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.

Thank you SO much Atria for the advance copy of this!

I remember the nerves I had sending the request to potential review an advance copy of a Backman book so when the approval email came in I was ELATED. I have such a respect for all authors but there is just something about his writing that struck a nerve with me after reading the Beartown series. It just sat with me for a long time and after reading this book I can tell you this struck me to my core. Those that know me, know that my favorite movie is "Stand By Me" and I couldn't help but see parallels between the two (trust me its still VERY different).

"Stories are complicated, memories are merciless, our brains only store a few moments from the best days of our lives, but we remember every second of the worst."

His writing is just so phenomenal and he has this way of making serious scenes also have humor. He also has this way of crafting a group of characters SO well. And in this case he is doing a story within a story which I feel like could be hard to do and yet he made it seem so easy.

I want to try to describe this book without giving too much away. This book is told from two timelines - the present as well as the past. In the past we get to learn all about the 4 friends and their magical summer when they were fourteen - The artist, Ted, Joar and Ali. The hardship that all 4 have gone through in their home life but their friendship is what made them keep going every day. They just had such immense respect for one another even if they didn't always know how to show it. A phrase they often said to one another is "I love you and I trust you." Oh my heart.

In the present timeline, Louisa an 18 year old orphan learns about that summer from one of the key players and how that summer 25 years ago changed all their lives and how it plays an effect on Louisa currently. The present timeline was such a hoot. Louisa and the key player (sorry not giving up a name!) went on such an adventure across the country and their banter was hysterical. As much as they didn't want Louisa to be around, you knew that they were going to eventually be charmed by her. And their relationship just felt so natural. Two individuals who have each led such a life were able to bond over their love of this painting, grieve together and most of all learning how to trust one another.

"All children are born with wings. It's just that the world is full of people who try to tear them off."

This book has so many layers to it and moving parts. And you would think it would be hard to keep track of and I thought I would have a difficult time but it all comes together. The middle part was a little slow compare to the beginning and the last 30% but the way that Backman writes, he makes you want to keep going and will leave on you chapter cliffhangers. I do wish I had the physical copy in the beginning so I could flip back and forth easier than with my kindle. I am going to be seeing Fredrik speak next month about this book and I am so excited to hear about how this story came to be.

Reading a Backman book is an experience. And this is an experience that you want to share with others. It was just so beautiful!

If you are looking for a story about platonic friendship and the love that doesn't go away with childhood friends but also a book filled with so much hope, give this book a read!

Extra Insights:

When I first read Beartown, I was tabbing all these amazing quotes and let me tell you, I highlighted so many moments and quotes in this more so than I ever have with any other book. I don't even know where to begin with ones that hit the hardest because they all hit. But here is a small round up of some of my favorite out of context quotes.

"Grown men don't have enough things they're afraid of on this planet to become good at running."

"It has to be said that Louisa hates many things about herself but most of all her height and weight. She wished for many things throughout her childhood, but perhaps more than anything she wished to be smaller."

"People always say that you should live as if every day was your last, but when you have children you realize that you have to live as if every day was their first."

"This must have been the longest train trip of your life."

"It suits you, that laugh. I'm glad they didn't manage to take it from you."
"Who?"
"All the people who have tried."

Thanks to Netgalley & Atria Books for the E-ARC! Another tear-jerker from this author. Great characters & loved the friendships. Beautiful story.

Where to begin… when people ask for a book recommendation from me, my go-to is always Beartown. My Friends will be my newest rec. While any Fredrik Backman is an automatic read for me, this may be his best. It is so thoughtful, humorous, heart-breaking, but life-affirming. Every page was perfection, especially the very end. Though I was of course sad for the book to end, the resolution was perfect and felt complete.

This story is told as just that, a story, that bonds two people for life. A death connects Ted and Louisa and sees them through an adventure that is equal parts nerve wrecking and hilarious. It is for anyone who was ever a child and hopes to be one again. I smiled and teared up so frequently throughout this novel. This is why Fredrik Backman is the best author. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Backman, Atria, and NetGalley for the ARC.

“I love you and I trust you.”

