A review by ckkurata529
My Friends by Fredrik Backman

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This is a hard one to rate because this author has a skill of making deep emotional moments both deeply felt and also humorous. At times, this story felt too much like trauma porn, but maybe that's because it centers children (adolescents) with entirely negligent adults, normalizing the abuse and mental health issues they are each/all facing. Then there are some plot choices that seemed unnecessary to try and mislead the reader, which I found tedious and gimmicky. But there were also parts that made me tear up and beautiful connections between art and life and friendship.