The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson

Title: The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.

Author: Colleen Nelson

Expected Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Publisher: Dundurn

Pages: 266

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title in exchange for honest review.

Introduction

Nothing about Frankie's life has ever been normal. As a child, she was found in an alley with no memory of who she was, who her family was, or why she would be left alone.

Years later, she still has no idea about what happened in her past, and she'd like to keep it that way. But then, she starts having dreams about a hundred year old circus. It shouldn't have anything to do with her, but somehow it all feels strangely familiar as she sees the circus through the eyes of a sideshow act. Could the dreams of this circus be the thing that unveils the mystery shrouding Frankie's past? Will she even be able to face the past she's buried so deeply?

Content

This book feels like it would be better aimed at a middle grade audience than a young adult one, but because of a few mature scenes, it has to be labelled young adult rather than middle grade. This book mentions three different instances of assault on different characters, so it would be a bit too heavy for middle grade readers.

Unfortunately, the rest of the story feels like a middle grade novel, so it feels a little immature for those wanting to read a young adult novel, save for the instances of assault.

Pacing

The pace was very fast, which was great in some ways and a little difficult in others. The fast pace made the heavier events like the assaults feel rushed, and they weren't quite felt at a depth that I think they deserved. The fast pace also made it hard to truly connect to any of the characters. However, the fast pace of the book meant that there was always something going on. There were no parts of the book that felt unnecessary or like they were there just to take up space, which I liked.

Characters

I thought our protagonist, Frankie, was okay. Parts of her character felt a little immature, like how she referred to pretty much all girls as an "April" Things like this definitely contributed to the story feeling more like a middle grade novel. However, I adored seeing how fiercely she cared about Kris and Jessica.

Kris was my absolute favourite because it was obvious how much she cared for Frankie, and I loved that she had a role in the book, so many books introduce parents because they feel like they have to, but don't really give them any character, so it was really nice to see a guardian have some personality.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought this book was okay. The fast pacing makes it a very easy read, so if that's what you're looking for, this book might be for you.