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qu33nofbookz's review against another edition
1.0
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book affected me and not in a good way.
This was more of a character study than a story. And to be frank I didn't care much for them or what was going on. Mimi Banning a famous but reclusive author with a one hit wonder is trying to write another book. To do so she calls her editor who is about to be let go from the publishing firm he works at because she hasn't written anything in years for an assistant. But really what she wants is a live-in slave for her son Frank. So Alice an assistant to the editor is sent off to help because she is good with computers, for Mimi's needs and she has a tiny bit of child care experience in the form of a teaching assistant for Frank. (This part is hard to believe since Alice got a degree in accounting and a minor in art not anything in education or child care or psychology. Yet a private school hires her to be a kindergarten assistant with zero experience then promotes her to a 3rd-grade math teacher in a pinch all before age 24? Nope not buying that in the least. A private school is not going to hire anyone without a teaching degree or any experience.)
Even before she arrives she and the editor gossip about Mimi and Frank and he implies she spy on them. From then on Alice seems to be like a gossip columnist asking and snooping around to find out all the details about Mimi and Frank. She keeps a journal about it. She is vastly inexperienced in her capability to take care of Frank, since Mimi locks herself in her room almost 24/7. She does everything but help Mimi with her book which Mimi most likely isn't actually writing.
Frank is a little tyrant who must be on the autism spectrum scale. He throws tantrums if you touch him or his things or don't do what he wants. (I don't think this kid has had the word no said to him at all). He hurts himself when upset or occasionally others. He has no concept that other people exist and have feelings other then to annoy him or do what he wants but again without any empathy. All the while he spouts off facts he has memorized about old classic movies and any time from before the 1960's. It's like he swallowed a bunch of encyclopedias and just spits up random facts at odd times. He dresses from the time period of the golden age of cinema too. He needs a lot of care and seems to be calling out for help in his own way since it is assumed Mimi spends little time with him and they don't socialize at all. He has zero social skills but yet he attends a private school where he is still a tiny terror but everyone just accepts it. (I don't. Under law they would have to report what is going on in some of the situations mentioned or the parents of other kids would do something about him since his mom and the teachers won't.) Later Alice and Frank's male role model the sometimes handyman/piano player who shows up now and again let him skip school all together because he can't handle wearing regular clothes to school. (Okay I don't know what private schools are like in LA but where I live all private schools have uniforms or a strict dress code. How is Frank still able to wear what he wears which make him a target for bullies as all the teachers and later new principal point out.)
Mimi has mental health issues of her own which she won't address and point out it runs in the family. She does have Frank going to a therapist on occasion but it doesn't seem to be doing anyone any good. She's a doormat for Frank who is a replacement for her brother who committed suicide in front of her a long time ago. But if she isn't bowing to his whims she leaves him to run wild. She knows he has issues and needs help but won't do so besides the odd psychologist visits. You can be unique and individual while getting mental help but she doesn't see it that way and both she and Frank suffer for it.
Xander, a man who looks just like Mimi's dead brother is their sometimes handyman and Frank's piano teacher. He is a little boy in an adult's body who has a ton of mental issues of his own. He is half dependant on Mimi and Frank as they are to him. He breezes in and out of their lives whenever the mood strikes.
All in all I did not care for this book. I didn't like the characters that much and the situation they are in appalls me and nothing really happened. There was no character growth, no emotional revelations, no inner or outer turmoil/struggle to be over come, and the characters' situations didn't change much.
This book affected me and not in a good way.
This was more of a character study than a story. And to be frank I didn't care much for them or what was going on. Mimi Banning a famous but reclusive author with a one hit wonder is trying to write another book. To do so she calls her editor who is about to be let go from the publishing firm he works at because she hasn't written anything in years for an assistant. But really what she wants is a live-in slave for her son Frank. So Alice an assistant to the editor is sent off to help because she is good with computers, for Mimi's needs and she has a tiny bit of child care experience in the form of a teaching assistant for Frank. (This part is hard to believe since Alice got a degree in accounting and a minor in art not anything in education or child care or psychology. Yet a private school hires her to be a kindergarten assistant with zero experience then promotes her to a 3rd-grade math teacher in a pinch all before age 24? Nope not buying that in the least. A private school is not going to hire anyone without a teaching degree or any experience.)
Even before she arrives she and the editor gossip about Mimi and Frank and he implies she spy on them. From then on Alice seems to be like a gossip columnist asking and snooping around to find out all the details about Mimi and Frank. She keeps a journal about it. She is vastly inexperienced in her capability to take care of Frank, since Mimi locks herself in her room almost 24/7. She does everything but help Mimi with her book which Mimi most likely isn't actually writing.
