Colleen Nelson's novel, 'The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.,' is a poignant and introspective coming-of-age story that delves deep into the complexities of life, loss, and self-discovery. With its well-drawn characters and heartfelt narrative, the book takes readers on a touching journey of a young girl navigating the challenges of adolescence and the profound impact of personal tragedies.

The story centers around the titular character, Frankie D., a teenager dealing with the aftermath of her brother's tragic death. Filled with grief, guilt, and unanswered questions, Frankie embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about her brother's life and the circumstances surrounding his death. Through her investigation, she also grapples with her own identity, her changing relationships, and the complexities of growing up.

Colleen Nelson's writing is both evocative and empathetic, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in Frankie's world. The author's exploration of grief and its various stages is deeply moving, providing a realistic portrayal of the emotional turmoil that accompanies loss.

The characters in the novel are well-crafted, and Frankie's transformation over the course of the story is both relatable and heartwarming. Readers will find themselves rooting for her as she confronts her own vulnerabilities and learns to navigate the complexities of her relationships.

The narrative's exploration of family dynamics and the impact of secrets and hidden truths is particularly compelling. It underscores the idea that understanding and forgiveness can be essential steps towards healing and personal growth.

While 'The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.' is an emotionally resonant and beautifully written novel, some readers might find that the pacing is somewhat slow, especially during the more introspective moments of Frankie's journey. Additionally, certain aspects of the plot may be slightly predictable for experienced readers of the coming-of-age genre.

In conclusion, 'The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.' by Colleen Nelson is a powerful and moving exploration of grief, identity, and the intricacies of growing up. With its authentic characters and heartfelt narrative, it offers a compelling and relatable story that will resonate with readers of all ages. This book is a poignant reminder of the enduring strength of the human spirit, even in the face of life's most challenging circumstances.

Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: I'm such a sucker for circus themed anything; mysterious and haunting at every turn; strong characters; surprising twists; believable suspension of disbelief; it all tied together

HUGE thanks to Colleen Nelson, Dundurn Press Publishers, and Netgalley for sending a free egalley of this title my way in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book. (I am trying to catch up on books I should have reviewed a while ago, y'all--hang with me!)

As I tend to do with most of my reads, I picked this book up because the blurb spoke to me...and then promptly forgot everything about the blurb by the time I got around to actually reading the book, therefore going into this book mostly blind. So when this story turned toward the circus, I admit I was surprised...but also secretly pleased. I am SUCH a sucker for the circus, and I have not read a good "circus-y" themed book since The Night Circus broke me into pieces years ago. Fortunately for my heart, BREAKING me wasn't in the cards for this read.

This title played with a lot of deep, beyond the surface revelations--"don't judge a book by its cover" being perhaps the strongest, though also things like, "if you become like stone, even your enemies mostly leave you alone." While there is a lot to be said for these being the focus of the narrative, I also feel as if Frankie as a character was not given a lot of room to really GROW by the time we met her in this story. She had small steps and tiny moments, yes--and characters around her flourished and changed throughout. But Frankie herself remained almost the same from beginning to end, which was admittedly a bit disappointing for me as a reader.

That said, this story was SO easy to fall into and become enmeshed with. The characters almost SPRANG off the pages; the prose was atmospheric and enthralling throughout. Colleen Nelson did a fabulous job of weaving the dreaming world from the waking, and blending them almost seamlessly. Were Frances' story an actual graphic novel, I feel I would fall over my penguin feet trying to snag it from the local book store's shelves. (Someone, quick, get Colleen Nelson's approval to turn that part of the story into an actual graphic novel! PUHLEASE?!)

I definitely recommend this to lovers of the paranormal, purveyors of the occult...and anyone in between who maybe, just maybe, needs to be reminded of their own unique worth in the world. This narrative will sweep you off your feet and into a land where magic is possible; are you ready to take the leap?

Where do I start with this book- goodness.

This went in such an unexpected direction than I thought it was going to, and it made me enjoy it so much more! I loved the character building and the medium pacing of the plot- and the duel POV.

I had such a soft spot for Frances and the other performers, especially Duval as we got to know him. Frankie was a bit annoying at first, and it felt very charicacure of a teenage girl but she did get better and I loved her friendship with Jessica and how that played out.

I didn’t think I was going to like it at first, and it took a bit for me to get into it, which is why I’m only giving it 3 stars but I would still recommend it just for the last half of the book itself.

