Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Le confessioni di Frannie Langton

"No one knows the worst thing they are capable of until they do it."

Collins really put in the work to research and present a story that explored more than just plantation life and what it meant for slaves. That Frannie was chosen as a test subject by two white planters to see how far they could stretch and assess her intelligence. Using her as their instrument of torture against her own in a macabre dance of discovery to prove unfounded and incorrect perceptions about Black bodies.

We move from the plantation in Jamaica where Frannie is nothing more than a way for both Langton and his wife to exercise their spite and hateful beliefs to the manor of Benham and his madame where she is yet again positioned as a piece for either to use. Here, Frannie falls for the beautiful mistress of the house, ignoring all the signs that here lies her destruction and end.

These phases of her life are told to the reader by Frannie as she awaits trial for murder. Slowly, we uncover just what took place in the coachouse and how Frannie felt as she committed these unspeakable acts to how she maneuvered between a spoilt and depressed white woman and the man who wants to control both their lives.

A really well-written debut.

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kiarabouyea's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed this overall. I felt it was going to be predictable but it tended to surprise me! I like how much historical research went into making this book.

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clara_mai's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a very dark, slow historical gothic written in the form of a confessional text by Frannie Langton, who has been accused of murdering her mistress and is now being tried in court in London. She tells her life story, growing up enslaved on a farm called Paradise in Jamaica and later being taken to London to work for another rich family. As her account progresses, she reveals more and more of the sinister things she was forced to partake in in Jamaica. Both of the men who she has to work for carry extremely racist scientific beliefs, and Frannie plays a role in their experiments. In London, Frannie and Marguerite, the madame of the house, develop feelings for each other and start in affair, that leads to a very complicated and heartbreaking lovestory and some great steamy scenes.
Overall, this is very suspenseful and well done in terms of mystery, although there are some points that drag on for a bit too long. Through a writing style rich in similes invoking food, nature and darkness a lush atmosphere is created. As the form is allowing Frannie to tell her own story, questions of external vs. internal perception and harmful narratives are discussed in a thought-provoking and challenging way throughout the book.

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flashandoutbreak's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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weird_but_fucking_beautiful's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

The Confessions of Frannie Langton was my pick for my 52 in 52 prompt: book by a Caribbean author. Author Sara Collins slowly submerges you into the harsh unforgiving world of a young mulatto slave girl named Frannie. First impressions of Frannie is that she is an unreliable narrator trying to avoid a murder charge by writing her memories leading up to the charge in question as best as she recalls.. The mystery surrounding her time at the Langton’s and Benham’s fuels the narrative, but it is its underlying sense of foreboding that runs like a bleeding vein to the heart of the story. The 60% mark begins the unraveling. The free fall is delicious yet heartbreaking mix of truth, outrage, and despair. The injustices Frannie and the slaves at the plantation suffer due to the self serving whims of white men is both horrifying and reprehensible. Frannie’s disregard for social distinction, gender, and race mixed with her vulnerability and desires captures the innate essence of what we should all aspire to. Her addiction, helplessness, and subsequent guilt all combine to portray an all too real struggle. Ultimately though it is her “love” that proves to be both her saving grace and her fatal downfall.

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summerfireflies's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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becca9849's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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micasreads's review against another edition

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TW: Slavery, Drug Use, Murder, Toxic Relationships, Racism, Grief, Death, Addiction…there are more.

Frannie Langton is fighting for her life. As a housemaid in London, she sits in front of the judge and jury as they decide whether she murdered her master and mistress when found sleeping next to her mistress with blood on her hands. The problem is she won't give her attorney any information to help save her life. While sitting in her cell, she begins writing a letter to her attorney explaining her past, how she ended up in London, the secrets she could tell no one, and eventually…what happened that night.

This was a historical fiction of a different kind. While most of this genre is based on a real-life person or place, this was based on a specific period of time with a completely made-up storyline. It is also a terrific murder mystery that leaves you wondering exactly what happened in that bedroom in London until the very end. This was a good slow read that allowed me to go back in time and read about what life could be like during such a terrible time in history. Please keep in mind that this is a very difficult read and there should be many trigger warnings for this book so please read with care.

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