Fredrik Backman has such a beautiful way of telling stories and connecting each of the characters to something bigger. I felt this book so deeply with its portrayals of grief, community and how its important to step up for those we love deeply (family or not). I really enjoyed this one and will be recommending to others.

I am a massive Fredrik Backman fan and My Friends only solidified my belief that it’s impossible for him to write a bad book! My Friends is just one more life changing read from Fredrik Backman. It details a beautiful, heartbreaking yet healing story of friendship, life, love, loss, grief, and trauma.

My Friends follows two stories of friendship. One born in youth between four teenagers, told through the eyes of Ted. And one born of unexpected circumstances that allow Ted and Louisa–two lost and sad souls–to create an unlikely friendship. To me, it was both beautiful storytelling and a beautiful depiction of how storytelling can change the lives of another.

The four teenagers we meet consists of the Artist, Ted, Joar, and Ali. Each of these teens have their own stories of trauma, grief, anger, love, and joy. The Artist is a depressed, quiet boy with a passion for art & creation but feels suffocated by the world around him. Ted is a quiet and kind, struggling to feel whole after a loss in his family. Joar is an angry, loving boy who is constantly broken down but never stops fighting (literally). And Ali is a broken, outspoken girl who has never felt like she’s had a place to land. All of them highlight a vast array of struggles in their own ways, but one thing is evident through it all: the power and beauty of friendship. These four teens find solace, safety, and love in their small group. A place for each of them to be themselves, a place to be vulnerable. They all love each other with all they have, trust each other more than anyone else, and support each other through it all.

Louisa is an 18 year old girl and aspiring artist who has never had a true home in the legitimate form, but did in the metaphorical, human form. When she loses that, she finds herself lost and desperate to feel something. To find a specific painting and to learn more about what that painting entails. She’s angry, sad, outspoken, caring and loyal. She is curious and kind. Louisa is a beautifully written character and I absolutely loved getting to know her. I loved getting inside her mind.

Getting to see the story of these four friends unfold in such a unique, gripping way was absolutely incredible. The way that Fredrik tells the story through Ted’s eyes is so beautifully done. In Ted’s perspective you can practically feel the love, sadness, joy, and longing radiating through his words as he tells the story of his friends to Louisa. It’s a beautiful tale of friends changing each other’s lives and the world, shaping each other through the sheer power of love & trust.

This book, just like every other Fredrik Backman book, had me feeling every single emotion in the book. I cried, I laughed, I was shocked and angry, I was happy and sad. I felt for and with these characters. I felt pride for their accomplishments, for their growth. I cried for their hurt and loss. I laughed with them. I think it might be nearly impossible to leave this book without feeling deeply connected to these characters and their stories.

If you haven’t already picked up a book by Fredrik Backman, I’m begging you to. Let this be your first!!!

This was my first Backman book, but it won't be my last! Right away, I was very curious as to how this story would go. I'm a sucker for emotional books that make you feel something and this is one of them. The storyline was done so well and it was truly interesting to see how this author creates such characters. The writing flowed, and I just loved this beautiful story about friendship and life itself. It's going to be a buzzy book once it releases, I just know it!

Fredrick Backman has done it again. My Friends is a beautiful story of childhood friendship and how that shapes your entire adult life. How small decisions when you’re young can set of a chain reaction for the rest of your life. This story is told by “Ted” (an old man) on an adventuresome train ride to Louisa (a young adult) about his childhood friendships. But it’s so much more than that. Fredrick has a way of telling a story from different perspectives but make you feel as if you’re part of the story. This is not a light read, but a wonderful story.

This is one of my top 5 most favorite books of all time. Fredrik Backman does it again. Manages to make me laugh and cry and love these characters so much that I was devasted when the book was over. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You won't regret it.

This new book is everything you want from this author. It’s funny and emotional and sad and happy. The friendship between the boys are realistic and deep.

Fredrik Backman always delivers. You start reading and you immediately know you can trust him to take you on a journey. The back and forth of time was like a boat swaying on the water. I immediately fell in love with the artist, and then quickly with Ted and Louisa. The writing was superb, as always. The story drew me in, and I only hoped goodness doe the characters even though Backman tells you from the start, it’s not good for everyone.

FREDRICK BACKMAN YOU ARE A GENIOUS!! Leave it to this man to completely shatter my heart and put it all together at the same time. This book completely destroyed me but it also made me appreciate life, friendship and connection. It is a work of art and probably one of my favorite books he has ever written.

My friends is not only a love story to friendships but to the human experience. Fredrick has this unparalleled way of making you truly believe everything he says. From the characters to their stories to their personalities, I wholeheartedly believe these people are real and because of that, the connections that you make with these characters are even that much deeper.

My friends is nostalgic, gut wrenching, hopeful and full of quotes that will have you gasping. I can’t put all my thoughts into words, it feels as though I would never be able to make it justice but I do hope everyone knows this book is not for the faint of heart. But it is for all of us who crave connection, who believe in deep emotional friendships and who appreciate every single day we are living for what it is, momentary and fleeting but oh so beautiful.

I feel lucky to be alive at the same time as Fredrick Blackman. To find so much peace, healing and hope in his words and to be able to interpret and express grief in a way I never knew possible. I can’t wait for this book to be out into the world. Fredrick once again, you’ve outdone yourself.

Fredrik Backman does it again! He is absolutely stunning with words and is storytelling is something that I’ve never experienced before. This story has the same heart and emotionality as what I loved about the Beartown series. There are characters that you will fall in love with and want to see more of. This story is about much more than just friendship but about art and what it means to be an artist. But the friendship plays a large role and I loved it. Can’t say that enough!

Frederik Backman is a master at developing characters that are sympathetic and believable. His writing is exquisite with unusual descriptions and stories. This book, like his others that I've read, draws the reader in and engaged. I always recommend his books.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a heartfelt and introspective exploration of friendship, community, and the bonds that shape our lives. Through the eyes of a group of seemingly ordinary individuals, Backman skillfully reveals the depth of human connection, vulnerability, and the quiet struggles that define us all. His writing is both tender and witty, capturing the nuances of everyday life with a profound emotional resonance. The characters feel real and relatable, each carrying their own complexities and burdens, which makes their interactions both heartwarming and deeply moving. With its perfect balance of humor and raw emotion, My Friends is a beautifully crafted narrative that left me reflecting long after I turned the final page, earning a well-deserved 5-star rating for its compelling storytelling and universal themes of human connection.

My Friends is a beautifully written story about--no surprises here--friendship, but is also about art and the impact it can have on a person's life. The book opens with an introduction to Louisa, a girl on the precipice of her 18th birthday who has grown up in foster care and is an artist with a keen
fascination with a particular painting of by an elusive artist known as C. Jat. Most folks who see the painting think it is just a rendition of the sea, but it is so much more than that. The story from there follows Louisa's adventures as she learns the backstory of the painting, the artist who painted it, and the summers of friendship that inspired it.

Fredrik Backman is a master storyteller and he creates characters for which you feel deeply. Though some of the characters were hard to find real (for example, I could not believe that Louisa was actually 18 years old), the story was compelling and I could not put the book down. Heartbreaking at times, laugh-out-loud funny at others, this is a book I will recommend (and already have recommended) to others.

The last time I read a Fredrik Backman novel was in 2017 (A Man Called Ove, which I also enjoyed immensely) and this book reminded me of how beautiful his writing is. The chapters flowed so smoothly, and I will definitely be picking up more of his books soon.

Thank you to Mr. Backman, Atria, and Netgalley for my free electronic ARC.

Two decades ago four friends spent the summer they turned 15 jumping from a pier into the salt water below. Day after day after day.

It was the perfect summer.

Those warm days turned into a moment captured in a painting that became world famous, sought after, its importance in the art world unparalleled.

Louisa, a teenager escaping a difficult foster care experience meets the painter and one of his friends at a critical moment in all of their lives and the result is a deeply moving portrait of how friendship can be the key to survival.

In his characteristic style of storytelling, this is vulnerable, raw, unexpected, full of surprises.

And yes, your heart will break.

It explores the theme that friendship formed at critical times in your life can help you transcend pain and difficulty. That humans are resilient and find joy in even the most unbelievable circumstances, especially when they face it with friends.

