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A review by lisamchuk
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Yes, the amazing cover is a completely accurate portrayal of this cozy story about grief, healing, and found family! The author has depicted a magical world that includes a colourful cast of magical characters: different types of witches, a fairy, and a ghost to name a few - plus Frank, a beast, who is the caretaker of the house (as per the title of course). Saika, a witch with no powers, has come to Ash Gardens to fulfill her sister’s wish of having her ashes planted in the magical arboretum. Thus we follow Saika’s emotional journey as she mourns her sister while getting to know the supportive characters who live and work at Ash Gardens.
The writing is fine, very clear and descriptive, though the there were a few too many incidences of slow paced miscommunication for my taste. I didn’t always connect with the main character's first person point of view and found some of her inner angst repetitive (constantly being inside someone’s head for all of this telling-not-showing sad content did weigh on me at times). The other characters are diverse and have some depth: I wanted to read on to find out more about them, their magic, and how their relationships would develop. The author kindly included content/trigger warnings and a pronunciation guide at the start, and in addition to the heartfelt coziness sprinkles of humour throughout. My issues with the point of view aside, this really is a very sweet book.
Overall, I liked this story and its message and found the characters interesting even though I didn’t connect with the main character’s voice. If you like cozy, emotional, magical stories, and/or you enjoyed Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, then this book might be for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is fine, very clear and descriptive, though the there were a few too many incidences of slow paced miscommunication for my taste. I didn’t always connect with the main character's first person point of view and found some of her inner angst repetitive (constantly being inside someone’s head for all of this telling-not-showing sad content did weigh on me at times). The other characters are diverse and have some depth: I wanted to read on to find out more about them, their magic, and how their relationships would develop. The author kindly included content/trigger warnings and a pronunciation guide at the start, and in addition to the heartfelt coziness sprinkles of humour throughout. My issues with the point of view aside, this really is a very sweet book.
Overall, I liked this story and its message and found the characters interesting even though I didn’t connect with the main character’s voice. If you like cozy, emotional, magical stories, and/or you enjoyed Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, then this book might be for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Suicide