Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this eARC. My opinions are my own.

All I can say is WOW. If all Fredrick Blackman books are this good, I have been seriously missing out. It is a coming of age story about a girl who is obsessed with a painting. Of course it’s more than that, multiple perspectives going back and forth between the past and present all revolving around a painting of the sea and four friends. I went through all the emotions and it was everything. I am definitely reading the rest of his books now.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this as a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I will die on the hill that this is Backman's best book yet. An absolute rare experience for myself in that it took me three and a half months to read, but speaks to exactly what this book is. This is not a book to be consumed or even digested, but a book to be savored.

This story follows four teenage friends with wildly different backgrounds yet similar positions in life and how they fight for each other and the love they feel for their people. There's a dual timeline with another teenager who meets one of the four later in their life and hears their story for the first time. I think the framing of the story being told within the story was extremely impactful because it allowed the reader to have unfolding emotions in real time but also understand the weight and reality of walking through experiences and emotions and memories when you're in a much different stage of life.

Like I've felt reading so many of Backman's other books, the characters were so layered and complex and even if they were "in the background" there was enough depth to them to make the reader care about how they contributed to the story of the teen they belonged to.

Cannot tell you how many tears I shed or times I had to put this book down to read something else for a minute just so I could take a full deep breath again.

You know that feeling when you're swimming and you're underwater just a bit too long and there's that frantic scramble to break the waves and then the air you inhale is humanity and being alive at its finest? That's the feeling this book brings. Read it.

Young Louisa is embarking on the rest of her life when a chance meeting with her idol literally puts her on a path she could have never imagined. During the initial leg of her journey, she learns about four kids who were the closest of friends one summer 25 years earlier: an artist, a troublemaker, an intelligent, quiet boy, and a girl who never stayed anywhere for long. They were each other’s refuge from the lives they’d been born into and they forged a friendship that was strong enough to span decades. Alternating between these two time frames, we see how the events of that summer affected the friends and rippled outward over time.

While this wasn’t particularly like any of the other Fredrik Backman books I’ve read, My Friends was told with signature Backman style—with intuitive understanding of human sociology and psychology, with astute commentary on behaviors that humans shouldn’t be proud of, and with a good dose of humor and relatability. This novel particularly focused on the beauty of otherness. Backman took people who were considered to be outsiders, weird, and undesirable and wrote about their humanity, their art, their vulnerability, and their love and loyalty to each other and others like them.

Louisa grabbed my attention right off the bat. She was a complicated, yet hopeful, teenager struggling to survive. The interplay between her and Ted was charming and funny, despite its awkwardness. Louisa was slowly able to pull out Ted’s story and share her own, bringing them closer together during their adventure.

While I enjoyed the book, I did often feel that it was repetitive and long winded. I felt like Backman laid it on pretty thickly in relaying his message. I mean, it was a good message. It was just lots of the same message over and over.

I found it interesting that the book title is “My” Friends. Was Backman referring to his own life story? I also never understood why the name of the artist was withheld for so long. I assume there was a point to the timing of the revelation but I couldn’t figure it out. I’m planning to see Backman soon in person and I hope he discusses this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this opportunity to read a galley of this new novel by an author I admire. My Friends will be published on May 6, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the e-Arc.

I have to admit this was definitely not my typical genre of book and not my favorite book I’ve read this year. However, I loved the way Backman wrote the relationship between all the friends- it was a great depiction of true, deep, lifelong friendship. As far as Ted and Louisa relationship it almost seemed like they were the same age in their conversations (even though they weren’t) and the bickering got a little old for me.
The story was rather slow, anticlimactic, and flat to me. The back and forth timelines didn’t quite work the way I was hoping for. The message of the story being friendship, found family, never giving up on your dreams, and helping others do the same really resonated with me though. I also love when books are focused around art (whether it be music, painting, acting etc) and that drew me in a little more. Overall I liked the book but I just wasn’t Wowed by it.
Trigger warnings to have to be brought up : violence, death, homelessness.

5⭐️ Y’all!! I really don’t know how to do scribe this book without giving things away, but I’m going to try. This is my first Fredrik Backman book, and it didn’t disappoint. The depth of friendship that surpasses literally so much life that is thrown at them. The depth of every character!! There are so many hard topics touch but in a very real respectful way. While still having so many moments that make you smile and laugh. Just read it. That’s all I can ask. So good. Coming this Tuesday, May 6th.

Louisa is going to make it to eighteen. Then they’ll stop looking for her and she’ll be free. What she doesn’t expect is to inherit a priceless piece of art. She only met the artist once. But now, Ted is doing his friend this last favor. Drawn more to the artwork, Louisa proceeds to convince Ted to share the history behind it and ultimately the artist. Neither of them expect to find what transpires on a cross-country journey of reliving the past, finding healing, and remembering so much friendship.

Thank you so much to @netgalley @atriabooks and @backmansk for the honor of an advanced reader copy. #netgalley #myfriends #atriabooks #friendship #bookreview #arcreview

Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a tender and hauntingly beautiful novel that lingers long after the final page. With his signature empathy and depth, Backman weaves together two timelines—one of an aspiring young artist named Louisa, the other of a group of teens trying to survive a difficult summer—with a quiet power that builds into something truly unforgettable.

At the heart of the story is a painting: mysterious, moving, and central to both the characters’ pasts and their futures. What starts as a simple curiosity for Louisa soon becomes a deeply personal journey, filled with surprises, emotional revelations, and a profound exploration of what it means to belong—to people, to places, to art.

Backman masterfully captures the ache of adolescence, the weight of unspoken trauma, and the enduring light of friendship. Each character is fully alive, flawed, and lovable in their own way, and the dual timelines converge with a grace that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

My Friends isn’t just a story about a painting—it’s a reminder that even the quietest lives leave behind a legacy, that art can carry memory, and that sometimes, the truest families are the ones we choose.

This book is a gift.

I don’t even know if I have the words to describe how beautiful this book is. All of Backman’s books have been a work of art but this one is a masterpiece. The way Backman writes about grief, addiction, and friendship had me in tears the entire time I read the book. It’s just so humanizing. Gah. This book is going to live in my heart forever.

And as basically everyone has already said: Fredrik Backman has done it again. Truly. Every single one of his books deserves a place in a museum. If no one else will say it louder—I’ll be Joar in this universe, yelling from the rooftops that these books are masterpieces. They deserve nothing but love, protection, and endless praise.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a sweeping, emotionally charged novel that beautifully captures the raw, aching complexity of growing up, the enduring power of friendship, and the quiet resilience found in human connection. The book follows two main characters: Louisa, an 18-year-old runaway in foster care who dreams of being an artist, and Ted, an older man who once shared a deep friendship with the famous painter Louisa admires. When Louisa meets the artist just before he dies, he leaves her with a mysterious painting and a task that will change her life. She ends up traveling with Ted to the artist’s hometown to scatter his ashes and uncover the story behind the painting.

As their train moves across the countryside, Ted begins to unravel the story of a summer long ago—twenty-five years earlier—when he and his three teenage friends (Joar, Ali, and the artist) formed a friendship that shaped the rest of their lives. In Backman’s signature style, these flashbacks shift smoothly between memory and confession, filled with sharp humor, deep emotional insight, and a powerful sense of truth. Each of the teens is vividly drawn: Joar, full of fire and defiance; Ali, always searching for a place to belong; Ted, quiet and carrying silent grief; and the artist, whose calm nature hides a soul that sees the world too deeply. Their bond is imperfect but full of love, and the time they spent trading jokes, secrets, and dreams on that forgotten pier shines with a kind of nostalgia that feels real—like you’re right there with them, laughing, hurting, and hoping. Backman writes their story with humor, honesty, and so much heart.

His prose is both simple and poetic, saying so much with so few words. He writes about grief with brutal honesty, but also with warmth and compassion, showing how sadness and laughter often live side by side. In the present, Louisa’s story reflects Ted’s memories. Her curiosity, strength, and hidden vulnerability mirror the emotional struggles his group once faced. As Louisa and Ted grow closer through shared stories and slowly opened hearts, she begins to find not just answers to the painting’s mystery, but a feeling of belonging she’s never had before.

At its core, My Friends is about how people become home for each other—especially when the world feels cold and unfair. It’s about the art we create from our pain, the stories that outlive us, and how even short-lived friendships can change our lives forever. With laugh-out-loud moments and heartbreaking truths, Backman shows how the past never really leaves us, and how healing often begins when we let someone else in. This book doesn’t just ask you to read—it asks you to feel. It calls you to remember your own messy, beautiful teenage years, your once-in-a-lifetime friendships, and the dreams you tucked away in quiet places. It reminds you that even in hard times, there’s still beauty, still love, and still hope.

With unforgettable characters, layered themes, and a voice full of warmth and wisdom, My Friends may be one of Fredrik Backman’s finest novels yet. It is a tribute to the people who never leave us, the bonds that never break, and the parts of ourselves we give to those we love. This isn’t just a story—it’s a deeply emotional experience, one that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned.

Sunday afternoon reading --I finally finished My Friends by Fredrik Backman! I'd been reading it most of the week and while I liked it, I'm not in love with it as I've seen so many friends rave reviews.

I sometimes struggle with his unique writing style and I felt like parts of this book dragged on. I loved the ending and the themes about friendship and belonging and the realities of life but it wasn't enough for me to love this book.

I absolutely adored the Beartown series and Backman has such a way of writing teenage characters and that is strong in this book. I preferred the part from the past and the summer everyone was fourteen more than the current story.

I know my review isn't as glowing as others but I'm still going to read more from Fredrik Backman and he is such an amazing storyteller.

Thanks to Atria books for an advanced copy! My Friends comes out on Tuesday!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Fredrik Backman takes you on an emotional journey of how four best friends find comfort, love and acceptance in each other despite the circumstances they were raised in. Their story unfolds in various stages after Louisa is gifted a painting from the artist and finds herself following one of the friends on a journey to the artist’s hometown. Backman’s writing is one of my favorites and this story continued my love for his work. I highly recommend reading this one (and his previous works as well)!

Fredrik Backman's writing is truly magical and every story he writes never fails to make me laugh and cry. His characters always feel so real, each with their own flaws and traumas — and that's what makes them so human. This story and these characters will stay with me for a long time... This book explores friendship, found family, art and grief and shows you how one encounter can change someone's life for the better.

I feel so lucky to have received this ARC from one of my favorite authors, and I’m incredibly thankful to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Fredrick Backman is a gifted author who creates characters that are very likeable with unique and quirky dialogue. This story captures the pain and beauty of being an artist. It also shows how strong the bonds of friendship can be.

My Friends tells the story of Louisa an emerging teenage artist who happens by chance to meet the world famous painter she admires. This chance encounter will change her life forever. The story has two timelines in it. Ted the other main character is an older gentleman who befriends Louisa and tells the tale behind the famous painting. All the characters in the book have had a troubled background, but there is a lot of happiness too in their friendships. It makes you thankful for the friendships you have and makes you realize that in all the hardships there is still hope in the end.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone. The author does such a great job of keeping the reader entertained.

Thank you to Atria Books and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

5 Stars — A Masterpiece of Heart, Humor, and Humanity

Fredrik Backman has done it again—My Friends is a soul-soothing, tear-sparking, laugh-out-loud triumph that reminds us why we fell in love with his storytelling in the first place. Equal parts moving and mischievous, this novel grabs your hand with youthful charm and leads you straight into the deep end of love, loss, and the ineffable beauty of connection.

From the first page, Backman’s signature wit and warmth shine through. You’ll meet four teenagers who don’t seem to matter much to the world around them—but to each other? They’re everything. Their bond, forged on a forgotten pier in a sleepy coastal town, is the kind of friendship we all long for: fierce, funny, fiercely loyal, and full of bad jokes and big feelings.

And then there’s Louisa. Sweet, curious, wonderfully flawed Louisa, whose unexpected guardianship of a mysterious painting launches her into an unforgettable journey across time and terrain. As she follows the whispers of the past, uncovering the legacy of that summer and the kids on the pier, you’ll find yourself clutching your chest and turning pages in equal measure.

Backman weaves art, grief, adolescence, and healing into a tapestry so rich you’ll want to wrap yourself in it. The way he captures the ache of growing up, the balm of true friendship, and the strange, circular paths that connect strangers across decades is nothing short of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early—I would have waited in line for this book, but getting to savor it ahead of time felt like winning the literary lottery.

My Friends is more than a novel. It’s a hug, a laugh, a whisper from the past, and a reminder that the people who save us sometimes come in the most unexpected forms.

This was my first Backman novel, and it will not be my last!
The connections that he makes between characters (and the reader) is phenomenal. The stories for each character were so well developed and I felt so many emotions as I read about them. It had me tearing up at least a few times..
I highlighted so many great quotes that reflect on life and humanity. The words will stick with me!
Joar was my absolute favorite !

Fredrik Bachman knows how to write about relatable characters in a way that brings them to life. Beartown spoiled me, and his latest novel, My Friends, has assured me he has more great characters to share. Mr. Bachman, you keep writing, and we'll keep reading your stories! I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

A exceptional journey of art, friendship, and grief.

