Scan barcode
rjdenney's review against another edition
5.0
This has become one of my favorites of 2013.
Going into this book I was expecting from the synopsis that is was going to be morbid, funny, and weird. It was still morbid but not funny or weird. It made me sad at parts and I nearly cried at certain parts of this book. Suicide is something that hits home for me, I used to get suicidal thoughts when I was younger and one of my friends when I was thirteen shot himself because he was gay. That changed my life and I will never forget him. I liked the romance because it was realistic and wasn't insta-love and I really enjoyed Frenchie as a character. I just loved this book lol
I will talking more about this in a book thoughts video coming to my book channel very soon.
and come back to this to fill it out a bit more. I just finished this book so I need a little time to get my shit together haha
- :)
Going into this book I was expecting from the synopsis that is was going to be morbid, funny, and weird. It was still morbid but not funny or weird. It made me sad at parts and I nearly cried at certain parts of this book. Suicide is something that hits home for me, I used to get suicidal thoughts when I was younger and one of my friends when I was thirteen shot himself because he was gay. That changed my life and I will never forget him. I liked the romance because it was realistic and wasn't insta-love and I really enjoyed Frenchie as a character. I just loved this book lol
I will talking more about this in a book thoughts video coming to my book channel very soon.
and come back to this to fill it out a bit more. I just finished this book so I need a little time to get my shit together haha
- :)
aubreyw08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
haleyelisereads's review against another edition
4.0
"Nope" I say. "But I believe in assholes at first sight."~Frenchie to Colin on the topic of love at first sight
Death Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia (quite the mouthful of a title huh?) took me by surprise. Going into Death Dickinson I really wasn't sure what to expect, the premise sounded promising, but I hadn't really heard much about it. I decided even though I hadn't heard much on it, I was going to take a chance on it, and boy, am I glad I did.
No one knew that Frenchie had a crush on Andy Cooper for quite sometime. So when he dies from suicide no one knows it has turned Frenchie's world upside down and has filled her with emotions she doesn't know what to do with. No one knows that Frenchie was the last person with him before he committed suicide.
This was a very raw and touching read, Jenny Torres writes everything beautifully, while reading I really felt like I was there with Frenchie, feeling what she was feeling and wishing she would find a way out of the sea of grief she was submerged under. I flew through this book in two sittings and could not get enough of Jenny's writing. After reading Death Dickinson I plan on reading Jenny Torres's other novel The Downside of Being Charlie very soon, I am so glad to have been introduced to a new author that is so talented.
My personal favorite part of Death Dickinson, was easily Frenchie. Frenchie isn't your usual YA main character, she mysterious,artistic, and more to her self (she was also hilarious). Which is why I liked her so much, she was so different, so different than I am and so different than other YA characters are. She's unique, and bold. I found myself wishing she was someone I knew in real life. Also besides Frenchie I really liked Colin.
This is a book I suggest to anyone that is looking for a beautiful (and realistic) story on a girl going through and getting over some heavy grief. Frenchie is a character that is not the norm, but I believe she is a character alot of readers will fall in love with and have you feeling like she is real and not just a character in a book. This is a book that will tug at your heart strings, entertain, and teach you a great life lesson all in one.
Death Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia (quite the mouthful of a title huh?) took me by surprise. Going into Death Dickinson I really wasn't sure what to expect, the premise sounded promising, but I hadn't really heard much about it. I decided even though I hadn't heard much on it, I was going to take a chance on it, and boy, am I glad I did.
No one knew that Frenchie had a crush on Andy Cooper for quite sometime. So when he dies from suicide no one knows it has turned Frenchie's world upside down and has filled her with emotions she doesn't know what to do with. No one knows that Frenchie was the last person with him before he committed suicide.
This was a very raw and touching read, Jenny Torres writes everything beautifully, while reading I really felt like I was there with Frenchie, feeling what she was feeling and wishing she would find a way out of the sea of grief she was submerged under. I flew through this book in two sittings and could not get enough of Jenny's writing. After reading Death Dickinson I plan on reading Jenny Torres's other novel The Downside of Being Charlie very soon, I am so glad to have been introduced to a new author that is so talented.
My personal favorite part of Death Dickinson, was easily Frenchie. Frenchie isn't your usual YA main character, she mysterious,artistic, and more to her self (she was also hilarious). Which is why I liked her so much, she was so different, so different than I am and so different than other YA characters are. She's unique, and bold. I found myself wishing she was someone I knew in real life. Also besides Frenchie I really liked Colin.
This is a book I suggest to anyone that is looking for a beautiful (and realistic) story on a girl going through and getting over some heavy grief. Frenchie is a character that is not the norm, but I believe she is a character alot of readers will fall in love with and have you feeling like she is real and not just a character in a book. This is a book that will tug at your heart strings, entertain, and teach you a great life lesson all in one.
ashley_choo's review against another edition
After reading this book, I want to:
1) Try smoking a cigarette
2) Get a tattoo
3) Wander around a cemetery
4) Spend a meaningful night out with a friend
5) Observe more of everything
This book felt very REAL. Frenchie is definitely one of the most interesting characters I've ever had the fortune of getting to know. I like her. I like that she makes bad decisions, I like that she reads poetry that I can actually understand, and I like that she has the same problems about making friends, deciding what the hell to do with her life, expectant parents, and being quite cynical about practically everything.
I also fell deeply in love with Colin. He is positively adorable, and I want him. He's perfect for Frenchie.
1) Try smoking a cigarette
2) Get a tattoo
3) Wander around a cemetery
4) Spend a meaningful night out with a friend
5) Observe more of everything
This book felt very REAL. Frenchie is definitely one of the most interesting characters I've ever had the fortune of getting to know. I like her. I like that she makes bad decisions, I like that she reads poetry that I can actually understand, and I like that she has the same problems about making friends, deciding what the hell to do with her life, expectant parents, and being quite cynical about practically everything.
I also fell deeply in love with Colin. He is positively adorable, and I want him. He's perfect for Frenchie.
lark1010's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
menshevixen's review against another edition
3.0
Made me SUPER HOMESICK, thanks Jenny Torres Sanchez.
heather4994's review against another edition
5.0
Frenchie is obsessed with death. And she's depressed. And who wouldn't be? Her long time crush took his life after spending his last night visiting weird places with her. Does she take it personally? Did he choose to spend his last night with her because she was special? Or did she just happen to be there and had a car? What was that night all about? And how does she get past it? And why don't any of her friends see that something is wrong with her? Why are they so self involved that they can't see she's suffering? And why can't she tell them what happened?
Lots of questions, some answers. This isn't exactly an uplifting novel, but it isn't depressing. It's just a novel about life. Sometimes, s*** happens. And sometimes, you just have to figure out how to get past it and go on. Sometimes, you don't get the answers you need, but you find understanding anyway. Andy and Frenchie spent an incredible night together. They talked and laughed and she thought "Finally, he sees me. We're gonna be together." So when she wakes up the next morning, she's expecting a day full of "happy, happy, happy!" Instead, she wakes up to the news that Andy was found dead that morning. Frenchie goes from 60 to 0 in 6 seconds flat. She hits a brick wall and just can't get back up again. We follow Frenchie through her attempt to swim through her feelings of depression and confusion. She makes several huge blunders, not that everyone else smells like a rose, but Frenchie is prickly to the point of being mean and rude.
The question is, did I like Frenchie? And the answer is yes. How can I not feel for her? She's gotten the ultimate rejection whatever Andy meant it to be, for Frenchie, it feels like rejection. She thought the night with Andy meant something good was happening in her life. And Andy ended his life. And changed Frenchie's forever. She is stuck. Her application to art school was rejected. Her best friend has dumped her for a girl. She's got nothing. Except a gravestone in the cemetery down the street that bears the name "Emily Dickinson" (not THE Emily Dickinson) and music. I loved Frenchie's brutal and I do mean brutal honesty at times. I'm sure she was lashing out, but she did feel what she was saying. I like a character that doesn't mince words. She had a mother and father that were present if a little clueless. They worried about her. And I liked Colin, the bouncer at the music club that eventually helps Frenchie get through it all. I thought he was kind of creepy and lecherous at first, but he turns out to be one of the good ones.
I loved the journey, loved the characters, and I loved Jenny Sanchez's writing style. The dialogue was sharp and smart with a bit of humor, a bit of bite, and a bit of philosophical thought. Frenchie wasn't warm and fuzzy but a very believable character. The various friends are also richly developed and give even more depth to the story. The setting feels like the author lived there, is describing her old neighborhood. And the story is about growing up and moving on. Stuff happens. That's what Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is all about.
I received a copy from the publicist for review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Lots of questions, some answers. This isn't exactly an uplifting novel, but it isn't depressing. It's just a novel about life. Sometimes, s*** happens. And sometimes, you just have to figure out how to get past it and go on. Sometimes, you don't get the answers you need, but you find understanding anyway. Andy and Frenchie spent an incredible night together. They talked and laughed and she thought "Finally, he sees me. We're gonna be together." So when she wakes up the next morning, she's expecting a day full of "happy, happy, happy!" Instead, she wakes up to the news that Andy was found dead that morning. Frenchie goes from 60 to 0 in 6 seconds flat. She hits a brick wall and just can't get back up again. We follow Frenchie through her attempt to swim through her feelings of depression and confusion. She makes several huge blunders, not that everyone else smells like a rose, but Frenchie is prickly to the point of being mean and rude.
The question is, did I like Frenchie? And the answer is yes. How can I not feel for her? She's gotten the ultimate rejection whatever Andy meant it to be, for Frenchie, it feels like rejection. She thought the night with Andy meant something good was happening in her life. And Andy ended his life. And changed Frenchie's forever. She is stuck. Her application to art school was rejected. Her best friend has dumped her for a girl. She's got nothing. Except a gravestone in the cemetery down the street that bears the name "Emily Dickinson" (not THE Emily Dickinson) and music. I loved Frenchie's brutal and I do mean brutal honesty at times. I'm sure she was lashing out, but she did feel what she was saying. I like a character that doesn't mince words. She had a mother and father that were present if a little clueless. They worried about her. And I liked Colin, the bouncer at the music club that eventually helps Frenchie get through it all. I thought he was kind of creepy and lecherous at first, but he turns out to be one of the good ones.
I loved the journey, loved the characters, and I loved Jenny Sanchez's writing style. The dialogue was sharp and smart with a bit of humor, a bit of bite, and a bit of philosophical thought. Frenchie wasn't warm and fuzzy but a very believable character. The various friends are also richly developed and give even more depth to the story. The setting feels like the author lived there, is describing her old neighborhood. And the story is about growing up and moving on. Stuff happens. That's what Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is all about.
I received a copy from the publicist for review. The opinions expressed are my own.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I was inclined to enjoy this book because Emily Dickinson has been one of my favorite poets for as long as I can remember. Frenchie really clinched it though. I was drawn into her emotional struggles. She has a snappy humor, but she is stuck in a dark place that she is struggling to escape even as she wants to just give up the fight. In spite of the dark subject matter, Sanchez provides enough humor to keep the reader periodically smiling and laughing. There is a lot in this book that inspires deep thinking. It is one that I will be recommending and will likely re-read.
Review originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2014/01/first-book-of-year-2014.html
Review originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2014/01/first-book-of-year-2014.html
richardsonjulie831's review against another edition
emotional
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
kt15's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75