enduring childhood friendships like Ted, Joar, the artist, Ali, and Louisa and when you turn the last page, you will miss them as if they, too, were your best friends. Told in gripping brevity and raw honesty, this book will become a favorite, a comparative title readers use when they speak about great friendship stories.

This was my first Backman novel, and I was thoroughly impressed with it. It's a thought-provoking story about friends, family, art, and death. It has humorous and tear-jerking moments. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoyed getting to know Louisa and Ted more as they made their journey. Backman is an excellent writer and navigates the past and present flawlessly. An immensely enjoyable read.

An amazing read, not that I expected it to be anything less. One of my go to authors. Heartwarming, a great tale of friendship and emotional as always. I will always pick up a book with his name on the cover.

I will read anything by Backman! He is a master story teller. Nobody writes flawed and real characters quite like him. My Friends made me laugh, cry, broke my heart and put it back together again. Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC!