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4.54 AVERAGE
4.54 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A confusing start, Backman has a choppy way of writing that takes you in 15 directions at once. It took me a second to really get into it, and to understand the point, but when he makes it, it hits. The cast of characters is wild, and each of them had their own distinct personalities. I found myself incredibly annoyed by the FMC, and then remembered she was a teenager and most of them are annoying inherently, and therefore Backman captured a teenage girl surprisingly well.
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Backman doesn’t disappoint, he really doesn't. Even if this is one of my less favorite of his books, it’s still incredible, it still made me cry. He has always had the ability to make his characters so achingly human, so unbelievably heartbreaking.
Now for the reasons why this book didn’t work as well for as his other works. It was 2 stories in one where both the present and the past didn’t feel as developed as they could have been otherwise. I didn’t feel like I could reach out and touch each character as if they were my long lost friends, the way I have in his other books. Still incredible, just missing a certain touch. Because we couldn’t concentrate on only one side of the story, it felt a little incomplete on both ends. I would have preferred for the book to be almost split in 2 parts so both the past and the present could have had a moment to breathe be felt.
However, despite it all I still cried during many parts of this book and I still have an insane amount of lines underlined because of the sheer humanity they show.
Again, still a good book and I’m looking forward to more of Backman’s writing, if he so chooses.
Now for the reasons why this book didn’t work as well for as his other works. It was 2 stories in one where both the present and the past didn’t feel as developed as they could have been otherwise. I didn’t feel like I could reach out and touch each character as if they were my long lost friends, the way I have in his other books. Still incredible, just missing a certain touch. Because we couldn’t concentrate on only one side of the story, it felt a little incomplete on both ends. I would have preferred for the book to be almost split in 2 parts so both the past and the present could have had a moment to breathe be felt.
However, despite it all I still cried during many parts of this book and I still have an insane amount of lines underlined because of the sheer humanity they show.
Again, still a good book and I’m looking forward to more of Backman’s writing, if he so chooses.
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Seems like I am massively in the minority on this, but I struggled with My Friends. I've loved all of this authors other books, but this one just didn't give me the same vibe.
The story follows Louisa as she breaks in to see a painting and ends up meeting her idol, who then dies and she then ends up learning the story of the painting through the artists friend.
The story was so sad that even the humour and the lightness couldn't make up for the rest of the sadness for me.
The last section I enjoyed more, but there was a big chunk in the middle that dragged.
Maybe it was because I listened rather than read it.
The story follows Louisa as she breaks in to see a painting and ends up meeting her idol, who then dies and she then ends up learning the story of the painting through the artists friend.
The story was so sad that even the humour and the lightness couldn't make up for the rest of the sadness for me.
The last section I enjoyed more, but there was a big chunk in the middle that dragged.
Maybe it was because I listened rather than read it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I always find it quite difficult to rate books like this that make me feel so deeply.
This book is beautiful and perfectly captures what it’s like to grow up and be human. I really enjoyed the journey through both timelines, Backman is really a masterful storyteller. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked. My only complaint is occasionally he would repeat some phrases, which is obviously intentional, but at a point it annoyed me a bit. Some of the writing isn’t my favorite with that respect, but it likely wouldn’t bother a good majority of readers. I also suspect that listening to it highlighted those phrases a bit more than reading would have. The narration was great though! She does a wonderful job of emulating each character.
This book is beautiful and perfectly captures what it’s like to grow up and be human. I really enjoyed the journey through both timelines, Backman is really a masterful storyteller. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked. My only complaint is occasionally he would repeat some phrases, which is obviously intentional, but at a point it annoyed me a bit. Some of the writing isn’t my favorite with that respect, but it likely wouldn’t bother a good majority of readers. I also suspect that listening to it highlighted those phrases a bit more than reading would have. The narration was great though! She does a wonderful job of emulating each character.