A review by gigireadswithkiki
Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn by Renee Swindle

emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

For those who love Emily Austin and Anna Dorn but are craving a non-White perspective, look no further than Renee Swindle.

Swindle has encapsulated the hilariously witty and bluntly honest writing style of Austin and Dorn in "Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn." Through the lens of Francine, we follow the messiest of messy chaotic lesbians as she grapples with the sudden death of her mother. Her choices are uproarious and yet so entirely relatable, speaking to a grief that demands to fill the emptiness that death leaves behind, whether that be storing her mother's ashes in an Aunt Jemima cookie jar or callously popping her deceased mother's prescription pills. The plot feels so delightfully character focused, allowing Francine to make outrageous choices that make complete sense for the situations in which she finds herself. Her personality is richly multi-faceted, with the story tackling the many different ways in which her life story has affected who she is today. This is further emphasized as Francine becomes reacquainted with her former high school crush Jeanette, and their past selves coincide with their present selves.

The befriending of Davie is the most pivotal turning point moment for Francine, and the characterization of his autism felt so authentic to me, an autistic individual. The author does not shy away from depicting how autism is, in fact, a disability, and subtly notes the ways in which Davie's disability impacts his day to day life. There were occasional moments when his autism feels like the sole part of his personality, but this accurately mirrors how autism, especially high support autism, can push itself to the forefront of a person's identity. The way that Davie operates throughout the world, and the way that characters interact with him, mirrors an experience that feels very real and true to life, I loved seeing the ways his life matched my own. In particular, the way his platonic relationship with Francine shifted throughout the story made me feel a little Too Seen at times, especially in the moment when Davie confesses to feeling deprioritized as a friend in the midst of Francine's relationship with Jeanette.

Lastly, I loved how this story felt like a love/hate letter to the San Francisco Bay Area, with all the nods to local landmarks and modalities in the area, from the scathing indictment of Francine's tech company to the gentrification of Oakland.

This story was such a delightful and genuinely funny romp, full of vivid and memorable characters and a storyline that I simply could not put down. I think this story would be excellent for those who enjoy messy chaotic lesbians, analyses of grief and healing, and character-forward stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent