“I love you and I trust you.” Oh my heart! This book was so incredibly moving – it is easily going to be one of my favourite books of this year, and one of my favourite things I’ve ever read!

I hardly know where to start with writing a review, but this was just a beautiful book. Fredrick Backman is truly a wizard at creating the most pure-hearted, totally flawed but incredible characters that you can’t help falling in love with.

My Friends is a story about the power and importance of childhood best friends, and how one summer can feel like a lifetime. It’s about the power of grief, love, trust, and how “great art is a small break from human despair.” It’s both hilariously funny and heart-breakingly sad at the same time!

We start by meeting Louisa – an 18-year-old artist who has grown up in foster care, and has found strength in her best friend Fish, and a postcard of a famous work of art. When the famous work is up for auction, Louisa goes to see it and ends up unexpectedly meeting the artist himself.
From here, she ends up on an adventure with the artist’s childhood friend, Ted.

I love the way the story was written – mainly through Ted’s memories of one day, the day that inspired the famous painting. But the story jumps backwards and forwards around that day – and in the present day 25 years later, so that we gradually build up the full picture of what has made them all who they are now. It’s quite dreamlike, the way things move around and are remembered.

The memories of the 4 best friends that summer, as 14-year-olds are just the best parts of the book for me. The friends are bound together by their difficult childhoods, and the love and trust they find in each other is so beautiful.

I enjoyed how a lot of the details were kept quite generic – we don’t know the name of the town where they live, Ted is described as foreign but we never find out where he’s from. We don’t even learn the artist’s name until towards the end, and we never find out Ali’s real name! But I felt like that was the point – they’re very special people, but they’re also any group of teenage best friends, drawing strength from each other where they don’t have that at home or at school.

It's not very often that I feel like I want to immediately read a book again as soon as I’ve finished it, but I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this as soon as it comes out!

I honestly don't know if I have the words to describe how beautiful this story about friendship is. I feel very inadequate trying to put my thoughts into words that would do it justice - I blame Backman for this.

Right from the start, Backman was holding no punches with the emotions and it just never stopped. The way he shows us the worst of humanity and yet still come away feeling hopeful is masterful. These characters and their love for each other was just friendship perfection.

If I had to be negative, it had the beginnings of feeling meandering and lost about two thirds of the way in, but thankfully it picked back up again very quickly.

It's beautiful, and traumatic, and funny, and hopeful, and did I say beautiful? It's so beautiful! (I highlighted so much text)

Rating: ALL THE DAMN STARS

" Under no circumstances are we allowed to be adults, Ted, that's fatal! All adults die, sooner or later,' haven't you noticed?"

Over a decade ago A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman grabbed the attention of the reading world- a beautiful, melancholy and yet hopeful story.

A decade or so onwards and Fredrik Blackman has continued to write successful novels .. My Friends is the latest and it is seriously wonderfully moving novel and friendship, loyalty, tragedy and beauty between a group of friends.

At a city auction a painting is displayed- Louisa needs to see the painting; she has lived in foster care for years and is grieving her best friend but one constant in her life was a postcard of the aforementioned painting called The One of the Sea. After a chance encounter between the artist ( C. JAT )and Louisa she finds herself the beneficiary of this priceless piece of art.

It is as she receives the painting that she meets Ted -childhood friend of the artist. Louisa does not want the responsibility of owning the piece of art but finds herself on a train journey with Ted where he gradually recounts the story of the artist's life and his friendship with himself, Joar and Ali. All of the groups of friends have had challenging family lives and this is the bond that unites this misunderstood quartet.

Fredrik Backman moves us between high comedic reading and then pulls us back with a hard dose of reality and tragedy. This is a saga of young lives and deep bond of commitment. This is also a love story to the power of art and difference- recognising the talents hidden within and a love story between friends- that is captured perfectly in your teenage years( and maybe just fro one summer)

Every few pages, there is a pearl of wisdom- it actually feels like a book of quotes is needed!!

Entertaining, reflective and very moving- this book gripped and could not be put down - a summer read for 2025 !!

Quotes:

When you get old, gravity pulls the corners of your mouth down, the road to a smile gets longer.

But there's a difference between being loved and receiving love.

Bullies always have small hearts but good memories.

Art is a nakedness, you have to be free to decide when you're comfortable with it and with whom.

Art is what can't fit inside a person. The things that bubble over.

Book Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

As a long-time fan of Fredrik Backman, especially after falling in love with A Man Called Ove, I had high expectations going into My Friends. Unfortunately, this novel, though moving in its own right, did not quite live up to the brilliant highs of his previous works.

My Friends tells the story of four teenagers whose friendship forms the backdrop of a pivotal summer. Their connection leads to the creation of an artwork that will impact a stranger’s life 25 years later. The novel attempts to blend humor, heartache, and the complexity of human connection—a combination that worked so well in A Man Called Ove.

The premise is intriguing, with the idea of a painting being at the center of the narrative, symbolizing the power of art and friendship. Louisa, an aspiring artist, becomes the key character as she embarks on a journey to learn more about the painting’s creation. While the novel beautifully captures the essence of youth, rebellion, and the bonds we form in our formative years, I found myself struggling to connect with Louisa and the other characters as deeply as I did with Ove or the quirky inhabitants of Anxious People.