Frank is a little tyrant who must be on the autism spectrum scale. He throws tantrums if you touch him or his things or don't do what he wants. (I don't think this kid has had the word no said to him at all). He hurts himself when upset or occasionally others. He has no concept that other people exist and have feelings other then to annoy him or do what he wants but again without any empathy. All the while he spouts off facts he has memorized about old classic movies and any time from before the 1960's. It's like he swallowed a bunch of encyclopedias and just spits up random facts at odd times. He dresses from the time period of the golden age of cinema too. He needs a lot of care and seems to be calling out for help in his own way since it is assumed Mimi spends little time with him and they don't socialize at all. He has zero social skills but yet he attends a private school where he is still a tiny terror but everyone just accepts it. (I don't. Under law they would have to report what is going on in some of the situations mentioned or the parents of other kids would do something about him since his mom and the teachers won't.) Later Alice and Frank's male role model the sometimes handyman/piano player who shows up now and again let him skip school all together because he can't handle wearing regular clothes to school. (Okay I don't know what private schools are like in LA but where I live all private schools have uniforms or a strict dress code. How is Frank still able to wear what he wears which make him a target for bullies as all the teachers and later new principal point out.)
Mimi has mental health issues of her own which she won't address and point out it runs in the family. She does have Frank going to a therapist on occasion but it doesn't seem to be doing anyone any good. She's a doormat for Frank who is a replacement for her brother who committed suicide in front of her a long time ago. But if she isn't bowing to his whims she leaves him to run wild. She knows he has issues and needs help but won't do so besides the odd psychologist visits. You can be unique and individual while getting mental help but she doesn't see it that way and both she and Frank suffer for it.
Xander, a man who looks just like Mimi's dead brother is their sometimes handyman and Frank's piano teacher. He is a little boy in an adult's body who has a ton of mental issues of his own. He is half dependant on Mimi and Frank as they are to him. He breezes in and out of their lives whenever the mood strikes.
All in all I did not care for this book. I didn't like the characters that much and the situation they are in appalls me and nothing really happened. There was no character growth, no emotional revelations, no inner or outer turmoil/struggle to be over come, and the characters' situations didn't change much.
debs4jc's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this one - mostly because I fell in love with Frank! He's not the one who tells the story though, that's Alice, who comes into Frank's life when she assigned to assist his mother with her latest book project. Frank's mother just happens to be M.M. "Mimi" Banning - a reclusive author who wrote a highly acclaimed bestselling novel years ago and hasn't published a book since. After years of silence she contacted her publisher - the firm Alice works for - and said she was ready to publish another book. So Alice, who has never traveled outside of New York, is sent off to Mimi's California home thinking she will be helping her to type up her manuscripts. Except Mimi never shows her what's she's working on. Instead she put's Alice in charge of managing Frank. Frank turns out to the the most unusual 9 year old Alice has ever met. He dresses like a 1930's movie star and he's obsessed with old films. He throws a fit if certain rules of his are broken. He hardly ever sleeps. He hints at past family secrets that Alice longs to uncover the truth about. As Alice gets to know this eccentric mother and son and learns how to navigate their world, she learns a lot about her self and her strengths and limitations. But most of all she learns what it means to love and be needed by someone who isn't always easy to love - and that's what really touched me about this book.
Also, I listened to this and Tavia Gilbert, the narrator, did an amazing job of capturing Frank's voice in just right way. Her vocal interpretation of all the characters was so spot on and really helped to bring Frank and this story to life. I'd highly recommend this version!
Also, I listened to this and Tavia Gilbert, the narrator, did an amazing job of capturing Frank's voice in just right way. Her vocal interpretation of all the characters was so spot on and really helped to bring Frank and this story to life. I'd highly recommend this version!
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
I'll be frank with you -- I loved this book! Imagine a famous, reclusive author, Mimi(a la Harper Lee). Imagine her with a 10 year old son, Frank. Frank is likely 'on the spectrum' with a prodigious vocabulary, impeccable style and a tendency to cause disasters both great and small. Author Mimi needs cash and she can't write and care for Frank at the same time. Enter Alice - a young woman who can 'out-Pollyanna Pollyanna.' The next few months, as written by Alice, are both tender and hilarious. This laugh-out-loud read will be published in Feb. 2016.
squirrelsohno's review against another edition
3.0
It was cute and all, but it was basically about a girl babysitting an autistic boy who dresses like Karl Lagerfeld while his mother is Harper Lee living in LA in 2010.
In bonus points, Frank and I have the same birthday.
