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.

First Line Friday (7): The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

Today's First Line Friday is coming from The Life and Deaths of Frankie D by Colleen Nelson. I just started this book two days ago, and I'm almost finished with it, so I'll be posting the review for it soon!

The first line is as follows:

"The dreams started the night of the break-in. Two weeks ago, my foster mom, Kris, and I had come home from a movie to find the front door open. Every room had been sifted through. My drawers had been dumped and the bed tossed. Kris's too. Nothing was missing, but Kris was rattled. Break-ins were unusual in our quiet neighborhood."

Teaser Tuesday (16): The Life and Deaths of Frankie D by Colleen Nelson

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:
• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

""He looked familiar. Do you know what school he used to go to?"

Mr. Kurtis shook his head. "I didn't even know I was getting a new student."

"But his disappearance left me with questions. How had he known my real name? And why did we both dream of the same person?"

Page 31.

Waiting on Wednesday (3): The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *It appears that Breaking the Spine hasn't been active since 2016, but I still want to credit them as the creators.

This week for my Waiting on Wednesday I want to spotlight The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. by Colleen Nelson.

Goodreads synopsis

Could a hundred-year-old circus sideshow be the key to Frankie’s mysterious past?

Seventeen-year old Frankie doesn’t trust easily. Not others, and not even herself. Found in an alley when she was a child, she has no memory of who she is, or why she was left there. Recurring dreams about a hundred-year-old carnival sideshow, a performer known as Alligator Girl, and a man named Monsieur Duval have an eerie familiarity to them.

Frankie gets drawn deeper into Alligator Girl’s world, and the secrets that kept the performers bound together. But a startling encounter with Monsieur Duval when she’s awake makes Frankie wonder what’s real and what’s in her head.

As Frankie’s and Alligator Girl’s stories unfold, Frankie’s life takes a sharp twist. Are the dreams her way of working through her trauma, or is there a more sinister plan at work? And if there is, does she have the strength to fight it?

Why I Can't Wait

I've always kind of loved stories that involve circus and fantasy elements, so this book sounds right up my alley. It doesn't get released until April 13, 2020. So it looks like I'm gonna have a lot of waiting to do before I can get my hands on it.