My FriendsMy Friends
What it's about
A famous painting shows a group of teenagers on a pier by the sea one summer long ago. Louisa, a lonely teenager with a gift for art and nowhere to belong, is obsessed with it, and when she unexpectedly crosses paths with one of the friends in that painting, she sets out to learn the story behind it: a summer of friendship, loyalty and loss that made the young artist who painted it.
Why it's worth reading
It's Fredrik Backman at his most heartfelt: funny, sad and full of love for misfits and the friends who save them. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
The Correspondent, Remarkably Bright Creatures or The Book Thief
Good to know
It moves between past and present and deals with abuse, poverty and grief. Have tissues ready.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 40%+36
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%+0
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+24
- Buzz59 out of 100 · counts 15%+10
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.
Goodreads Choice (fiction) winner (2025). #1 New York Times bestseller (1 week at #1). 4.30★ from 643K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #11 of the 209 literary novels we rank
- #28 of the 219 new books we rank
- #101 of the 1,404 books we rank
Won
- Goodreads Choice (fiction) winner (2025)
Bestseller
- #1 New York Times bestseller (1 week at #1)
- 30 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2024
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
James
Demon Copperhead
The Correspondent
Remarkably Bright Creatures
My Friends
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois