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jason_reads_books 's review for:
Be Frank with Me
by Julia Claiborne Johnson
**********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.