My Friends by Fredrik Backman is a coming-of-age story about friendships that feel more like family. The bonds that are formed feel timeless and formative. Backman treats friendship as a form of art: layered, complex, and essential to the masterpiece of who we become as people.

The story itself unfolds like a painting. It’s told in layers of life past, present, and future. Much like art, you don’t fully understand what you’re seeing until the entire picture is complete. Because the novel avoids most pop-culture references, it feels almost timeless. At its core, My Friends is about self-discovery. The characters embark on journeys they never expected to take and form friendships they never anticipated.

The overall story is beautiful. Backman blends art and life in an incredible way, asking meaningful questions along the way: What is art? Who truly owns it? And how is it meant to be appreciated? The pacing is strong overall, though it drags slightly in the middle—but not for long. Just when it begins to slow, the story veers in a direction I didn’t see coming.

The ending is deeply emotional and ties the past and present together seamlessly. Backman has an uncanny ability to make me cry, and he absolutely succeeds here with a powerful statement about art and found family. The book contains more twists and turns than I expected. From the beginning, the story sets you up to believe a major event will unfold one way, and while things do go wrong, it’s not in the way you anticipate.

My Friends won the Goodreads Choice Award for Literary Fiction in 2025 and was first published on May 6, 2025, by Atria Books.

Why Did I Read My Friends by Fredrik Backman?

My first Fredrik Backman novel was A Man Called Ove, which remains one of my all-time favorite books. I’ve been meaning to return to his work for a while, and My Friends immediately appealed to me,especially once the buzz started building. At that point, I knew I had to read it.

Plot Summary:

Louisa is an orphan who is about to turn eighteen. She’s an artist, and creating art is the one thing that truly brings her joy. She keeps a postcard of a painting called The One of the Sea, which has helped her through some of the hardest moments in her life. The painting depicts three friends laughing together on a deck by the sea, and Louisa feels a deep kinship with the children in it. When the painting goes up for auction, Louisa feels compelled to see it in person. She breaks in to have a private moment with the artwork but is accused of theft and forced to flee from the police. During her escape, she runs into a man she assumes is homeless—only to discover he has a deep connection to the painting. From there, the novel truly takes off, and Louisa’s life is forever changed by this encounter.

What I Liked:

The passages about art and friendship are absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite quotes is: “I think you’re like the drawing. You’re not ready yet. But one day I think you’re going to do something important.”

Backman’s depiction of friendship is especially powerful. These characters aren’t just friends, they’re a fractured family. I also love how he writes about the cycle of life and how moments repeat across time.

Backman excels at writing deeply human characters. They aren’t always easy to identify with, but he gives them so much humanity that you can’t help but root for them. Some of my favorite moments are quiet conversations between characters who couldn’t be more different. Ted and his brother share a tender, understated moment. Ali’s conversation with Ted’s mother made me cry from how much emotion and truth is revealed in such a simple exchange. The Artist and Christian quietly painting and talking together is another standout.

The book is filled with moments like this small conversations that reveal profound understanding. The LGBTQ+ representation feels natural and well-suited to the character. The humor sprinkled throughout the story helps balance the heavier themes and makes the emotional weight easier to carry. I also loved what the book had to say about art ownership and the way it shines a light on graffiti and street art.

What I Disliked:

The pacing slows a bit in the middle, but it doesn’t last long—especially when a character makes a truly unexpected choice that propels the story forward.

I felt the assault scene involving Ted was too much and happened too quickly. And I can’t believe I’m writing this, but there’s a bit too much fart humor. At first, it’s funny, but it wears out its welcome. At one point, it reminded me of The Mighty Ducks, all it needed was someone yelling “Goldberg” to complete the moment.

Recommendation:

My Friends by Fredrik Backman is excellent and will absolutely give you all the feels. The book deals heavily with trauma, but it shows the power of friendship—not to get over trauma, but to get through it. In many ways, it reminded me of The Body by Stephen King, where friends bond through shared trauma to survive life and death.

Despite its heavy themes, the book has lighter moments that made me laugh out loud at the situations the characters find themselves in. I do think My Friends is a perfect book pick. The plot doesn’t go the direction you think, and the characters choices leave a lot for debates. I wholeheartedly recommend My Friends to my followers.

Rating:

My Friends by Fredrik Backman. I rated 5 out of 5. I still like A Man Called Ove more, but My Friends is very good.