Book Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman

“Joar tried to save everyone he loved. It was like he knew he had a clock inside him, counting down to destruction, so he was in a hurry to fix everything for… all of us.”

Fredrik Backman, My Friends

Review:

How do I even begin talking about my experience reading this book? How am I going to sum up all of my thoughts and feelings in a few short paragraphs? All while avoiding spoilers! 

For Louisa, it starts with a postcard. That postcard brings her to an auction on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Getting thrown out of that auction changes her life. For Ted, he’s just trying to go home. But sometimes home is with your people rather than a place. Instead of his people, he gets stuck with Louisa. 

Twenty-five years before, there was a group of friends that inspired one of the most famous paintings in the world. To most people, the people rich enough to afford it, it’s the ocean. But people like Louisa are able to see the laughter. Now it’s up to Ted to tell her the story.

I loved all of the characters so much. Their highs and lows felt so real. Their loyalty to each other? Unmatched. Despite their varying personalities, there’s a quality that binds them. As the reader, I felt drawn into the group myself, even if just as a quiet observer. The setting also added a layer of desperation. These friends are growing up in various forms of suffocation, and yet they find a little bit of freedom by the sea (and with each other).

There is so much more to this book. I could write a complete essay about it and yet I’m finding myself at a loss for words. How Fredrik Backman was able to capture the entire essence of childhood summers through words on a page, I will never know. But he did it. And I’m so glad. I have no idea how any book is going to top this one for me this year, if ever.

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The characters!!!
• Amazing pacing with the dual timeline.
• Immersive writing.
• The range of emotions.
• Everything???

What I didn’t like:

• I’m not a fart joke kind of person and there were a lot of them.

Afterthoughts:

Shoutout to throneofpages for convincing me to buy the hardcover edition of this book instead of the audio. I can’t imagine not annotating this book. (This was also her Patreon group read!)

Where to buy the book: