**Thank you to Atria Books and Fredrik Backman for the book, given to me in exchange for my honest review.**

I've been a Fredrik Backman fan for a long time. Longer than I've been reviewing books, that's for sure. So when I received this advanced reader copy, I was thrilled. I will try to go into this review unbiased for the sake of those readings this post.

The story follows a group of children who are growing up in a not so great part of town with varying not so great circumstances. Their story is told through the memories of those of were there from a future vantage point, looking backward.

THEMES: What does success look like when no one believes you have any potential? What does growth look like when you're expected to die before you're 30? What does it mean to love when no one deems you worthy? What is a friend and friendship and does it follow any rules or patterns?

LIT ELEMENTS: Of course Fredrik Backman is going to give you all of the character development that you need. You love/hate/relate all throughout this book. The imagery and plot pacing are immaculate. Much of this story revolves around a painting, and I can see that painting vividly in my mind as if I saw it in person.

VIBES: This book give you all the feels. I am about to be 40 on Thursday, and I was right there with these kids - wasting the days away in the ocean, falling in and out of love, realizing that yours is not the only perspective that matters. Despite their poor circumstances, these kids were still able to find joy in being fifteen. It made me want to be fifteen again, see my friends from those years again, and fall in love for the first time again.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of well written contemporary literature, who is looking for a nostalgic experience, or who enjoys a hard earned happily ever after.