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halieghkai's review
4.0
The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a Gothic Historical Mystery that shattered my heart and sedated it at once like laudanum.
Set in the 1800s' we follow a formerly enslaved woman named Frannie, taken from the island of Jamaica and brought to London against her will, where one night, she wakes up at the center of a crime scene and is accused of a murder she has no memory of...
In Frannie Lagton's words, "This is a story about love, not just murder.” The story sheds light on the disenfranchisement of women from all walks of life in that era, regardless of skin colour, sexuality, and class.
The mystery unravels within each chapter the more Frannie writes her confessionals in a manuscript that compels you to read for the truth.
And the more I read, the more I rooted for her.
The story is written in the second person where Frannie is on trial as she confesses to us, the readers, which at times feels intimate because it is all her secrets and shame about her past in Jamaica. I appreciated that section of the book as it humanizes her.
I, however, felt the complete opposite for her love interest, Marguerite. The love interest —in my humble opinion, was too reckless, and Frannie always came to the rescue with her hero complex. But I can't entirely dismiss Marguerite as she and Frannie's circumstances intertwined with their fates contorted at the hands of men. So naturally, their bond explored beyond restrictions in ways that were both harmful and heartfelt.
"When I think of her, it’s with the kind of love that makes murder seem a lie.”
There were quotable moments in this book, as well as upsetting historical references based on Eugenics that encouraged the dehumanization of Black people. Sara Collins poured fury into this book enough to reason with Frannie's resentment from betrayal.
The more I read the story, the more scared I became due to the expected outcome, simply because of how much I adored the character Frannie.
Her resilience was no match to her white counterparts as long as her words struck a nerve, and it almost always did.
Sara Collins did an immaculate job at not telling us a lot too soon— the pace was just right. And to think this was her debut novel makes this all the more fascinating. Not once I felt bored of reading.
My only critique is that the mystery was more about the WHYdunit than the WHOdunit, so set your expectation on the primary interest of the motivation rather than the identity of the criminal.
If you adore sapphic historical literature through the eyes of a resilient lead, this tale about how much one will strive to attain a measure of happiness, is for you.
Set in the 1800s' we follow a formerly enslaved woman named Frannie, taken from the island of Jamaica and brought to London against her will, where one night, she wakes up at the center of a crime scene and is accused of a murder she has no memory of...
In Frannie Lagton's words, "This is a story about love, not just murder.” The story sheds light on the disenfranchisement of women from all walks of life in that era, regardless of skin colour, sexuality, and class.
The mystery unravels within each chapter the more Frannie writes her confessionals in a manuscript that compels you to read for the truth.
And the more I read, the more I rooted for her.
The story is written in the second person where Frannie is on trial as she confesses to us, the readers, which at times feels intimate because it is all her secrets and shame about her past in Jamaica. I appreciated that section of the book as it humanizes her.
I, however, felt the complete opposite for her love interest, Marguerite. The love interest —in my humble opinion, was too reckless, and Frannie always came to the rescue with her hero complex. But I can't entirely dismiss Marguerite as she and Frannie's circumstances intertwined with their fates contorted at the hands of men. So naturally, their bond explored beyond restrictions in ways that were both harmful and heartfelt.
"When I think of her, it’s with the kind of love that makes murder seem a lie.”
There were quotable moments in this book, as well as upsetting historical references based on Eugenics that encouraged the dehumanization of Black people. Sara Collins poured fury into this book enough to reason with Frannie's resentment from betrayal.
The more I read the story, the more scared I became due to the expected outcome, simply because of how much I adored the character Frannie.
Her resilience was no match to her white counterparts as long as her words struck a nerve, and it almost always did.
Sara Collins did an immaculate job at not telling us a lot too soon— the pace was just right. And to think this was her debut novel makes this all the more fascinating. Not once I felt bored of reading.
My only critique is that the mystery was more about the WHYdunit than the WHOdunit, so set your expectation on the primary interest of the motivation rather than the identity of the criminal.
If you adore sapphic historical literature through the eyes of a resilient lead, this tale about how much one will strive to attain a measure of happiness, is for you.
zachnachazel's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t know why, but I just didn’t enjoy this book. Not 100% certain why I finished it. I also have no reason as to why I didn’t enjoy it. I can see why so many people loved it, it just wasn’t for me.
flaviadeer's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mollyss's review
2.0
I honestly really really struggled to read this. Started it over a month ago and truly was skipping through at the end. I feel like it was meant to be an intellectual book but the writing felt over the top to me and meant that lots of the story was lit in insane amount of random detail. Sad because I loved Sara Collins at the booker prize event but this book was not it lol
sandiet's review
2.0
I first started this book as a lightning loan from the library and got to about 50% before it automagically disappeared from my tablet. It became available again earlier this week and I have to say the last 50% was sorely disappointing. Failed to capture my interest and I found myself turning to other books when I got bored. Lots of people have reviewed this favourably, I however am not enamoured.
dnietoperafan's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely devoured this book. Collins has an amazing way of keeping you hooked with multiple small mysteries throughout the novel. Not only has our main character potentially murdered two people, there’s also a mystery surrounding her parentage, the things she did in Paradise, other characters’ relationships, etc.
I’m not going to lie, Frannie was such a well constructed character. The way that the novel is constructed in letters to her lawyer, and testimonies, gives the reader in-depth knowledge of what goes inside her head, and other characters’ perceptions of her. I really enjoyed the prose, and the ease in which my eyes floated on the pages. It was effortless.
I loved the way in which nothing is sugar-coated: slavery, sapphic sex, sex work, affairs. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. Made me feel sick at points, and I say that in the most respectful way. I really do admire Collins, her writing, and this novel. I’m definitely looking for more of her works.
I’m not going to lie, Frannie was such a well constructed character. The way that the novel is constructed in letters to her lawyer, and testimonies, gives the reader in-depth knowledge of what goes inside her head, and other characters’ perceptions of her. I really enjoyed the prose, and the ease in which my eyes floated on the pages. It was effortless.
I loved the way in which nothing is sugar-coated: slavery, sapphic sex, sex work, affairs. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read. Made me feel sick at points, and I say that in the most respectful way. I really do admire Collins, her writing, and this novel. I’m definitely looking for more of her works.
kjgeiger's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kirkcarp's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jess_mango's review
4.0
Powerful novel about Frannie Langton, a woman who grew up in Jamaica as a house slave on a sugar plantation. As a young adult, her master moved with her to London where she was "free" yet was given to a family friend to work as a servant in their home. Frannie was taught to read and write by her master while in Jamaica which makes her even more of an oddity in London: a black woman who can read.
The novel is told in a series of letters that Frannie is writing from prison. She is jailed after being accused of the double murder of her employers. The murder is a big scandal and London papers avidly cover the case accusing Frannie of being a witch, a whore, and more.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a twisty thrilling read that was deeper than other thrillers due to the exploration of race and class. Frannie is a strong lead female character that was oppressed due to her race, class, and gender. I highly recommend this book!
The novel is told in a series of letters that Frannie is writing from prison. She is jailed after being accused of the double murder of her employers. The murder is a big scandal and London papers avidly cover the case accusing Frannie of being a witch, a whore, and more.
I really enjoyed this one. It was a twisty thrilling read that was deeper than other thrillers due to the exploration of race and class. Frannie is a strong lead female character that was oppressed due to her race, class, and gender. I highly recommend this book!