My Friends: A Novel Hardcover – May 6, 2025

The storytelling in this book is amazing. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and it’s funny at the same time. It makes you smile, laugh out loud, and cry. It’s thought provoking and heartfelt.

Very good. Great writing. Great Story. Deep. Humorous. Touching. Loved the characters. About young kids who have difficult lives and they become close friends. One of them paints a picture that becomes famous. The story brings the reader through a heartfelt journey of the past to the present lives of these characters and a few more interesting characters join them.

‘25 - 4 STARSDESCRIPTION : Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.REVIEW :The Beartown Series by this author was awesome - Beartown (Bk 1 - ‘17 - 5 Stars), Us Againts You (Bk 2 - ‘18 - 5 Stars) and The Winner (Bk #3 - ‘22 - 4 Stars).Other books by this author were all over the charts for me: Anxious People (‘20 - 3 Stars), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (‘15 - Read ‘17 - 2 Stars) and A Man Called Ove (‘14 - Read ‘17 - 4 Stars).Decided to try this one since I found it on sale; Sale $1.99; reg 14.99Lots of reviews compare it to Remarkable Bright Creatures, A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The main character Louisa, reminded me of the main character Molly in The Maid by Nina Prose; inspiring, refreshing and sometimes very funny.The first 15% of this book was totally sad; foster homes, death & depression. There might have been a funny joke or statement but it didn’t stop my tears. I’ll try to push on. At 30% the sad parts have not stopped. The only thing that keeps me reading is Louisa’s opinions and statements that make me laugh outloud. At 75% my connection to all the characters kept building and building. I was getting scared for what the ending will be. The ending did feel a little rushed but I did enjoy the ride. At the end, I decided on 4 Stars; touching read of childhood memories, accepting life, adjusting to change and moving forward.

My Friends had me laughing, crying, sobbing, and feeling nostalgic for something I’d never known! I loved each of the 4 main characters, their personal stories, as well as their collective story, that made them one entity! Beautifully written as only in Backman style, this novel is a wonder! The storytelling is amazing nd just had me wanting more!

Backman does not disappoint! I’m a huge fan, so take that as you will. This book is very bittersweet, but so beautiful and with enough humor that it balances most of the trauma that the characters endure. It’s a story of a lovely and complex friendship. I truly laughed and cried throughout the reading journey.

I have read absolutely every one of Fredrik Backman's books. I cannot give you a favorite. He has a way of writing that captivates and is truly amazing. I have to admit, My Friends, took a while to "get going" for me. This is a past and present story where it jumps back and forth. The premise is a "bit" far fetched, however, it is a work of fiction. Eventually, you really start getting into all the characters and story line. Louisa is by far the stand out here, followed by Joar IMO.The "past" part of the book, finds kids that would crumple to nothing due to their individual lives, but as a group of friends, they support each other and manage to drive through all the bitterness of life. Adults let them down left and right, as adults do, but their bond weathers it all. In the "present" , the "past" is told by Ted to Louisa , whose effervescent, and bold personality just blows off the pages. Her likening to Ali, one of the friends from the past, is unmistakable.Five misunderstood, misguided and left behind kids, from two generations, who all manage to claw their way to some version of happiness. This story will sit in my heart like all of Backman's books do. It has some of the strongest characters he has developed which makes for one GREAT story! Definitely recommend.

This book seems to be one sadness after another. The uniting thread is the true friendship.... blunt, annoying, crude ways of the four teens, who in spite of their actions, truly love each other. The great success of the artist and then his death leads to a train ride where their story is told to an eighteen-year-old run away foster child who has suffered her share of sadness....the artist christened her as one of them and left his most valuable possession to her. Through all of the suffering, loss, and disappointments caring for each other is all that made life bearable. YouPossessions, career, fame are all hollow without a genuine friend to share them with. People give life meaning, not things.

Fredrick Backman is an incredible author. His other books have left an indelible mark on my psyche, and this book is no different. What a fabulous study of today's society, human emotion, and the ability to find strength when it's needed most. You will be drawn in by these characters, left to ruminate for a long time to come.