A review by litwithlesia
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire

challenging emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a beautiful story of grief and its various forms of expression. While this book absolutely delivered on my expectations for a heart wrenching exploration of grief, there were some darker undertones that I didn’t expect as characters moved through their experience of loss in different ways, not all of which were healthy. 

Saika was a harsh, withdrawn character who slowly softened and opened herself up to others, and seeing her grow and learn to accept herself and her mistakes was really wonderful. Honestly all of the characters are endearing in their own quirky ways - the found family vibes are strong in this one! There’s an especially clear message of the power of community and sharing your burdens with others, and this shows up in multiple ways for different characters. 

This book was a beautiful reminder that there is no one way to grieve the loss of a loved one, and that sharing about your loss may not be as painful as you expect.