katebullen's review
3.0
I loved the concept of this story but the prose didn’t do much for me and I found myself struggling to get through it.
tentenlibrarian's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This novel was tense and beautifully written. The story moves back and forth in time, through various character perspectives (including some rather unexpected characters) to paint a multitude of lived experiences circling an act of violence. I’m torn with my rating. The story feels unfinished, much like real life. Having just finished, it’s left me feeling a little unsatisfied, however I would happily recommend this novel.
chilly_librarian's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The structure of Francie is really interesting and the prose are just beautiful. I think this book will really land for many readers. It’s dark, sad and moody. It deals with mental illness, unemployment, addiction, neglect, and poverty in an authentic way. The grit of this book is striking and it foregoes even suggesting the possibility of a happy ending. It’s as literary as it gets so the plot is slow. We go forward and back through time and are offered the perspective of all those surrounding the incident. Francie is a real work of literary art that captures many of the issues rampant in Canadian suburbia without sensationalizing or romanticizing neglect and abuse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Gun violence
Minor: Domestic abuse and Fatphobia
gaiadances's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
the writing and concept of the book is quite brilliant. i loved Francie’s perspective but everyone else fell flat for me. the author definitely was going for something more experimental and exciting, taking a narrative risk with the style and form of the book but i didn’t think it paid off. the mothers and fathers of both girls were very two dimensional, hinting at complexities and telling us they were intense people without doing much to actually show the reader these qualities. i hated some of the perspectives which felt wildly unnecessary (the baby? Mrs G and the tree??) the ending of the book is somewhat anticlimactic as you’ve begun to piece together the event with the hun about halfway through and despite the final chapters spelling it out we are still left with too many unanswered questions and plot holes for the story to have any sort of satisfying ending. i would only recommend this book so that i could talk to someone else to better understand it
dilettee's review
4.0
I really liked this book and it would have been 5 stars for me had it not been for the ending. It felt confusing and unfinished. I won an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway and I’m wondering if the ending is different in the final copy. Just waiting for my library to get it in so I can compare.
alisonburnis's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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