My Friends is a story about stories, and how some endings can lead to new beginnings. After 18 year old foster care runaway Louisa runs (literally) into her favorite artist shortly before his death, she takes a journey with the artist's childhood friend Ted by train back to his hometown, to scatter the artist's ashes, and to figure out what to do with the priceless painting the artist left in Louisa's care. While Ted and Louisa's personalities clash to much hilarity, the main focus of the novel is the emotional story Ted tells Louisa of the fateful summer 25 years ago when his group of friends were just fifteen, the summer before everything changed. The novel shifts to different moments throughout the friends' adolescence, as one naturally tells a story from memory. Here, Backman's writing is at its best, filling each connecting passage from Ted's memories with heart and a longing to travel back in time, to relive the laughter and savor the moments gone too soon. Despite the looming sadness that encompasses much of Ted's tale, it's easy to get swept up in the narrative and hope for more light than darkness for these loyal friends, just as Louisa hopes for a happy ending to the story. The road to the end is anything but a straight line, and as Backman's story explores a bond between friends that transcends beyond their short lives, the lives of these characters are sure to live on in readers' minds long after finishing the final page. It's an emotional and satisfying read from start to finish, and Bachman's best work to date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

Fredrik Backman has a unique sense of humor and I love the dialogue he creates. Anxious People was one of my favorite books, although Beartown is amazing too but I really loved this book!

“Art is what we leave of ourselves in other people.”

Louisa leaves foster care on her 18th birthday and decides to go to see the famous painting, “The One of the Sea” by C. Jat, which is on a postcard her mother left her before she passed away. After running into the artist in an alley, he decides to leave her the painting when he dies. Struggling with what to do with the painting, she joins Ted (one of the artists friends) on a cross-country train ride where he shares the story of 4 young friends and how the painting came to be, depicting the power of friendship and shared experiences.

I’m a big fan of Fredrik Backman, but sadly this is not my favorite story from him. The writing is beautiful, but the pacing is quite slow and the story does contain a fair amount of violence. I wish the book was a bit shorter as I felt some of the flashbacks were unnecessary and caused the story to drag in the middle. However, I did enjoy the ending and I will continue to read anything Fredrik Backman releases.

3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fredrik, Fredrik, Fredrik. Everything you write is worthy of a place in a museum.

I will admit, this book started slow for me. The tone felt a little different than Fredrik’s past work, but still kept his charm, humor, and storytelling. Once I embraced the new feel of it, I fell in love.

One thing Fredrik does well is his ability to fully immerse himself into every character he writes. You would think he’s an 18 year-old girl with a passion for art. You would believe he’s a group of 14 year olds running rampant in the street. You might even believe he was an older woman living it up as a taxi driver with seven kids. He knows people. He recognizes their flaws and their gifts and gives you a story full of laughter, sadness, and hope. This is what “My Friends” is about. This book is a love letter to artists everywhere, as well as to those who have the desire to create (whatever that may be).

Louisa is a quirky, loud, passionate character. You can’t help but love her. Ted is a teddy bear (pun intended) who has gone through more grief than any child should. Joar is a fiery kid who hides his wounds for the sake of his friends. Ali is a quick-witted and fiesty balance to the shenanigans of the friend group. The artist is a character for everyone who just wants to DO, to BE, to CREATE! You WILL find a character that relates to you. AND YOU WILL LOVE THEM!!

In true Fredrik fashion, this book deals with some heavy themes such as domestic, emotional, and physical abuse, r@pe, grief, death, and the highs and lows of adolescence.

HOWEVER, he writes with such grace and such light that you’ll be laughing at one page and crying at another.

Another masterpiece by the author who I fully believe will save this generation of readers. One that will help us love eachother more. One that will encourage us to create a better world. I loved it.

Fredrick Backman writes quirky characters mixed up in convoluted situations and this novel lives up to his style. If you are a fan, like I am, you are in for a satisfying experience. Louisa, an aspiring artist, meets Ted, the close friend of “the artist “. The artist’s famous painting is placed in her care. As the novel goes, Ted relates the story of the painting to Louisa on a cross country train ride. These characters are very well drawn and their relationship evolves in unexpected ways. This novel had me laughing and it had me crying. The story of the painting is a “long story”. We learn about four friends during the 14-15 age period. All the young people come from dysfunctional households and rely on their friendships for their survival. For me to complete a 450 page book in 2 1/2 days is a testament to how captivating it is. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC and the opportunity to read and review Backman’s latest work.