7.22k reviews for:

My Friends

Fredrik Backman

4.54 AVERAGE

bookfox90's review

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-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

snakery_snackery's review

4.0

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring 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

britt__nichole's review

4.0

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted 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

katrina_w's review

4.5

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

baileypedersen's review against another edition

2.5

emotional hopeful reflective 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: Yes

katiebug503's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

shanicepilky's review against another edition

4.75

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

donna_hc94's review

4.5

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

amberxreads's review

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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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My first Frederik Backman book and it certainly won’t be the last.

This was a story full of grief and nostalgia, but it was still so beautiful and full of hope. I saw an interview with the author where he said that he writes like he’s telling a story to a friend at the bar, and that couldn’t be more true. It feels like you’re sitting with a friend as they’re telling you all the outrageous stories from their childhood friend group. The characters are witty, sincere, passionate in trying to find ways to express their love for one another. It’s so wholesome.

Louisa is caught breaking in to an art auction to see her very favorite painting, one that’s gotten her through the struggles of the foster system, missing her mom, and the loss of her best friend - because art is amazing like that. Through the chaos of getting caught, she makes two unexpected friends, and embarks on an adventure with one of them. Ted tells her the story of his most beloved friends, sharing in Louisa’s grief and cracking her distant, skeptical shell along the way, as she does the same to him. They form a unique friendship as she falls for his old friends through his storytelling. It’s nostalgic and heartbreaking and yet somehow heart-mending all at once. The parallels drawn between Louisa and each of Ted’s friends are subtle yet powerful and it feels like coming home… “I found one of us.” 

graceisbookedandbusy's review

3.75

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced