My Friends (add-on) : Discussion Thread

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I was so so lucky and read this early with some friends. thought I'd share my thoughts just in case someone else would like to share their thoughts!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

so I'm just digging in! but OMG I'm reading this near tears THE WHOLE TIME - it's so beautiful

it's going to emotionally wreck me, I can already tell

15 chapters / 27%

(view spoiler)[ wow, these boys. I want to hug them all.
Joar - did he die or did he spend the rest of his life in jail? What happened?

Ted - it breaks my heart, how much he loved them both. but that he wanted nothing more than to be content and happy

C. Jat - The artist? Why does his signature look like a combination of the boys' initials or names or something
anyway, I was so sad when he passed. that broken Ted's heart but also broke Louise's heart

Louise - I love her. she's also had such a tough life but I love her spunk. I'm so sad about Fish

ugh, this book is so heartbreaking and I love it (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

27 chapters / 50%

we've learned so much

(view spoiler)[ so now I wonder, is the signature initials?
C - Christian (the janitor?)

J - Joar
A - Ali
T - Ted

or is the C for the artist. we still have not learned his name. . .

I love how he's interwoven so many other threads and stories. showing all the ways people connect and affect each other in little interactions and ways they bump into one another. The mother letting Louisa hold the baby, the janitor painting a wall but not white, the Owl and how cruel he was. They were in each other's lives for such a short time but they left permanent marks, good or bad.

and Louisa is hilarious! I love that she's pushing Ted's buttons but also pushing him out of his comfort zone. He's been hiding since his stabbing and I think she's giving him permission to live again (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

44 chapters / 77%

(view spoiler)[ wow, their near escape and then the mom who had their stuff - they really are getting lucky and unlucky

but you can feel, we're getting to the end. we're about to learn about Ali and Joar and how it all went down.

I'm so sad, I've learned to love them all. The imperfect parents, the taxi drivers with wise words and the small helpers (like the mom and the conductor) in the midst of such an ugly dumpster fire of a world.

I hope Ted and Louisa don't part when this is all down. they're good at being there for each other. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

and done

simply beautiful

(view spoiler)[ Once they arrived and Joar was still alive, my mouth dropped open. I never thought he would be.

and then when the story came out, it was so beautiful but heartbreaking. the way they grew up so quick, the way they had to fall apart to find themselves. How each of them were hurting and it was only through their friendship and love that they were able to stay. Ugh, the line about the main character and hero being different people - ugh, I bawled.

This was such a beautiful story (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

This is one book I could've buddy read with you! I'm so frustrated because my box STILL hasn't arrived! This month it took TOO long! It'll be a few days before ordering for June. ;(

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

awe, I'm sorry. Have they said anything about the delay yet? I've seen a few posts online that they have been working on giving people credits and resending boxes. I'm not sure what happened. . .

[Vicki]

It's okay and nothing you need to apologize for. No, they didn't notify me that I'm aware of, but I did see that now it's to be delivered between May 27 - May 29. So finally I can see my new books. I'm so glad that you loved this one so much! I plan to read it soon as I can after all my challenge books! Jeez, what did I do??? lol