These characters are flawed - angry, rude, morally gray - and still manage to be lovable. In fact, they long to be loved, despite not believing they are worthy, despite absolutely being worthy.

It doesn’t disappoint. My review is vague because it’s better to go in knowing little of what’s coming, to just let it unfold around you, envelop you, fill you with love and empathy and satisfaction.

I really enjoyed this one, despite at the times heavy themes. I was instantly gripped by the story and group of characters. Backman is really good at writing about grief and how one copes or doesn’t cope with it.

This is a definite recommend. Thanks to the NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

My Friends by Frederick Bachman
C.Jat, Joar, Ted, Ali. These are the names of the fourteen year-old friends that had the summer of a lifetime twenty-five years ago. It was filled with typical experiences like long summer days swimming, laughing with your best friends, riding bikes, being daredevils, and with not-so-typical things like shoplifting, driving without a license, dodging blows from from a parent and trying to get through the day without hurting yourself.

In the present, the famous artist, C.Jat, creator of the famous “The One of the Sea”, finds a homeless and parent less girl named Louisa. He realizes that she is just like he was and does something to change her life. In the process, the summer of his friends is revealed to her through stories. And the artist in her is able to move beyond her past to a future she can hardly imagine.

The talent of Frederick Bachman is that he is an incredible storyteller. He layers stories from the past with the present, commenting on how we are shaped by our parents, our towns, our friends and our summers. He shows us that art teaches us to mourn for strangers and how art has saved these kids, opening up a new world for the artist. These kids decide that the artist must enter an art contest so that he can see that he is an artist and escape from his life in their small town.

In the end, Louisa sees exactly what the four friends saw twenty-five years ago: an endless sea, a great friendship, and a true love story.
#netgalley

I did not enjoy this book. It felt very meandering and the plot was lacking substantial events. I was intrigued by the premise at first, but kept reading just to see if anything would happen at all. I was really disappointed because I enjoy this author’s earlier work.

I was so excited to get this eArc from Netgalley. Fredrik Backman is one of my favorites. The way he develops his characters in all of his books is amazing. My Friends is no exception. Two would be friends meet and during a train ride, the reader gets an inside peek of both of their lives before they met. This book pulls on all of the heartstrings; sad, humorous, grief, friendship etc.

It is a delightful book reminiscent a little of Ove, but definitely its own story.

“This might sound like an unhappy ending, but only if you forget how many times during this story we’ve told you that someone laughed.”
My Friends is a captivating story about friendship, love, life, and forgiveness. It’s an uplifting story about how happiness happens even in the midst of unfortunate circumstances, as long as you have love in your life. Masterfully delivered in Fredrik Backman’s unique writing style, the book got my attention from the first page, and I found myself rereading several passages to reflect on their depth.
This was a 5-star read for me.

I’ve waited three whole years for a new Fredrik Backman book, and finally—finally—it’s here. And before anyone says, “But what about The Answer is No?” Let me stop you right there. That was a short story. And short stories don’t count. Because they are, well, short.

Backman’s My Friends delivers everything we’ve come to love from him: that unmistakable voice, the humor that sneaks up on you, and the way he handles heavy, heartbreaking topics with such a gentle, human touch. Honestly, I want to tuck this book in and hug it goodnight.

My Friends is a tender, funny, and beautifully honest story about the kinds of friendships that shape us—and sometimes save us. It follows four teens bound together by art, pain, and shared hope, and explores how that bond echoes through time. It’s about trauma and resilience, the power of connection, and the quiet magic of being truly seen.

This book made me laugh, cry, and immediately want to text my best friends. It’s everything I needed, and then some. A solid 5-star read. Don’t walk—run—to get your hands on it.

Thank you to @atriabooks and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. Sometimes begging really does pay off. All opinions are my own.

Fredrik Backman is forever the exception!! I ALWAYS know going into a Fredrik Backman book that I need to be fully prepared to feel things and most likely cry. This book was no different and met every single expectation I could’ve had.

The way he single-handedly gave us a the most beautiful platonic love story. Honestly, there isn’t a synopsis out there that can do this book justice. Trust the reviews and read this.