Books & Audiobooks
Not since Amor Towle’s Lincoln Highway have I found myself so emotionally drawn into a story about teenagers, a period of one’s life when impulse control in the prefrontal cortex of the brain is still in development. Fredrik Backman’s new novel, My Friends, is a testament to the beauty and the beast of being a teenager and the significant impact family and friends can have on young souls.
The heart of the story takes place during two years in the teenaged lives of four inseparable friends: Ted, Joar, Ali and the Artist. Bound by their brokenness, they are tied to each other with an unconditional love that provides a security net for each and every one of them. Backman brilliantly pulls you into the heart and soul of these damaged kids and gives the reader a front row seat into the well-meaning but not well thought out shenanigans that they get themselves into. Woven through the hijinks is an emotional and philosophical thread that intensifies the deep connection between the teens, deepening the sense of character connection for the reader.
This is a book that will stay with me for some time. So many interwoven themes … love, forgiveness, self-acceptance, courage, loyalty, trust, wisdom. While I wouldn’t have wanted to have lived in their shoes, I admit to being a little envious of the incredible family these kids built with each other.