Book Review: Frannie in Pieces
Rated by 1 member
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this book deals with the death of
a parent. A teen works through grief that leaves her angry,
sad, depressed, and at times, mean to those around her. A dead
body is described and suicide is briefly contemplated. There is
a period of obsession with death and mentions of various ways
to die.
Families can talk about losing a loved one and the different ways grief expresses itself. How did Frannie's family and friends react to her throughout the book? How do you identify with different characters?
Common Sense Media Review
FRANNIE IN PIECES is a wonderful, moving, and honest book
about the emotions of one teen struggling with losing her
father and dealing with everything that follows.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants screenwriter Delia Ephron really understands the mind of a teenage girl. The typical angst and exasperation with adults and the opposite sex is present, compounded by the overwhelming grief Frannie feels. Ephron weaves a very real, very current story with laughter and tears and then sprinkles in a little fantasy courtesy of the puzzle Frannie finds, handmade by her father.
The exploration of the puzzle's picture got tedious with long and multiple descriptions of villa roofs and what-not; perhaps artistic readers will appreciate it, but that's it. That aside, teens will love and identify with Frannie and her quirks while parents will identify with Laura, Frannie's mom and the "less fun parent." Readers will cheer over Frannie's breakthrough while appreciating the long road that is grief.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
