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

I could not believe my luck when I was approved for this ARC. There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that I would love it; Fredrik Backman is one of my absolute favorite authors - I would gladly read his grocery lists.

“My Friends” absolutely didn’t disappoint. I laughed, I cried, I highlighted 134 passages, and I have a feeling that I will find myself thinking about these characters just like I do those from Beartown all these years later.

I am so grateful to NetGalley, Fredrik Backman, and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this masterpiece as my first book of 2025.

Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is a beautifully written and emotionally compelling story about loss, resilience, and the unexpected connections that shape our lives. The novel follows Louisa, a young girl who has endured the instability of foster care and is grieving the recent loss of her best friend, Fish. Feeling adrift, a chance encounter with a seemingly homeless man sets her on a journey to uncover the story behind her favorite painting, leading to the discovery of four unlikely friendships that change her life.

Backman’s unique storytelling structure, weaving between past and present, adds depth and intrigue to the narrative. While the book starts off a bit slow, it’s well worth sticking with—it quickly becomes a heartfelt, immersive experience. The characters are so vividly drawn that you can’t help but fall in love with them. My Friends will make you laugh out loud and cry your heart out, leaving a lasting impression long after you turn the final page.

What a book! Backman does such an incredible job of writing broken and beautiful characters. I felt like these friends became my friends and I kept putting the book down because I wasn’t ready for it to end! While I’m sure some people don’t love Backmans writing style, I love it. Being allowed into the thoughts of the characters makes me feel like I’m a part of the story, not just a reader. Backman paints such vivid pictures of the people in his stories and this is no exception. I loved how the story slowly unfolded. It kept me hooked the entire time!

5⭐️s - This one stole my heart. Friendship and art weave this one together. Beautiful characters highlight this book along with their journey together building an unforgettable friendship bond.

I love Bachmann’s expressive writing style. The characters animate right off the pages and while humorous at times, you can feel the sadness too in those dark moments.

I enjoyed what seemed like small stories that all add up together to show the journey of friendship, love, loyalty and grief. And how art has a way of tying all those together for those who are lucky enough to see the correlation.

Highly recommend when this one comes out and grab a box of tissues. Loved it!

Expected release: 5/20/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

My Friends is a story that will stick with you for years. The kind of book that you run to tell your friends about. Fredrick Blackman has a way of telling a real, raw, and authentic story that encapsulates you and takes your for a whirlwind. His writing style is lyrical. While I’m being quite vague with my review, this book is one that you jump right into blindly and read with your heart wide open. If i could rate this 6 stars, i would. This is fantastic.

Such a different book! I loved the idea of finding out the details of the painting and the people in them. This was a lovely book that was heartwarming and made me shed some tears. One of the best Fredrik Backman books ever!

I have no words. Truly. I am so moved by this book. What a gifted author. Thank you, Fredrik.

Backman fans will love this book. It is heartfelt and moving, and filled with his signature quirky dry wit.

Oh this book…it’ll stick with me for a long time. This was actually the first book by Backman I became absorbed with. I was torn between reading it quickly but needing breaks. It’s one of those books that make you feel so much and at times, I feared it would hurt too much to continue the story. It touches on the highs and lows of life but the power of friendship, but more importantly belonging. Every character comes to life and their mannerisms stick with you. I find myself yelling, “Tomorrow!” at people now. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early. It’s truly a special story.

Undoubtedly, this is Fredrik Bachman's finest work to date! It evoked both laughter and tears from me. The characters deeply resonated with my heart and soul. The narrative unfolds across two distinct timelines, centering around four teenagers: Ted, who is shy and nerdy; Joar, who is boisterous and tough yet possesses a kind heart; Ali, who is intelligent and fiercely independent; and finally, The Artist, who communicates more through painting than words. Each of them faces home lives that are imperfect in uniquely challenging ways. From this backdrop emerges a poignant story and art that will linger with me for a long time. The writing is exquisite, and the characters are incredibly authentic, allowing me to connect with their emotions profoundly. This book is poised to become a bestseller in 2025. I urge you to run, not walk, to pick up "My Friends"!

Rating: 4.75☆

My Friends by Frederik Backman is a story about loss, hope, friendship, and childhood. It follows a group of friends who I cannot get my head off of. The story is beautifully written, and the way the author describes and narrates the story made it impossible for me to put it down until I knew what happened. This book made me laugh, and it also made me cry. It is very rare when a book gets me to experience polar opposite emotions.
I would like to see this adapted into a movie in the future (fingers crossed). If I could describe this book with only one word I would say it's nostalgic. I can feel the nostalgia through the pages as Louisa hears the story unfold.

Would definitely recommend!

This book is about an endless sea, a profound friendship, and a true love story. It delves into grief, sacrifice, fart jokes, uproarious laughter, spontaneous adventures, learning to trust, and protecting loved ones at all costs. It’s about the serendipity of art. It’s about finding your own pearl in an oyster shell and learning to let go, even when it feels like shards of glass stabbing your heart.

I may be in the minority because this is my first book by this author. It definitely won’t be my last. This story was such a journey about love and friendship and relationships. It left me in tears and hasn’t left my mind since I finished it. I will admit that the writing style was a little hard for me and I almost gave up, but I am so glad that I didn’t. Once I got into the rhythm of the story it flowed so well.

This isn’t merely a book. This is a memory.

You have art, you have friends, you have good and bad memories, and you have yourself. My Friends is what it is—it’s about friends. But they’re not just ordinary people, nor is their friendship. Or was. This book starts strong, kind of a rough patch in the middle for me, but overall ends well. Maybe. Depends on your interpretation. You know when words are tangled in someone’s insides and they come out raw, transparent, and powerful? That’s exactly what Backman’s tone is in this book. I’ve only read one of his previous books (Anxious People), and I read that one at the wrong time, so I was hoping that this book would make me appreciate Backman even better. It did.

So life in this book is this: death is bullshit and grieving is an act of love but loving is suicidal because you’re always met by the horrors of abandonment, and nobody wants to be abandoned. At least Louisa doesn’t (the main character). But it’s not just that—it makes art a fleeting experience, one where it demands you to see the world differently to view something as art and, perhaps, create art. In this, you experience some sort of rush inside of you—it will take you back to all the lives you’ve lived, all the humans you’ve called your own, and all the art that has made you long for something. It is both depressing and a pleasure to have read this novel.

Louisa and Ted’s relationship was amazing to read. Their rendezvous made me feel a lot of emotions—good and bad—but it was probably worth it. Again, this isn’t just a book, it tells us so well of a story (a fictional one, you must remember) that it almost feels like it’s telling history. Phenomenal. This is a memory—a memory of the lives lived, and those not lived, but, perhaps, will be lived in time.

Absolutely loved this novel! From the moment you meet Louisa you can’t help but fall in love with her . Then you embark on a journey that’s is told so beautifully that you become friends with the rest! It made me laugh and cry! I can still remember the friends I had the summer I was 14! Thank you so much for allowing me to receive an advanced copy!

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. As I finish this book, I’m sitting alone in my room crying and crying and crying. I’m almost in a state of shock about the masterpiece I just read. I wonder how a book could be so well-written. The bond you, as a reader, create with these characters is unexplainable. I truly felt like I was in their world being told this story. The highs and lows, up and downs are what make this story. I don’t want to give much away, but just know that this book will consume you in the best way possible. I truly know that this will be one of the best books I’ll read in my entire life. I would give this book a million stars if I could. Thank you Fredrik for sharing your art with us.

This book was so freaking addictive, I stayed up till 4 am reading it! It clearly didn’t disappoint.

I'm calling it now: this is the best book of 2025. Fredrik Backman has written yet another emotional, laugh-out-loud book that is utterly human. I highlighted so many passages that were impactful and resonated in my soul. It is a commentary on grief, community, belonging, art... the list goes on. I've never met a Fredrik Backman book I haven't loved, and this one was fantastic as expected.

maybe it's best that i don't reveal much because the journey that ted and louisa go on as ted recounts the history of the people who make up the the painting is worth every page. every character feels so lived in in a way that only fredrik backman can do. however, sometimes it feels unnecessarily traumatic in a way to add meat which yes made me cry very hard, but didn't give enough grace to one female character in particular (some tighter editing would've helped). i had to take a pause and finished in three days which is unheard of for me with backman, but i loved the characters so much more because of it. everyone will be in for a treat come release in may!

10⭐️. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Did I just finish my top book of 2025 on January 1st? It’s very possible.
Louisa finds refuge from a painful life in two things: a single person and a world famous painting. She’s determined to get to the bottom of this painting, she knows there’s a deeper story in the three figures painted at the bottom corner of the piece. And then God laughs and suddenly she finds herself on a cross country adventure to do just that. But she will find out a lot more than who these three figures in the painting are. She’s going to find out who she is too and how to keep living despite all of the pain. Oh.. and which one farted.



*Will post + publish again week of release as well as make a TikTok video

Thanks NetGallery for this Arc.


I absolutely loved this book! The story of friendship is so touching and makes you feel like you are apart of the stories being told. I felt this was a quick read and I'll definitely be recommending it!!