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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
I had high hopes for this book and it didn't disappoint :) The story is nuts, the characters are absolutely impossible and over the top and so, so lovable... well most of them are... most of the time :P
Alice is a great narrator with a deliciously dark sense of humour and I loved her. But obviously the great protagonist of this story is Frank, a nine-year-old who is way too smart for his own good, way too old for his 9 years, and way too cool for this world. Frank is loving although not exactly caring, and I found myself half amused, half horrified all the time at the things Frank says and does. His relationships with Alice and specially with his mother are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, often at the same time.
I wouldn't call this a light read, because it will definitely leave you with THOUGHTS, but it was a fun and quick read, perfect for a summer weekend :)
Alice is a great narrator with a deliciously dark sense of humour and I loved her. But obviously the great protagonist of this story is Frank, a nine-year-old who is way too smart for his own good, way too old for his 9 years, and way too cool for this world. Frank is loving although not exactly caring, and I found myself half amused, half horrified all the time at the things Frank says and does. His relationships with Alice and specially with his mother are both heartwarming and heartbreaking, often at the same time.
I wouldn't call this a light read, because it will definitely leave you with THOUGHTS, but it was a fun and quick read, perfect for a summer weekend :)
This was a book that I would read again. I fell in love with the quirkiness of Frank and would love to see a sequel to see how he does.
Light, lovely and easy to devour in about one day. This is just what I needed when I read it.
Five stars because I was thoroughly entertained and loved all the characters. That Frank is the kid you never want to actually have yet want to spend all your time with! (I know--it's hard to explain)
**********I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway**********
This was a super late arrival as far as giveaways go, but I'm glad it finally made it here. [b:Be Frank With Me|25817528|Be Frank With Me|Julia Claiborne Johnson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449425543s/25817528.jpg|45584351] is a quick and easy read, with one great lead character and a fairly strong supporting cast. It revolves around an eccentric child of a hermit-like author and a midwestern girl who ends up as a personal assistant / nanny in Los Angeles taking care of them both. Mild spoilers below.
The writing is crisp and well-edited, so no complaints there. The plot itself was, to me, just a thing that needed to exist to keep our characters on the page -- it wasn't the most interested story, nor did I really care about any of it. It's really all about Frank, who I immediately characterized as high-functioning autistic, but is never called so in the book. He is a joy to read, with a great sense of humor and a collection of facts that will astound you. Johnson's way of describing his emotional responses is fantastic. He's the reason to read this book.
The rest of the characters are fine, mostly making either stupid choices to ensure the book moves forward or acting as stage props for Frank. There are a few too many easy outs taken by the author, but I'm glad she didn't go with a full-on happy ending.
I'd recommend the book for a trip or a vacation -- exactly how I ended up reading it.
This was a super late arrival as far as giveaways go, but I'm glad it finally made it here. [b:Be Frank With Me|25817528|Be Frank With Me|Julia Claiborne Johnson|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449425543s/25817528.jpg|45584351] is a quick and easy read, with one great lead character and a fairly strong supporting cast. It revolves around an eccentric child of a hermit-like author and a midwestern girl who ends up as a personal assistant / nanny in Los Angeles taking care of them both. Mild spoilers below.
The writing is crisp and well-edited, so no complaints there. The plot itself was, to me, just a thing that needed to exist to keep our characters on the page -- it wasn't the most interested story, nor did I really care about any of it. It's really all about Frank, who I immediately characterized as high-functioning autistic, but is never called so in the book. He is a joy to read, with a great sense of humor and a collection of facts that will astound you. Johnson's way of describing his emotional responses is fantastic. He's the reason to read this book.
The rest of the characters are fine, mostly making either stupid choices to ensure the book moves forward or acting as stage props for Frank. There are a few too many easy outs taken by the author, but I'm glad she didn't go with a full-on happy ending.
I'd recommend the book for a trip or a vacation -- exactly how I ended up reading it.
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Be Frank With Me is a charming story about a reclusive writer and her eccentric son. This story is a roller coaster of laughter and tears; Frank's and his caregiver Alice's escapades are humorous but family life and relationships as written by Johnson are dysfunctional and dark.
A nice little book – a little pat, but I enjoyed it. It made a decent book discussion book and was very easy to read. If you read and enjoyed The Rosie Project, you may enjoy Be Frank With Me as well.
This was a cute read, but ultimately I hated Alice and Xander way too much for the book to be saved by Frank's character. I hope Mr Vargas was paying Alice an obscene amount of money for this terrible job.