Reviews

Frankly in Love - Francamente... l'amore mi spezza by David Yoon

shylaja_vijendren's review against another edition

4.0

This book is about less fake dating (as stated in trailer) a lot about self discovery. I did not expect anything from it so I enjoyed, though I have a couple problem. And Q for the win!

trappedinfandomland's review against another edition

emotional funny slow-paced

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

1.75

I feel like I am just not the target audience for this book. It was cute at times but super cringe and I really had to force myself to finish it. 

beccabumgarner's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

alykat_reads's review against another edition

medium-paced

2.5

This was alright. It's a YA that covers a lot of deep topics - racism, cheating, a shooting, death. It is YA but it doesn't handle some of these topics well at all. 

Frank just wasn't a very likeable or relatable character. He was a little strange, but nothing super unlikeable during the first half or so.. His getting a crush on Brit and the pact between him and Joy to fake date so they could both see their respective partners their parents don't approve of was enjoyable. It was typical high school in-love-after-a-week type of love, which whatever.. Brit made him laugh, made him feel like he could be himself (minus being able to tell his parents he was dating her), etc, etc..

However, after only a few text exchanges, he's all of a sudden head over heels for Joy within a week.. because she made him laugh, made him feel like he could be himself.. wait, where have we heard this before..? Nothing bad really even happened between him and Brit, besides him hiding her from his parents and him not being able to tell her that. He then cheats on her with Joy and within a day they are "in love"? Ew. He got very unlikeable very quickly at this point and never had a redeeming moment. Both relationships were flimsy at best and I didn't feel the chemistry between either one. Also Brit was cast aside as a character after that, briefly mentioned here a couple times, but it was weird since she had class with Frank. 

I also really did not like the way the Hannah storyline shook out. The author really could have done something impactful with that, with the dad having cancer and having pushed his daughter out of their lives for years all because she married a black man. Instead, he "tied it up" within just a sentence of "we are so ashamed we did that" a few days before the dad dies and THATS IT. Not even when he found out he had less than 6 months to live and that he could try to make up for lost time.. but instead they wait until a few days before he died. This was frustrating beyond the max. 

I feel this could have been a much more powerful book had a few storylines got tied up in a different way, and if Frank could have had some 'come-to-Jesus' moments and done some self-reflection and growing. There was some growth in his relationship with his parents, but still not enough where he could ever call them out on their blatant racism against anyone who wasn't Korean. 

sp1derpr1ncess's review against another edition

3.0

brit deserved better!!! I would love to read a story about her and how Frank’s cheating affected her.

alibrareads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

The fake-dating portion of this book takes up only the first half, after which it gets pretty real and melancholy at times. This isn’t what I would call a happily-ever-after book, but it is relatable and raw and a snapshot of one stretch of time in a Korean-American teeanger’s life dealing with love, his future, and his relationship to a culture he wasn’t born in but influences everything he does through his parents.

It was unceremonious a lot of the time. Frank experiences something, and then suddenly it is in the past, and time goes on. Someone who was your everything suddenly becomes a stranger you once knew, someone you thought was just an acquaintance turns into someone you love in the blink of an eye, conversations are full of feeling and subtext and history while the words themselves are mundane.

This had more to say than I thought it would, even if it is just that life is complicated, and it changes, and hearts change, and people change, but sometimes they don’t, and then it just keeps going, and you’re off to experience the next thing. In the end it was ultimately hopeful: life goes on.

I wouldn’t read this if you’re specifically wanting just a light-hearted teenage romance, because this was heavier than the bright colorful cover makes it look. But it was a good book! 

sccubed's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

It’s about love. 

quitecontrarymary's review against another edition

4.0

I laughed, I cried, I felt all the feelings. I thought I had a good idea of where this would go and it did not go that way and that was awesome. A fun and poignant read.

eve_kaarina's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

lindaixchel's review against another edition

5.0

Wow. This book is so profound but light and romantic at the same time. I’m truly inspired by this writing and could not relate more to Frank, especially when talking about race and our place in the world. It’s like such a relief to read this and be like YES, THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE.

I love this book it was wonderful and I can’t wait for more.
My heart belongs to it.

Damn David Yoon.
You got it.