Copies of the German edition show Frankie in spectacles, likely due to the way he initially confuses “optometrist,” and “agnostic.” He is definitely the spokescat for an unreliable narrator. I found the story to be full of mischief, unique characters, and moments solemn and silly. As someone looking for G-rated humor and some heartwarming elements, I wasn’t disappointed. Like a good children’s movie it has levels that will speak to all of us, even for those complex topics like love and loss. Not directly what I expected but I loved it anyway. Leave it to a cat to remind us to think less and sleep more. I found it a welcome lesson when so much in the world seems to spark too many big feelings right now.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Frankie is the sweet story of a talking cat and a lonely human who stumble into each other's lives at just the right time. Of course, Frankie doesn't usually talk to humans, even though he is capable, but in this case he makes an exception. Both Frankie and his newly found human, Gold, are initially reluctant to start a relationship, but inevitably they end up bringing purpose to each other's lives in the way animals and humans tend to do. I really enjoyed the unique perspective on human behavior from a cat's point of view. However, something about Frankie's narration felt a little forced to me--he just didn't quite sound the way I though a talking cat should sound. Nevertheless, he was charming and funny and overall this was an enjoyable read. The concept for this book is great, but it needed a bit more polishing and development. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Translated from German.

A cat personified.

If suicide and depression are triggers, then I'd avoid this one.

Loved the cover, this book just really wasn't for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley, and Penguin Random House Cananda / Doubleday Canada publishing for approving my request to read the advance read copy of Frankie in exchange for an honest review. Pub date is Sept 30, approx 192 pages.

This book was a charming and whimsical read, who doesn’t love a story about a talking cat? Frankie himself is witty, bold, and undeniably entertaining, and the premise immediately drew me in. It mentioned that fans of Fredrick Backman would enjoy, and I do love cats so wanted to read this right away.

While the humour worked in many places, at times it felt a bit overdone. The sarcastic, “trying to be funny” tone occasionally missed the mark, pulling me out of the story instead of making me laugh. I enjoyed the book overall, Frankie is an unforgettable character, and there are plenty of heartwarming moments, but I felt there was something missing that kept it from rating it higher.

If you love quirky animal central tales with some humour and heart, this is still a good choice. There are darker themes of suicide, loss and grief but talked about lightheartedly and with more humour.

This book was everything: funny, wholesome, and it tugged at my heartstrings in all the right ways.

We follow Frankie, your typical small town country cat, who crosses paths with a human named Gold. Their meeting isn’t under the best circumstances, but what unfolds is a touching, laugh out loud tale of unexpected bonding and found family between feline and man.

Told from Frankie’s witty, no-nonsense perspective, this story delivers charm in spades while quietly exploring grief, healing, and the magic of companionship. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to adopt a cat immediately.

Highly recommended for fans of Fredrik Backman, or anyone in need of a cozy, heartwarming read with a furry narrator full of sass and soul.

Oh Frankie, you’re a gem.

Frankie: A story about love, grief, and redemption. And a very naughty cat… by J.M. Gutsch & Maxim Leo.

The title pretty much sums up the story line. Except you’ve not yet met Frankie, a swaggering Tomcat who is a polyglot and has a simplistic and upbeat take on life (despite his penchant for the odd cuss). His best friends, Professor, the aged three legged dachshund, and Muscles Nutkin, the squirrel provide wisdom, comfort, and comic relief.

One day Frankie meets the human, Gold, who is playing with a lovely huge bit of string and Frankie worms his way into Gold’s life. Does Frankie save Gold? Does Gold save Frankie? Both of them come away richer for having their relationship.
This is a wonderful romp with some great insights into life, what makes it worth living, and how to carry on despite enormous loss.

Trust a cat to simplify the human experience and show us daily joy. It evokes all the feels and is a lovely read. Any cat lover (and I am one) will love this story and purrrhaps shed a few tears as they tag along with Frankie and friends.
P.S. watch out for those magpies and racoons, nasty little buggers!

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for sending me this Advance Reader Copy of Frankie for review.

This was a cute, heartfelt read with a great concept but overall, it just didn’t completely land for me.

The story follows Frankie, a stray tomcat who’s perfectly fine being on his own until he winds up injured on the doorstep of Richard, a man deep in grief and ready to give up on life. What follows is an unlikely friendship, a slow (and sometimes chaotic) healing process, and a lot of internal monologues from a cat with serious opinions. Frankie’s voice is sharp, sarcastic, and full of personality. Lines like “Too much like hard work, and hard work has never been my style,” and “When a cat blinks, it’s a bit like smiling,” really gave the book a unique tone.

But for me, the pacing dragged at times, and the tone leaned so heavily into quirky humor that some of the deeper emotional beats didn’t really hit. There are some serious themes here like grief, loneliness, even suicidal thoughts—but they often got buried under layers of cat banter and long-winded asides. I found myself wishing the story would slow down and let the characters breathe a little more.

Still, there were moments of warmth and beauty. One line that stuck with me was Frankie describing the house as smelling sort of sad, like an old, abandoned fox den. It was little things like that that hinted at a more emotional core underneath all the jokes.

I didn’t dislike it—I’m glad I read it. But it didn’t wow me either. Good for fans of stories like The Travelling Cat Chronicles or The Art of Racing in the Rain, especially if you enjoy a bit of snark and a cat’s-eye view of the world.

3.5 ⭐️

Upon reading the synopsis, I wanted to read this. After moving to the rural countryside my husband heard about a cat who needed a home. We already had a cat, and a dog, but there was something about this cat. Her name was Frankie and she had been homeless and was currently living with a 90+ year old who could no longer care for her and the other two cats he had. So considering our own Frankie, I definitely wanted to read about another Frankie.

The book’s Frankie is a very, very wonderful and enjoyable character, and the whole story is utterly heartwarming. I laughed, I cried, I adored Frankie’s musings, and though the book deals with heavy life issues, Frankie’s outlook, and the lightheartedness of the writing shines. I really and truly enjoyed this story.

Recommended!



Thank you to Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the DRC

This was such a good book! I really appreciated having the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this English translation from Netgalley. This style story is one of my favorites, hearing perspectives from both the animal AND human characters. I was surprised at times, and really enojoyed this emotional story!

Frankie is an absolute delight! As the characters in the book grapple with heavy issues, clever and charming Frankie will make you laugh and see the lighter side of life as only a cat can. Whatever you like to call those books that warm your heart, this is "feel-good-fiction" at its best. It's a short book and the pages turn themselves, so my only complaint is that my time with Frankie went by too quickly!

“Frankie” by Maxim Leo and J.M. Gutsch is such a beautifully written, heartwarming story where I laughed and even cried. The story is told from a cat’s point of view about life and the humans they encounter. The cat’s name is Frankie, and when he ends up with his owner named Richard Gold, we see how Frankie sees him through his eyes. There were difficult topics discussed that were thought provoking. It makes you begin to wonder what our pets are thinking when they see us go through our difficulties in life. The way Frankie felt about his experiences regarding these difficult topics, actually had me tearing up. There were so many beautiful, profound quotes to take away from this book. It was a short read, but it was so impactful. It reminds you of how important you may be to a pet. I definitely think this could be a series with multiple stories told from Frankie’s perspective. I absolutely loved it.

This is going to grab your heart and twist in the best way. Many of us know that animals can mysteriously put themselves into our lives when we need them most and this book is about that. But from the cat's point of view. If you have ever or now, love an animal like they are your kids, this is for you. If you have been on the edhe of giving up and gotten a boop from a furred friend, this is for you. Honestly, this is for everyone.