Fredrik Backman, you have written yet another book that caused me to feel every single feeling there was to feel, and I loved every second of it. Louisa and Ted were such lovely characters, along with the artist, Joar, Ali, and Christopher. I really was entranced with each of them and found myself wanting to read more to hear their stories. It felt like I had the pleasure of living out the summer with them.

What an incredibly powerful story about grief and fate and meeting someone at just the right time. And how all of that can change your life’s entire trajectory.

This book is, at its core, about friendship. About new friends and old friends. About how the people who are your friends during your formative years will shape everything you do going forward. How reminiscing about those days can help you to move forward after a tragedy. And about how people you’ve just met can heal you. But it’s also a book about art. About how art can immortalize a moment. About how art can bring together unlikely companions.

This might just be my new favorite Backman book which is high praise considering almost every book is a 5 star from me. It’s amazing that a book this brilliant talks about farting a lot. Like more than what you’d ever think. But a big part of this story is retelling a story of a particular summer with a group of fourteen year olds.

If you love Backman’s writing style, you will definitely love this. It’s a beautifully written and told story.

I don’t think I have the right words to describe how much I loved this book and why. Just know that I do and I feel so grateful to be able to read a book that stirs up so much emotion in me.

This book is about profound friendship, a love story (not the typical love you expect) and how it all shapes you. The stories of these friends made me laugh, made me cry and made me just reflect on the special people that shaped my life.

There really isn’t much I can say without spoiling it so do yourself a favor and read it. Bring the tissues with you, ya know? And prepared for this very long story.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This wasn’t my favorite of Backman’s books but it was well written. It was a poignant story. There are humorous and sad parts like in other Backman novels. He is a great writer. This story just didn’t capture me.

Fredrik Backman creates characters that are so real and so flawed and you can't help but get emotionally involved in their lives. This story of four high school misfits who find hope and friendship in their support of one another are the center of this novel. Their bond is so powerful, they have profound effects on other people's lives. The story is told from two of the friends in their forties, who meet a teenager, Louisa, whose had a rough life. When one of the friends sees in her what they had as teens, the gift of a painting leads to an unlikely friendship and we hear about that special summer when the four friends were fifteen. Fans of Backman's writing will not be disappointed . May 2025 Pub date,.

I feel like I need to truly sit with this novel for a bit before I try to rate it, only for fear that I will just be babbling about how amazing it is without first gathering my thoughts-
But truly, it’s just that. Amazing. Backman’s unrivaled characterization is on full-display here in this story about 4 friends (as teens and again later in life) and the people they collect along their journey through life. It’s funny, it’s tragic, it’s silly, it’s heartbreaking, it’s inspirational, it’s everything the human experience truly is- all in one beautiful story.
Reading this leaves me thinking about life’s true friends, the heroes that have been put in my path, and how interwoven our stories all can be. And after saying all of this, I still don’t believe I’ve properly captured the grip this novel has on me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the digital ARC.

Another amazing book by Backman. The relationship between Louisa and Ted was so heartwarming. Knowing more about the group of friends felt like I was there with them. The kids deserved a better life which made me want to continue rooting for them. Always expect an emotional rollercoaster with a Backman book.

Another masterpiece by one of my favorite authors! This may be my favorite of his to date. Backman has a unique, quirky, humorous way of writing but always with real depth to the characters and their experiences. In one sentence you want to laugh and cry all at the same time. The beginning was a little slow to start and I wasn’t sure about the stream of consciousness writing, but by the second to third chapter, I was fully invested. There are so many beautiful quotes in this book about friendship, overcoming life’s hardships, and finding beauty even in the ugly. My Friends is about friends who become family, and how our best childhood friends shape our lives. It delves into childhood trauma, but also explores resilience and hope. I laughed out loud at several parts but also cried and wanted to hug my best friends close when it ended.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Holy cannoli, can Fredrik Backman write! He has a remarkable talent for storytelling. This book might have been my favorite of his so far. It was about the beauty of art and the depths of friendship. I fell in love with Louisa and Ted, and I nearly felt like I was a part of this story. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed... I felt everything, ran through the gamut of emotions reading this book, and I couldn't stop smiling for hours after I put this one down. This book was everything I didn't know I needed! I plan on purchasing and re-reading a physical copy of this book, as there were hundreds of lines and passages that I wanted to highlight and save forever. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this masterpiece!

This is a book about friendship and art, and hurt people, about burials and about birds. It's a story about a very tumultuous train ride and also a story about a summer twenty-five years ago. It's really funny and also very sad, but it maintains a hopeful outlook even though the people in the book have no reason for much hope. Well, they do have their friends, and art, which are more than enough reasons.
Its a beautiful book that will make you laugh through so much heartbreak, and you will be so happy about it because its so witty and funny, and the characters have so much personality they feel alive. They contradict their own actions and sometimes don't really behave like fourteen year olds at all, but that's why they feel real.
It's also a book about art. It comes through in every page, art as a way of connecting and sharing with others.
In today's age of individualism, this book feels particularly relevant, because it's about friends (obviously) but it's also about community.
Its truly a beautiful book that I'd recommend to just about anyone, it reads fast and it stays with you. Read it!

Four teen best friends spend the summer together changing their lives forever. The result is a painting so beautiful that the artist becomes rich and famous beyond belief. Twenty-five years later, a young homeless woman artist who has kept a postcard picture of that painting as inspiration breaks into a gallery where the painting is being auctioned, setting off a chain of events that gives her hope if she can learn to trust and accept it.

You’ll laugh and you’ll cry. You’ll read passages over and over, remarking on Backman’s ability to put life’s ironies into words.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria books for an early copy of this beautiful book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I love Fredrik Backman. And I wanted to LOVE this book like I loved Anxious People. I did really like it, but I just couldn't love it due to the repetitiveness and the length. I don't mind length when it needs it, but this did not need to be as long as it was. Literally half the length would have been more than fine. It's a good story, but there's not a lot to it. Because of this I found myself getting annoyed by the writing style, even though I do love Backman's signature heartwarming style.

We do have some great characters and situations, and if you like Backman's stand alone novels you probably will like this one too, just be prepared for a LONG book that meanders quite a bit and takes a long time to land the plane.

Four misfit teenagers are broken by dysfunctional family situations, by grief and the heartaches that sometimes come with self discovery. They manage to survive their sad existences because they have each other . “I trust you . I love you” they say to each other. The depth of friendship they feel for and show each other is everything when you believe you have nothing .

Twenty five years later, two of the friends connect with , through one of the friend’s paintings, a misfit teenage girl who is broken by loss , grief and the foster care system. They immediately recognize she is “ one of them.” Our journey begins with Louisa’s present story and takes us back twenty five years as Ted telling the story of the four friends in the painting to Louisa while forging a bond of friendship between them.

If you can manage their sadness, if you can manage their pain sometimes emotional and sometimes physical, if you can manage the violence , it’s totally worth it getting into their hearts and minds and learning their stories. It’s not always all heartbreak as there are moments of love and caring, fun, and many funny moments that have the four friends laughing their heads off over their corny and clever jokes. The majority of the story is about these teenagers, but this should not be mistaken for a teenage novel. This is a story about the depth of friendship that helps them survive the worst things in their lives. It’s also a commentary on life and art and hope when it seems there isn’t any to be found. The emotional connection I feel with Backman’s characters is immediate and deep . I felt it in all of his novels, especially The Beartown series, but then I read this book. Backman’s understanding and ability to express the twists and turns of the human heart in this novel is nothing short of stunning.

I received a copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much — I found there were a hundred lines I wanted to highlight and repeat because they just felt so true to the human experience. This book truly has something for everyone and I can not wait for its release!

Having only read one of his short stories I was unsure what to expect. I requested an early copy and am giving my review voluntarily. At first it took awhile to enjoy, the story is long and told with lengthy monologues, but eventually I was able to dig in. People don’t really keep friends for long anymore but this group saw everything together. Their story is told by Ted to a young lady, Louisa, about their childhood and a love of art. It’s because of a painting by a child twenty five years ago that we are even hearing their story. It might be because it was translated, I think, but the writing style was the reason I struggled with the story. As a reader I enjoy dialogue, this book had the best sarcasm and witty conversations, but when a character is lost in their head the story loses its steam and thrill. It was definitely worth my time because I think this story has sticking power.