The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.
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A fantastical novel from award-winning author Colleen Nelson, about a hundred-year-old side show and a girl with no past. 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 side show, 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 keep 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 turn. 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?
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I loved the characters and the found family feeling. I love the way it is valuing those that look different. I love the characters fighting for the right thing. I liked the way the awful things were dealt with gently.
The ending came about a little abruptly, but I liked the way it all worked out.
I have received a digital Advance Reader's Copy of this book through the publisher. This has not affected my rating in any way.
“Hi my name is Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way and I-“
Ok, I'm joking, I'm joking... but if you told me that this was the opening line to this book, I'd probably believe you.
The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. had potential. It's synopsis sounds good, it's cover is beautiful, and yet this disappointed me in so many ways. The premise of this book had me hoping for A Madness So Discreet or Daughter of the Burning City vibes, but this was very bland in comparison.
Frankie was one of the most annoying characters I've ever had to read about. She almost seemed like she was based on Ebony from My Immortal, if that's even possible. In almost every single chapter she had to mention that she was a goth. We get it, Evanescence, please stop telling me.
The plot was interesting, but I felt it was lacking in creepiness. Not even that, it felt like it was trying so hard to be creepy that it just wasn't. It was almost comical, really. Although this book had some very beautiful moments, like the circus and the appreciation for the acts in it. I was a bit worried that this author would be ableist, even by accident, but the author was very careful in describing these characters. They were well written and well treated, so I applaud the author on that.
Final thoughts? This was okay. If Frankie's personality had been changed, and the story had a bit more of a “spooky, creepy” plot, I think this would've been more enjoyable.