In bonus points, Frank and I have the same birthday.
lamom77's review against another edition
4.0
What a great story, but so hard to sum up what it was about. Very similar in storyline to [b:Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|31434883|Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine|Gail Honeyman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493724347s/31434883.jpg|47327681]. Loved the ending, but would have liked more, and loved the character development. A special shout out to the narrator of the audiobook, Tavia Gilbert, she really brought Frank's character to life and made me love him more than I think I would have if I had read the book rather than listened to it.
libraryladys's review against another edition
5.0
(I listened to the audio version of the book and loved the speaker's voice.)
How could you not love a book featuring a 10 year old with a flair for Pith helmets and smoking jackets? Alice is an assistant to an editor in NY. After receiving a call from MM Bahning, author of a wildly popular book published over 2o years ago, Alice is dispatched to California to oversee the writing of her new book. "Oversee" includes taking care of Frank, Bahning's son.
How could you not love a book featuring a 10 year old with a flair for Pith helmets and smoking jackets? Alice is an assistant to an editor in NY. After receiving a call from MM Bahning, author of a wildly popular book published over 2o years ago, Alice is dispatched to California to oversee the writing of her new book. "Oversee" includes taking care of Frank, Bahning's son.
cassandralovesfeta's review against another edition
3.0
The last 100 pages saves this novel and Frank finally gets a little more depth. Predictable and a lack of character development makes this novel hard to recommend.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
To be rated/reviewed after this month's book club mtg
I was completely charmed by 9-year old Frank, the son of the reclusive author M.M. "Mimi" Banning, whose debut novel won wild acclaim. After falling for a ponzi scheme, Mimi is flat broke and must write a new book -- her first in decades -- to recover some of her losses. Mimi's publisher has sent an assistant, Alice, to monitor Mimi's progress and is quickly assigned by Mimi to serve as a full-time companion to the eccentric Frank. Frank has the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, very little in common with his fellow fourth graders, and has a non-stop, creative mind. The story is more about Frank and the relationship that is forged between Frank and Alice than the mysterious Mimi. While the novel is told from Alice's point of view, the reader feels just as much affection for young Frank and cannot help but cheer for him to maintain his unique spirit. This one reminded me a bit of [b:Where'd You Go, Bernadette|13526165|Where'd You Go, Bernadette|Maria Semple|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1338822317s/13526165.jpg|17626728], which I loved, because of the memorable, quirky characters. I was curious to see how the story would unfold. While the ending was not necessarily tidy, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and getting to know Frank.
In addition to being a book club read, I decided to use this for the 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge -- it will either be for the basic prompt "book with a title that's a character's name" or the advanced prompt "a book with an eccentric character." I'll settle once I read another book that fits one of those categories, but am leaning towards using it for the advanced prompt since Mimi and Frank are both pretty eccentric...but in the best possible way :)
I was completely charmed by 9-year old Frank, the son of the reclusive author M.M. "Mimi" Banning, whose debut novel won wild acclaim. After falling for a ponzi scheme, Mimi is flat broke and must write a new book -- her first in decades -- to recover some of her losses. Mimi's publisher has sent an assistant, Alice, to monitor Mimi's progress and is quickly assigned by Mimi to serve as a full-time companion to the eccentric Frank. Frank has the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, very little in common with his fellow fourth graders, and has a non-stop, creative mind. The story is more about Frank and the relationship that is forged between Frank and Alice than the mysterious Mimi. While the novel is told from Alice's point of view, the reader feels just as much affection for young Frank and cannot help but cheer for him to maintain his unique spirit. This one reminded me a bit of [b:Where'd You Go, Bernadette|13526165|Where'd You Go, Bernadette|Maria Semple|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1338822317s/13526165.jpg|17626728], which I loved, because of the memorable, quirky characters. I was curious to see how the story would unfold. While the ending was not necessarily tidy, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale and getting to know Frank.
In addition to being a book club read, I decided to use this for the 2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge -- it will either be for the basic prompt "book with a title that's a character's name" or the advanced prompt "a book with an eccentric character." I'll settle once I read another book that fits one of those categories, but am leaning towards using it for the advanced prompt since Mimi and Frank are both pretty eccentric...but in the best possible way :)
sohxpie's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness. What an amazing book! It was so beautifully written and captivating and the story was simply wonderful. I never quite knew where the story was going next but it wasn't overly tense or dramatic, it was just perfect. I have read some strong stories in the past and this is definitely near the top of the list. The characterisation was fantastic, the characters personalities were brilliantly written. It sounds clichéd but I couldn't put this book down yet I wanted to savour reading it for as long as possible. I expected to enjoy this novel but not as much as I did. Definitely going to recommend it to as many people as I can.
btronix's review against another edition
4.0
Not my usual style of book but I really liked this. Very sweet and engaging