What a book! I loved how you were left wondering what was real and what wasn't. The author did a great job weaving a very tangled web and creating a character that you didn't want to leave!

I was excited to receive an eARC of this book, as I have loved several of the author's novels. I really liked Frankie, and felt so much empathy for her situation, being raised in foster care, and learning to deal with her skin condition. However, the fantasy element of this story fell flat for me. I was expecting more, more excitement, more glamor, just more. The premise is beautiful, but the execution didn't quite work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm really torn by this book. On the one hand, the overall idea is great and a lot of the book sets up for some brilliant intrigue and reveals. But on the other it just... falls flat. It feels amateurish and lacking. It feels stuck between being a middle grade fantasy and trying to be a ya mystery and in the end it's neither. It's a weird mix-mash that doesn't quite work. It just felt like it could be expanded more and honestly, I feel the flashbacks with Frances' story ruined it a bit, I felt like I was being told and it took too long to reach the point and the resolution didn't quite fit for me.

It wasn't bad, but it's not something I'd be recommending. I love circuses and egyptology, so I really could've been raving about it but alas, it just wasn't my thing.

This just didn’t end up being a book that interested me. When I first read the premise, I was very excited and invested, but getting into it made it clear that it just wasn’t for me. Hopefully it works for others out there!

I loved the setting and feel of this book.. It was mysterious and captivating. I red it less as a Young Adult book and more middle grade but it was still enjoyable. It fell flat in a few places but the overall book was enjoyable.

This was a book where I thought I knew what I would get - and in a way, I did, but with a twist. A twist of the good kind, though, and I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great; the writing was beautiful - in a way, I am even happy the book had that little twist (for me, it was a twist, because I had expected something else and not what I got).. because I thought I had this book all figured out and said twist was a nice little throw-off for me.
Frankie was great. She was an amazing character and I have alwys had a weak spot for "freak-shows" ever since I watched The Greatest Showman and the fourth season of American Horror Story. This book was beautiful. The characters, the writing; really, everything about this book was beautiful.
Except for one little thing. The mummy. I was dissappointed that there was no real curse (not in the way people usually talk about a curse when referring to a mummy).

I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for giving me access.

This was a fun and dark read with a touch of circus flair. The creativity behind the story was intriguing and I wish Nelson expounded more on Frankie's past. Still, it was enjoyable and kept me interested from start to finish.

The characters and the atmosphere truly shine within the pages of The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. I was quickly immersed in the story, which is often the case in circus/carnival-themed books. While it did take me a moment to form a connection with Frankie and to become invested in her, I started to understand her more and more as the story went on. She is really a character that grows on you! I always appreciate a book with strong character development, which The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. definitely has in spades! Frankie was found in an alley as a child and has no memory of her past. Things are slowly revealed as she continues to have dreams about a sideshow performer known as Alligator Girl. As the book is only 250 pages, I think it is best to go into knowing very little and to just go along for the ride.

This is a quick paced mystery about a girl with no memory of her past, but dreaming of someone else's. Frankie was found by the police one night, abandoned in an alley and she bounced around foster care before finally finding a home with her caseworker. Now she's having terrifying, bloody nightmares and isn't sure what's real...

I liked Frankie and felt bad that she had to hide her skin condition so kids didn't make fun of her. She's labeled a freak at school and has no friends, even though she's a kind person and a talented artist. The dreams were interesting and the plot moved at a good rate. A couple things were predictable, but this kept my attention. I thought the deaths meant Frankie had lived several lives, but that's not quite how it goes. Not a bad read!

I really wanted to love this one. I really did. But sadly that didn't end up happening. The premise of this book sounded so fucking interesting. I did end up really liking the storyline set in the past but the storyline in the present I didn't really like and the way the two connected was a bit anti-climactic for me. I was expecting something bigger and was just a bit dissapointed to see the conclusion to that. However, my biggest gripe with this book is the characters. Mainly, our main character Frankie. I couldn't stand her. She's the textbook definition of a 'not like other girls' character and I hated it. Especially because the story tried to convince us that goth people and Comicon are so unpopular and hated by everyone. In 2021? No way. All the characters were also just super flat and didn't experience any real growth. Well no, that's a lie. Monsieur Duval technically grew inbetween the past storyline and the present one. But we don't actually see him do that growing so it just doesn't make anything better for me.

*Published on my bookstagram on June 12th, 2021*

An original plot is always something that I look for when picking books to read and this checks so many boxes: mystery, history, magic, circuses, and a protagonist with a rare skin condition? Yes please! The plot definitely did not disappoint. Every new turn was fascinating to me and I thought the dual timelines were handled really well by keeping my interest in both instead of just one. They also progressed really well and the climax and then conclusion of the book was quite satisfying.

I did take one point off because I felt like with everything going on in this book, I would’ve loved a bit more attention paid to the main character's emotional journey and how she grappled with her skin condition and her trauma. Her development definitely worked, but I would’ve loved just a little more depth concerning her inner journey, which also would’ve allowed for a break from the busy plotline. That being said, I think this book is amazing and I definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something unique! Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

An interesting combination of elements here. I like the mixture of historical sideshows and ideas about mummies and ancient Egypt. I was less fond of Frankie's story. Honestly, it would have worked better for me strictly as an historical setting. A bit clumsy in the integration of elements.

There are a lot of good things about this book and I can totally see why people would enjoy this. But personally, I just couldn’t love it as much as I wanted to. In fact, I found myself bored by a lot of the actual story. The world building was phenomenal and where this book truly shined. I thought this was an interesting take on how to obtain eternal life and it made sense to me.

So the setting is great - the only thing that keeps me from rating this higher is the character building. While I enjoyed the main character, the other characters fell a little flat. I think because we spend so much time digging into the world, it doesn't leave very much breathing room, and the supporting characters and the plot suffer as a result.

All in all, a weaker middle with a strong start and somewhat finish is still always going to be better than the other way around, at least for me. While the middle might have been a bit of a slog, the ending won me over mostly.

Frankie D does not remember anything about her past. She does not remember her real name. She does not remember her real family. All she "remembers is what she has been told by her foster mother, Kris. She knows she has a skin condition and tries to put on makeup so others will not see her flaws.

Frankie begins to have dreams about a carnival from the last century especially about a girl named Frankie. She begins to wonder why these dreams seem so real, especially when she ends up visiting a carnival sideshow that seems to have the same characters as her dreams.

I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed Frankie's journey into her past and discovering what she and the carnival worker Frankie have in common. I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue. There was just enough danger to make the story stand out and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next and how Frankie was going to handle the situations she was put into.

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one. I wanted an epilogue maybe but I was happy with the ending. I couldn’t really connect with Frankie but I connected with Frances. I thought this was an interesting take on how to obtain eternal life and it made sense to me. Like it wasn’t a stretch at all. Well done.

This book felt aimed at a younger YA audience with a simple and straight forward writing style and the universal concept that everyone feels like an outsider. Frankie exemplifies this as a foster child (teen) who has a rare skin condition and works hard to alienate herself from those around her. She wants people to like her but actively works to keep everyone at arm's length. When she starts having nightmares that hold clues to her lost past, Frankie enters a fantastical world. Is it real? Why is she having these dreams? And how does the new boy at school figure in to the whole thing? I was willing to go along with all everything but had an issue with one aspect of the foster care situation near the end of the book. Funny to say how unrealistic it was when reading a book that is obviously fiction, but it is always those realistic parts that make the fantasy feel possible!

So, The Life and Deaths of Frankie D.

First off, before getting started, I absolutely love the cover. The color scheme and everything <3

Okay, so onto my actual thoughts

Getting into the book, I really thought that I would love it. Sadly though, that was not the case. It wasn't bad, but there wasn't anything exceptionally special about it.

I'm trying to become a teensy bit harsher with my ratings because I guess that SOMETIMES I give books five stars that aren't worth five stars. ONLY SOMETIMES THOUGH, very few times at that.

AnYwAyS, the beginning of this novel was incredibly strong. The world and characters were built and established so well. I would say that about half of the book was like this. HOWEVER, after the halfway mark, things went downhill from there. After all the amazing worldbuilding, there was an incredible foundation for this novel, but then everything was just neglected in a way.

The first half of this novel was still amazing and I really enjoyed it. If the whole entirety of the book was like the first half, this would easily be a 5-star book.

Even if this book wasn't for me, it is definitely for someone else. This will totally be someone else's cup of tea, just not mine.

(I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts are my own)