MY FRIENDS is a classic Fredrik Backman story - beautifully written and at turns hilarious, sentimental, achingly sad, and yet somehow still hopeful. The characters and story will stay with you and the tale unravels in a way that delivers surprises and unknowns. Ultimately a satisfying journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review MY FRIENDS.

Fredrik Backman, can you do no wrong? I love you and I trust you. (You'll get this when you read it, which you must).

Backman writes about grief and family and friends like no other. His beautiful words sometimes are so often just perfect for the feeling he is trying to convey. I will forever read everything Backman writes, and this book didn't change my mind about that. I loved the characters- all of them. I loved the quirky premise.

My Friends releases May 6, 2025, and I highly recommend preordering or adding it to your library's holds list right now.

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

Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors and this book is a perfect example of why. The way he shares a story with such raw and real emotions is unlike any other. This book made me both laugh out loud and sob. It is a testament to art, creativity, life, death, hardships, happiness, grief, and mostly an ode to friendship. Each of the characters is so real and so relatable, but each in different ways. The way this books explores friendships—between children, teens, adults, and spanning generations is so deep and moving. My Friends will be a book that sits with me for awhile and might even be my favorite book of the year, even though it’s only February when I’m reading it. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. Adored every second of it.

"I love you. I trust you."

Louisa, 17, soon to be 18, is an aspiring artist with a deep fascination for the painting The One of the Sea, created by the renowned artist C. Jat when he was a child prodigy. The painting depicts three small friends sitting at the end of a pier, and Louisa has always dreamed of seeing it in person and uncovering the story behind these characters.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a coastal town, four teenagers escape their troubled lives by forming a close-knit friendship. Their bond grows stronger as they navigate their 14-going-on-15 summer, marked by the scars of grief and challenging circumstances. Fredrik Backman captures the essence of what it’s like to be 14, where the lines between friendship and infatuation blur. Ted, serious and introspective, eventually becomes a history teacher, tasked with telling their story. Joar is rebellious, humorous, and headstrong, while "the artist" sees the world through a unique lens, capturing the beauty of their shared laughter on canvas. This summer gives rise to a remarkable piece of art and an artist the world has yet to fully appreciate.

The painting ultimately ends up in Louisa’s hands, sparking her journey across the country with Ted to discover its origins—and perhaps, gain insight into how to move forward with her life. Through alternating timelines, we follow Louisa, who has inherited this significant artwork. The artist, having spent his last bit of money to reclaim the painting, passes it on to Louisa, a grieving foster child, after a chance encounter in an alley. As Louisa and Ted travel together, Ted shares the story behind the painting, while Louisa’s thoughtful questions and keen artist's eye help her understand more about the painting—and life itself. Recently mourning the loss of her beloved friend Fish, Louisa faces the daunting task of continuing without her partner in crime. Ted, though from a later stage in life, understands the power of love and connection.

This is a story about how we view and value art, what defines an artist, and the depth of friendship and loyalty. Each character is deeply flawed and carries their own sadness, yet they remain loyal to those in need, even to their own detriment. The painting’s frequent description in the narrative created a vivid image in my mind, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated by the cover preview showing only the teenagers’ legs beneath the sea, as I longed to see the painting itself.

In this book, I fell in love with the beautifully crafted characters—Louisa, Ali, Joar, Ted, the artist—and their personal growth. These are people who have faced hardship but rise to meet it in their own remarkable ways.

A huge thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an Advance Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fredrik Backman has done it again—he’s broken my heart, but in the best way possible. His books always have that perfect mix of humor and heartbreak, and this one is no exception.

At its heart, this is a story about friendship—the kind that’s messy, complicated, and completely unforgettable. I laughed and I cried and then cried some more.

Bittersweet, beautiful, and full of heart—4.5 stars!

If you want to feel the full range of human emotions, this book is for you! Fredrik Backman does it once again, making me laugh, making me cry, and filling me with a sense of hope.

How do you go about describing the most beautiful, riveting Backman book you have ever read? My Friends was everything I desired and more — the story telling was absolutely impeccable and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished.

I’m so sad it isn’t out yet, but once it is, run out immediately and grab it. I have a feeling this will be my favorite book of the year.

Exquisite stream of consciousness ramblings wrapped up with Backman style wisdom that will leave you feeling all the emotions. These characters will take you on a journey of friendship, belonging, and finding small moments of joy and meaning in this mixed up world we live in. Get ready to reminisce about your own childhood adventures and friends as you follow along with these characters through two timelines full of shenanigans, art, and everything life throws at you.

Reading a Fredrik Backman book you expect a bit much. That's why we pick it. We want that. So what happens when after waiting for the next novel you read it and you don't get that emotional punch in the gut that you were looking for? You feel bereft. Yes, this story has all the typical Backman characterizations- deep emotional connections, well developed and lovable characters, and a life affirming tone. But something was missing. I kept expecting a more convoluted plot like Anxious People.

I'm so glad that I am an outlier given the number of 5 star reviews, and thrilled that people are getting the reading experience that I was hoping for.

This book is a complete masterpiece! I love Fredrik Backman's books and his characters. By the time I finished this book I felt like his friends were my friends. The character development was so deep.. This is a fairly long saga spanning a few decades but it never gets boring or drawn out. This book will make you laugh and cry. I highly recommend this book! Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

1.5 Stars

I really wanted to love My Friends like so many others, but unfortunately, I just couldn’t finish it. The story felt overly silly, the characters grated on my nerves, and the writing style didn’t work for me at all. I typically enjoy Fredrik Backman’s emotional depth and humor, but here, it felt more forced than heartfelt.

I know this is an unpopular opinion—almost everyone seems to be raving about it—but I just couldn’t connect with the story or its characters. Maybe it’s a case of the wrong book at the wrong time, or maybe it just wasn’t for me. Either way, I’ll be sitting this one out.

I enjoyed this journey to the sea, even though it took waaaaay longer than it needed to. His writing style meanders, and you have to be prepared for lots of side trips and flashbacks. All in all, a good read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publish for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fredrik Backman has done it again! All our main character Louisa wants is to see the world's most famous painting in person. Growing up, she would look at that very painting on a postcard and dream about what her life could become. When she meets the artist, they form a special bond that will change the course of Louisa's life forever. Told in dual timelines, this kept me hooked from the very start. Backman has once again broken my heart and put it right back together again.

I love Fredrik Backman. I love how all of his stories make me feel so deeply. This one is no exception.

This book is about art. And love. And friendship. It’s about a time when a group of friends were kids, having fun and living life to the fullest, also living with some hardships that kids shouldn’t have to deal with. It’s also about a time when those friends have grown older, how they think about their past, how they help someone with their future.

As always, Backman is an amazing writer. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I got there, I felt like I was part of the gang.

Fredrik Backman does it again. With delicious twists and heartrending turns, he gives us another novel that makes you appreciate life both the ups and the downs, especially the downs, and the people that make up the adventure.

This book was such a contradictions of emotions - both a gut wrenching and heart warming read that centered on the strength and importance of platonic love and friendship. I laughed and teared up many times - feeling like I was along for each of the characters journeys. I loved how the author chose the setting of the book - most obviously a physical journey on a train, but we were also on a journey back in history of the story of the group's friendship. It was sometimes hard to stomach what these children faced at such young ages, but I couldn't stop reading - eager to know how their lives unraveled throughout the years and hopeful for a happy ending. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a book that tugs at your heart strings and makes you want to snuggle your loved ones closer.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for this advanced read copy!

Thank you, #Partner @atriabooks, for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 5/6/25.

#FredrikBackman is a one of a kind writer. Literally nobody can write like him! MY FRIENDS was incredible, and I fell in love with all the characters. This was a coming of age story about friendship, love, loss, and so much more! I laughed, and I cried, and this novel literally just had so much emotion to it. This will be a huge hit in May, so make sure you pre-order!

All Eighteen-year-old Louisa wants to do is see the world's most famous painting in person. She grew up looking at that painting on a postcard, and it means so much to her. Then, she accidentally meets the artist, and they form sort of a bond in the small amount of time they were together. When she learns of his passing and that he left the painting to her, she has no idea what to do with it. She befriends Ted, the artists friend, and he tells her the story behind the painting. Told through past and present this novel will pull at your heart strings. 💕

This is a beautifully written story about 4 teenagers whose friendship became enshrined in a painting by one of them. Twenty-five years later Louisa, a talented artist herself who is escaping the foster care system, meets the artist and begins a journey of learning more about these friends who are depicted in the painting. The eccentric characters become very real and Louisa's anticipation of hearing the entire story is palpable.

This book is a masterpiece, and I expected nothing less from Fredrik Backman.

I love how unique his writing style is. It’s not complicated but it’s intricate. It doesn’t try too hard or force anything. It’s simple, yet extremely complex. It pulls at your emotions from the very first words. The minute I started this book I felt entirely too much lol. There’s humor, anger, sorrow, hope, love, loneliness and a million others. He makes you feel such empathy for each character!!

Louisa has no one. Her best friend just died and she’s run away from her foster home. But she has a plan. It’s a perfect plan. We’ll, it was, a perfect plan.

There’s a painting called The One Of The Sea. But it is not of the sea. Not at all. It is so many things. And only those who can see it, can see it.

There is a famous artist, who painted a famous painting, that is hanging on the wall inside a church, ready to be auctioned. But the artist has just met a strange girl, in an alley. And that’s the beginning of the end of the story.

This is a heavy book. It is not for the weak lol. It will absolutely smash right into your heart and shatter it, in good ways and bad. But, it is also a must read. It is a story of love and friendship. Of finding the light in the darkest of times. It is about acceptance. Of yourself. Of others.

I am I love with Fredrik Backmans writing, even if it does emotionally traumatize me lol. It’s so worth it!!

I can't adequately describe how much I loved this book. This is a story with a famous work of art at its center. The picture is a beach scene and there are three children sitting at the edge of a pier. The children can almost go unnoticed in the picture. There are four children who are friends, but the fourth is not in the picture. The children live in a poor neighborhood, and some of them are abused or neglected or both.

What is important is what these children meant to each other, even as they grew to be adults. They grew up in a poor town where substance abuse and domestic violence was common. The timelines jump around and there are several different narrators. I've read it three times and always find something new.

I received an e-arc from the publisher Atria Books, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.