Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

38 reviews

jedonsg's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide

readingwithtrey's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicide

grumpyreading's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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🌊 My Friends by Fredrik Backman 🌊

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Few notice the three tiny figures on the pier in one of the world’s most famous paintings—but Louisa does. An artist herself, she's determined to uncover their story.

Decades earlier, four troubled teens—Joar, Ted, Ali, and a gifted but troubled young painter—find solace on that same pier. Their summer of friendship and dreams inspires a masterpiece.

Now, with the painting in her care, Louisa sets out on a journey to trace its origins. Along the way, she uncovers not only the story behind the art but also her own creative voice in this moving tale of friendship, loss, and the healing power of art.

Wow. No review could ever come close to capturing what this book was. This was one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I have ever read. I got about 50 pages in to the copy I had taken out from the library before I had to buy a copy so I could highlight parts of every single page. This book, in true Fredrik Backman style, was absolutely incredible. It was emotional, the characters felt so familiar and real, and the plot kept me invested throughout the entire book. This is definitely one of his best pieces of writing yet, and I was emotional the entire time. Before I finished, I had bought 2 additional copies for people I know, and think everyone needs to experience this story. 

Read this if you like: 

• to cry 
• emotional stories 
• unexpected friendships 
• existentialism 

Vibes: 🎨🖼️🌊🛤️📝😩

Song that matches the vibe: Modigliani by Lucy Dacus

Full review including content warnings on my StoryGraph. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

lchrystal's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This may be my new Backman book, which means that it might be my new favorite book.  The poignancy with which he writes in unmatched.  As expected when reading his books, you will shed some tears along the way but will also be left with hope.  This is a book that will stick with me for a while.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

audrathewriter's review against another edition

0.5

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Violence, Abandonment

Moderate: Suicide

harleyglynn's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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A work of art about a work of art. But, of course, so much more than that. As is to be expected from Frederik Backman, this was a masterclass in the human experience. No one captures it quite like he does. Both the best and worst of humanity. It's full of raw emotion. The beauty of human connection. The power of memories and storytelling. Love. Friendship. Grief. Gratitude. Kindness.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment

jenni_r's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide

greatestheights's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Perfection. Backman really is one of the best writers I've ever read. Every character lovingly realized, complex, beautiful, and human. Every plot point a gut punch and a hug, all at once. 

Trust me and do the audio for this one. Marin Ireland is fabulous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Rape

yochananvered's review against another edition

5.0

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Every time I put this down I was annoyed that I wasn’t still reading it. I absolutely adored this. Backman’s writing continues to be incredible. The story kept me so engaged I just couldn’t wait to know what happens next. It’s such a great tale about growing up, while simultaneously being a story of nostalgia. I especially enjoyed the recurring theme of showing how the characters viewed themselves and each other differently from one another. It just felt so real. I cried basically the entire time I was reading this, mostly because of the actual storylines, but also because of the beautifully tragic look on life and all that comes with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction, Sexual assault, Suicide

dblue236's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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While this wasn't my favorite of Backman's books to date, I did really love the characters and their interactions with each other, and the author's style of writing is always incredibly endearing. I didn't get quite the level of emotion that I typically expect from his work, but the story was engaging, albeit a bit slow moving. Overall I enjoyed the book, though I wouldn't call it Backman's best work by any stretch of the imagination. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment

Minor: Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt