I was full on loving this book early on. A girl with lizard skin who was goth and had no memory of her past. Sign me up!! But as the story got started I lost interest. That initial love of the first few pages started being lost in the tale of her going through school etc. I just starting losing interest in the story and started not charing about the characters plight. I think that even though with what I read that this would be better suited to those reading high middle grade and lower young adult as well as those who don't mind stories that are slower and more life heavy vs. story.

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

Trigger warning: abuse, rape, bullying, and death.

I expected to like this book more, I think that if it weren't for a very fast and captivating reading I wouldn't have finished it.
As I said this is a very captivating story, the author manages to bring it into the story and make you want to know what happened and what’s happening since this book tells us two stories that intertwine at the end, I liked it the way that they connect.
But I found that sometimes the book got lost, we had very normal and mundane things happening with Frankie in school as a teenager and out of nowhere the book went to magic and curses, I thought that kind of took me out of the story and made it less realistic.
I also found the book with a very youthful tone in my head Frankie was 15 years old, not nearly 18, I think this has to do with the author's writing, which I didn't really like either.

Thank you Dundurn and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!

TW: violence, assult, death, slut-shaming

Frankie is seventeen years old and after years in foster care and bad experiences, she doesn't trust easily. Found in an alley when she was a child, with no memory about her self and her past, she seems to have found her place with her foster mother, Kris, even though she is still struggling with her past and trust issues. When she starts having recurring dreams about a man, a carnival side show and a performer, known as Alligator Girl, she finds them eerily familiar. Is her mind processing her past traumas or is there something real and is she in danger?

This book was very peculiar, swinging from past to present, from Frankie's POV to Frances', mixing myth, traumas and reality in a compelling story. Frankie is a really interesting main character. Hurt and abused, cautious, with her attitude, using her clothes and makeup as a shield against the world, fearing being hurt again. When these dreams start her life is abruptly changed, broadening her whole world. The story was captivating ans it was really intriguing reading about Egypthians myths and legends.
I liked how the author tackled the issue of how messy the foster care system can be, how, in the past, people with disabilities were seen as "freaks" and "monsters", how hurtful is not being believed by others.
It's a book about pain and facing it, moving on, family bonds and fighting for freedom.

This book definitely pulled me in with its interesting premise. Initially I was expecting it to be a book about reincarnation, which is not the case, but the actual premise is nonetheless intriguing. Frankie is a girl whose entire past is a blank slate, when suddenly she starts having dreams about a traveling freak show from the 1920s and a girl named Frances (aka Alligator Girl) whom has the same rare skin condition that she does. I love the mystery element of the story, and that the reader gets to put together pieces of Frankie's story along with her through her dreams. I think figuring out what happened to Frances was even more intriguing to me than Frankie's present day story. But as a whole I think the story balanced mystery well with modern high school drama and mythical folklore. This book actually gives me slight Percy Jackson plus Miss Peregrine's vibes, so if you're a fan of either of those then I think you might enjoy this one.

I'll be honest, it took me a little while to connect to Frankie as a narrator. But even though in many ways she is different – a goth foster kid with a rare skin condition and no memory of life before age 10 – there is something relatable in the way she struggles to deal other kids and family and that deep desire to belong. What really connects me with her are the other characters. Her foster mom, Kris, is absolutely incredible and I loved reading about the ways she supported Frankie. There are moments where Frankie stands up not just for herself, but for others that shows her real heart. I also think she has a strong and consistent voice that shines throughout the novel. I also really liked the way the author balanced Frankie's voice with that of Frances, the narrator of the dreams. As a whole I do think the mystery of the plot was more interesting to me than the characters themselves, which is usually not the case with me, but it did manage to balance itself out to keep me engaged.

The book also touches upon some pretty heavy topics, like depicting trauma responses, sexual assault, bullying, etc. I do think these depictions were portrayed pretty accurately. These topics are more part of subplots than the main plots, so I don't know if others would prefer more focus on them in the story, but I think what was there was done well and gave a little more depth. And while topics are heavy, it's done in a way that still feels appropriate for younger YA readers as well.

As a whole, this book is paced well and easy to get through, and discovering the histories of Frankie and Frances was really fun to do. I'd definitely recommend it. 4/5 stars.

I want to send a HUGE thank you to Dundurn Press for sending a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and for including me in this blog tour.

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D follows Frances Doe, a foster child stuck between her unknown past and the future that she hopes to have. When flashbacks and memories of a girl with the same name and rare skin condition that she has starts to appear in her reoccurring dreams, she is out for answers. These flashbacks mean something to her, and she must find the shadowed man in order to discover her past.

I loved the unique character of Frankie, with her as apart of the foster system and her rare skin condition, ichthyosis vulgaris, which leaves her with reptilian skin that is often shedding. With her constantly having to hide who she is, she is a relatable character for many.

Another aspect that had me hooked is the combination of Egyptian mythology with the circus aspect, which is both unique and something I never thought I’d want more of. The talk of mummy’s and curses had me wanting all the answers and more. After reading this book, I definitely want to find more books about this folklore, and more books that include the circus setting (why is that not a bigger genre!?).

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick read and highly recommend you check it out

Rated 2.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Dundurn Press for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

THROWING A CURVE

TLADOFD is a story told in double point of view - the one of the eponymous main character, and another one that I won't spoil for you, but that has everything to do with an old sideshow whose performers used to be regarded as "freaks". While I've never read a book (partially) set in a circus - or, well, a carnival venue - before, I'm aware of the tropes attached to this kind of narrative, and none of them were employed when it comes to the final denouement, because the truth about Frankie and her connection to the sideshow turned out to be different from anything I would have expected. On the other hand, the general atmosphere of the circus setting and its characters (with their magical turnabout) weren't particularly imaginative/fleshed out, and though the story was not about them, it would have been nice to spend a little more time with the troupe members and get the chance to see past their uncomplicated façades. There was virtually a lot to unpack, but alas, not enough time to do it. I have to admit I was taken by surprise by a certain character and their agenda, though I should probably have seen it coming; then again, since I wasn't able to foresee the connection between Frankie and the carnival in the first place, it makes sense that I didn't - so kudos to the author for being able to cover her tracks.

RUSH HOUR

The contemporary half of the book suffers from the same problem: it tries to do too much (in this case, too many things at once) for the number of page in which the story unfolds. Frankie is an orphan (with a foster mother), a goth at heart (though her fascination with death is a bit too morbid for my tastes), a budding graphic novel artist, and has a rare skin condition known as lamellar ichtyosis (scaly skin). Self acceptance, found family and the bumpy road to making friends are just as pivotal here as Frankie's attempt to uncover the truth about her birth and early life. Throw in a sexual assault/slut-shaming subplot, and there's simply too much stuff to handle for a relatively short book. Also, either I had to suspend my disbelief a lot (and I don't mean about the supernatural sections - I mean about some awfully convenient or rushed incidents, like Frankie's first encounter with the carnival) or I found certain plot points half-baked, or simplistic at best (the whole sexual assault storyline). I can't deny the whole thing had potential, and it could have made for a perfectly fine adventure/coming of age story, but TLADOFD ultimately fell short of my expectations due to it being a bit rushed and employing one or two coincidences/tropes too many.

**Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I’ve never been so conflicted while writing a review. I’ll start if by saying I enjoyed this book even though it was confusing at times. The parallels between Frankie and Frances were sometimes hard to keep track of. That being said it did offer interesting insight into the world.

I loved this world and the Egyptian mythology. Frankie was a fun mc to follow as we slowly go to learn about her past and her struggles through her art and through her growth from finally finding a friend who needed her just as much as she needed Frankie to slowly becoming completely herself in her own skin in more ways than one.

I recommend this book for readers looking for a new world of mythology to dive into.

Thank you to Dundurn Press for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Frankie Doe is a foster child with a rare skin condition who is currently living with Kris, her support/social worker, who has been helping her since she was mysteriously found in an alley when she was a child. Frankie has no recollection of her life before she was found in the alley that night; she doesn’t remember who she was, if she had any family, or anything that might help her figure out her past. When she starts having dreams about a carnival sideshow, with a performer known as Alligator Girl who has the same rare skin condition she has, she begins to wonder if maybe these eerily familiar dreams are the key to figuring out her past. As she dreams more about Alligator Girl, and the lines between her dreams and reality start to blur, things start to get more complicated, and she begins to wonder if something else is going on.

I want to start this review by talking about the main character, Frankie. Frankie has a rare skin condition called Ichthyosis Vulgaris, which means that her skin is almost scale-like and constantly dry and flaking off. Frankie is very self-conscious about her skin, and she wears heavy goth makeup to cover it up. Frankie has been through a lot in her short life, including being bounced between different foster homes, and she’s built up a pretty hard shell to protect herself. She might not be the most likable character that I’ve encountered, but I had a soft spot for her, and I wanted her to succeed and figure out the mystery behind the sideshow that’s been haunting her dreams.

I enjoyed the carnival sideshow aspect of this book, but it does have the potential to make people feel uncomfortable. In Frankie’s dreams, Alligator Girl is an act in a sideshow that took place around 100 years ago. The performers in this sideshow are all people who are discriminated against by society because they have a condition or a disability that makes them different; for example, there’s a set of conjoined twins, an albino performer, and Alligator Girl who is put on display because of her skin condition. I didn’t like how these characters were treated by the public who came to view their performances, but I liked the sense of camaraderie among the group. I also liked Alligator Girl, and I was rooting for her to find the strength that she needed to achieve her goals.

The other thing that I enjoyed about this book was the Egyptian aspects. Throughout the book, the Ankh plays an important role, and it pops up often. I liked reading about Frankie exploring this symbol’s meaning and the other ancient Egyptian rituals and symbolism that pop up in her dreams.

I want to mention a few more things before I get to trigger and content warnings. I loved Frankie’s art teacher; he seemed like the kind of teacher everyone deserves to have in their lifetime. I loved Kris, and I especially love that she always encouraged Frankie but never pushed her to do anything she wasn’t ready to do. I also loved the relationship between Kris and Frankie, and I am so happy for both of them that they have each other. Finally, although I enjoyed the ending, it did feel a little bit rushed, and I wish it were a bit more drawn out.

As far as trigger and content warnings go, there is mention of sexual assault, child abuse, child exploitation, and bullying. There are also themes of trauma and PTSD because of the things that Frankie experienced. There is also discrimination against the performers at the sideshow.

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D is a YA mystery- fantasy about a teen girl who can’t remember any of the details of her life before the age of 10. When Frankie begins to have dreams about a 1920’s circus sideshow she isn’t sure what is real and what could be actual pieces of her past.

Frankie Doe lives in foster care and wears Goth makeup to cover an extremely rare skin condition. She has difficulty making friends but loves art, Comic-Con and goth culture. She has settled into life with her former social worker (current foster mom) and alludes to an issue with the boyfriend of one of her past foster moms. Suddenly, she starts to have dreams about a 1920’s sideshow and various people connected to her dreams start popping up in real life. As Frankie searches for the reason behind her dreams she will also get answers to her past including who she really is.

I appreciated Colleen Nelson’s attempt to create a completely unique story. I can’t say I’ve ever read a YA novel that included the plot lines of Frankie’s skin condition, a circus sideshow or Egyptian dark magic. There are even some thriller moments with characters who may or may not to be villains. Unfortunately, much of the story felt like a slightly more grown-up Goosebumps book. I enjoyed the sideshow part of the story and would have loved to explore more of that world with better explanations on the actual medical issues and physical deformities some of the performers had. It was the current world with so much of Frankie’s sad sack “woe is me” attitude that wasn’t that enjoyable for a reader. The zero friends because no-one-gets-me trope is exhausting to read. I’m also extremely biased as a foster/adoption parent and get annoyed to see yet more examples of bad foster parenting in YA novels (although her current situation was positive and healthy). It seems like the world is moving away from hurtful stereotypes and yet abusive foster parents get to persist over and over in print without any of the nuances that other groups get to enjoy.

Overall this novel had some interesting plot lines but felt like a rough draft. I think it would have actually been better if some aspects of the story were played up (like the historical aspect) or down (her past in other foster homes and bullying). It could have even been a fun middle-grade chapter book or graphic novel with a little tweaking. But nothing really felt “young adult” about it to me.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Different is unique. Different is beautiful. Everybody wants to belong, even Frankie who keeps people at arm's length.

Frankie D is 17 years old, has a rare skin condition and was found as a child with no recollection of who she is. She starts having recurring dreams about an old-timey carnival sideshow, and feels connected to a performer name Alligator girl and the ringmaster. Then she runs into the ringmaster, in real life! The carnival exists!

Are the dreams her brain processing her trauma, are they memories or maybe even something more complicated, more bizarre? Frankie pulls at your heartstrings from the get-go. You especially admire her bravery with a touch of... let's call it slightly sarcastic sass.

Can a narrative be mellow, thought-provoking, and intense at the same time? This narrative is and that makes it easy to gobble up the pages. The mysterious atmosphere makes you do so hungrily, cause you just need to know what is going on.

My only quibble is that close to the middle of the book the flashes of the past, as captivating as they are, start to overpower the other part of the story. Frankie was gungho with solving the mystery at the beginning and then it seems she's doing nothing but dreaming & sketching. It makes the story uneven and takes a little oomph out of it. Luckily it picks up again.

Asking the age-old question "Is this the only life?", this story plays with the concepts of life and death and destiny.

Being a champion for compassion, this is an undeniably creative and emotionally gifted tale, with a dash of chills and unexpected thrills. All leading to an unpredictable and suspenseful finale. A great read I must say.

This didn't appeal to me at all. Frankie was so annoying with her constant need to proclaim herself as being goth and her need to gatekeep the goth look - she is the judge of whether or not someone is a real goth or a 'mall goth' as she calls it. It was just too bizarre for her to mention her goth-ness over and over again (5 times in one page at one time). I just couldn't get into it.

DNF. For some reason this book just wouldn’t grip my attention. I got about 25% in but couldn’t keep going. I do not have any real reasons to not enjoy the book and the writer is definitely talented it just wasn’t for me. Thanks for the chance to review!

Great characters and interesting plot! I loved the atmosphere and the mystery behind what's going on. A great ending with closure too!

The Life and Deaths of Frankie D follows two stories of brave girls just trying to make it in their world. We predominately see the world through Frankie Doe’s experience, and she’s had it pretty rough. After being found in alley when she was ten, Frankie has no memory of her life before and is put into the foster system. We find her now seventeen and living with Kris when she starts having these very vivid dreams of a ringmaster and his circus of freaks, haunting but not too troublesome. That is until she comes across Gus who seems to dream of the same man and then haltingly, seeing the man himself, in the flesh. And so, the mystery begins.

The mystery element of Frankie’s life and how it connects to her dreams was what really held this book together. Nelson feeds new information through Frankie’s dreams and just the right times to keep you invested in the story and wondering who can you really trust? There was definitely a lot of build up, with far less time spent following through. But for what it is, it works.

I really felt for Frances, our girl in the 1920s, and her want to have a life of her own, where who she is a person is more important that what she is. Frankie on the other hand is a strong and determined character, and a great lens into the story.

I’m a little stuck on the target audience for this. Seeing that it’s aimed for 12-15 year olds, majority of the story would be absolutely fine, but this read a little older to me, especially through Jessica’s storyline specifically, though I’m not sure 16+ would have as much interest.

In any case, if you enjoy a little history on freakshows/circus oddities and mystery elements then don’t be shy of picking this one up. Still enjoyable and a nice simple read.

Honestly im on the fence about this one. I gave it 3.75 stars most 4. But i just couldnt connect to the characters. But i loved how the author wrote this book. It was just okay to me and i hope someone will love this as much i wanted too

Read over 50% of this book and decided that I will purchase this book when it comes out.

The concept for this book is so fascinating.
The author keeps you guessing on the mystery of it all.
Why is Frankie having all these weird dreams?
Who is she really? What happened to her when she was young? Why does this mysterious man know her? Why does she think she know him?

Colleen Nelson’s writing style is easy to read and understand. I love how atmospheric Frankie’s dreams are.

I am excited to read it physically when it comes out!

This book had a very intriguing premise of lost memories and dreams of possible past lives. Frankie was found in an alley when she was 10 with a bump on her head and no memories. She also had an incredibly rare skin condition that left her reptile like scales all over her skin. She lives with her previous therapist who became her foster mother after some bumps in her road. She starts to dream of a strange man and she draws what she remembers to try to figure it out. A new boy at school recognizes the man and says he also has been dreaming of that man. The story was not bad and did a pretty good job exploring some tough themes about bullying and sexual abuse. The story started out well but seemed to lag a little. Overall it was enjoyable and an interesting look into the historical life in a freak show.

2.5/5

It’s been a while since I requested an ARC of The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. – it didn’t even have this neat cover then – and I can’t figure out what pushed me to do it. I mean, I’m not really into stories about circuses or ones that draw from Egyptian mythology. And both serve as the basis of this novel. Was it the possibly misleading title? The vague description? Whatever the reason, I quickly realised the book wasn’t for me, but since the publisher already kindly accepted my request, I decided I’ll try to finish it anyway.

The writing style is a strong part of this book, though it seems to be targeted rather towards younger readers. This is not a debut release and you can clearly see that Colleen Nelson is an experienced writer. The narration is consistent and the pacing is satisfying, though there’s one thing that bothered me – personally, I didn’t feel the build-up that should’ve led to the climax of the story. Even the plot twist relating to one of the characters fell somewhat flat.

Nelson creates and intriguing, unique protagonist. The titular Frankie is a young girl with lamellar ichthyosis, which causes her skin to flake like that of a snake, and she has no recollection of who she is or where she comes from. We learn about Frankie’s past together with her, which I think is a very exciting way to explore characters. I just wished that most of her personality didn’t revolve around her being a goth; Frankie doesn’t fail to mention that fact every couple of pages. You’re weird, you’re a weirdo – we get it.

I honestly was expecting this to be a story about reincarnation, which would’ve been a very exciting theme to include, but instead we simply learn about Alligator Girl’s history through the protagonist’s dreams. I wish there was a better connection between Frankie and the Circus of Wonders and Marvels.

This book reminded me slightly of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which unfortunately I wasn’t a big fan of either. While The Life and Deaths of Frankie D. has some potential, its themes simply weren’t up my alley; if it were otherwise, I definitely would’ve upped my rating by one star. Although I wasn’t the right reviewer for this novel, I tried to stay objective.

I quite enjoyed this book however the tone of the writing was a lot more child-like / middle grade than the YA I expected however the plot was really good and dealt with some more serious issues. Overall I think this was a decent book and I wouldn’t mind adding it to my collection.

{Digital copy provided by NetGalley and Dundrum Press}


Frankie is a loner with an equally enigmatic and painful past that lead her to her current foster mom, a brilliant woman named Kris. But strange dreams, a mysterious curiosity circus, and new friends kick off a wild and engaging tale of past lives, immortality, and what it means to be different in an often cruel world.


This book has a lot of representation, from multiple Egyptian characters to the foster mom being gay, and as expected of a story partially centered around a curiosity show, a lot of disabled characters. I can’t quite tell if the representation is done well or not for the groups that I am not a part of, but I can say that I really appreciated Kris as a character, someone three dimensional, driven, hardworking, nerdy, and caring.

Frankie as a narrator is a little overly analytical in a detached sense, but that’s me being picky. The dualing narrative of her figuring out the mystery, and the life of Frances she observes in her dreams is really well done in terms of suspense and emotional resonance. Especially the scenes focusing on Frances’ relationship with her proxy parents was very well done and impactful.

The mystery was really intriguing, although the narrative was a bit stiff at times, and some plot points were a little unconvincingly done. The villain of the story could have been more multi-dimensional, and the ending was somewhat flat at times.

I really appreciated the way abuse and sexual assault were dealt with in the book, and how the characters deal with stuggles throughout. Also having a story centered heavily on found family, foster care, and adoption was really resonant.

Overall, an interesting short read with a few narrative weaknesses.