While Backman’s talent for capturing the intricacies of human emotions is undeniable, My Friends felt more disjointed than his previous novels. The pacing was slower than I anticipated, and at times, the emotional payoff didn’t quite hit the mark. The book also meanders a bit, losing its focus on the painting and the teenagers' bond in favor of a slower narrative that, though still heartfelt, felt a bit too distant.

The structure, which involves time jumps between the summer of their youth and Louisa’s present-day journey, is effective in theory but didn’t have the same sense of urgency or resonance that made A Man Called Ove so captivating. While the writing is still deeply thoughtful and layered with wisdom about the human condition, I didn’t find myself as emotionally invested in these characters as I had hoped.

Final Thoughts:

My Friends is certainly a moving read, but it didn’t have the same emotional depth or magnetic charm that I’ve come to expect from Fredrik Backman. While there are poignant moments and Backman’s ability to tap into the universal themes of friendship, love, and loss is ever-present, the novel lacks the same punch and immediacy of his previous works. For fans of Backman’s style, it’s worth reading, but for those hoping for a repeat of A Man Called Ove, this one might fall a bit short.

[3.5] i was so excited to be approved for this arc, after reading and loving anxious people earlier this year. there was definitely the same witty tone throughout this one, as well as plenty of sad moments, but for some reason i just couldn't get into this one the same way, which explains the slightly lower rating. one thing that did hold up however was the characters - fredrik backman makes you care about them so much, and really makes you feel like you were there and knew them. i loved the idea that all of these events stemmed from one painting, and finding out the lore behind it almost unravelled like a mystery, with different characters telling different parts of the story. not my favourite by him, but 100% still worth the read, especially if you're interested in art (or friendship).

thank you to netgalley and simon and schuster uk for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
At times enchanting (the beauty and purity of childhood friendships, the pain of loneliness, the joy of being accepted), but at times repetitive ( please no more quite whispering, no more farts, no more speculation as to what art is) and self conscious.
The “back story” (set 25 years previously, telling the story of childhood friends, escapism and how a painting came to be) was the real pull. And I liked that it was framed against a present day narrative, when another neglected child stumbles across the painting, but those interactions felt unbelievable, and sometimes the whole device tripped over itself.
mainly a lovely book i read in 3 sittings

I enjoy reading stories by Fredrick Backman and I was delighted to receive a copy of his new book My Friends.
The story is told in two timelines.
Three fourteen year old boys and the friendship they shared twenty five years ago and how their lives turned out.
Modern day a teenage girl Louisa has run away from the state home on the eve of her eighteenth birthday.
I found the character of Louisa annoying and unbelievable in parts and this put me off her story.
I enjoyed parts of the story but some of it was very was slow and depressing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

The best book I have read so far this year that will undoubtedly stay with me forever.

As a huge fan of Fredrick Backman I was absolutely delighted when I got approved via #netgalley for an advanced reader copy and couldn't wait to get started on it.

After reading A Man Called Ove a few years back I have been looking for a book that could live up to it to fill the void it left behind in my life and My Friends did exactly that.

As heartbreaking as it is beautiful My Friends is an absolute masterpiece, it made me laugh, it made me angry and it made my heart break just a little more the further I read to the point I actually shed a few tears.

Fredrick writes so beautifully and has such a wonderful talent for being able to fully immerse me as a reader and has the ability to make every emotion possibly known every time I read his books.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it's outstanding in every way and like A Man Called Ove it will stay with me forever.

I AM LAUGHING THROUGH SNOT AND TEARS.
My favourite book by him yet.
Frederick Backman is one of those incredible writers who can take you through the whole spectrum of emotions.

<b>“It might sound like an unhappy ending, but only if you forget how many times during this story we’ve told you that someone laughed. How many really good nows is that? How many people ever have more?”
</b>
We have a present day runaway foster home teen girl who is given a dying artist’s most famous work. She feels worthless and doesn’t feel she deserves the responsibility and tags along with the artist’s friend. She talks alllll the time - unfiltered, strange, wildly, brash. Her companion is scared of everything and craves quiet and solitude.
Then, we have the story about the painting 25 years earlier, following a group of friends who are all broken but fill in each other’s missing pieces.

I felt so immersed and deeply connected to these characters and their seaside town. These characters are all angry and scared and longing and children who need to be cared for and loved.

<b>The only thing we can take for granted is that everyone we have ever met and everyone we have ever known and everyone we have ever loved will die. So how great must our imaginations be for us to even summon up the enthusiasm to get out of bed each morning? Endless! Imagination is the only thing that stops us from thinking about death every second. And when we aren’t thinking? Oh, those are all our very best moments, when we’re wasting our lives. It’s an act of magnificent rebellion to do meaningless things, to waste time, to swim and drink soda and sleep late. To be silly and frivolous, to laugh at stupid little jokes and tell stupid little stories.
</b>
This is a contemporary fiction, and yet I felt more shocked by the reveals than most thriller books.
A gut punch exhale, an expectant inhale, an intense staring-at-the-wall session.

Note: there is quite a bit of swearing (specifically from one character), and sometimes this did take me out of story.

This has made my favourites of 2025 list and it is April.

<b>Once he read a book that said that people with neuropsychiatric disorders need to “make friends with their brain,” but Ted and Ted’s brain are not friends, they’re classmates, forced to do a group assignment called “life” together. And it’s not going great.</b>

Arc gifted by Simon and Schuster UK.