Saving Francesca (Saving Francesca #1)

Actually, there's no other way to rate this book other than giving it 5 shinning stars. And just like Jellicoe Road I'm speechless. What to say about Marchetta which hasn't already been said? If you still haven't read at least one of her books I just can't take you as a serious reader. Her books are always on people's favorite shelves. If you in fact didn't like her books then we can't be friends anymore. I'm just joking but I'm afraid you'll lose my respect. Now, I'm serious this time.

Francesca's mum is suffering from depression and Frankie doesn't know how to coordinate the new all boys school she's attending and the quiet life at home. She's also struggling to find herself. She had to pretend around her old friends and she was always judged for being loud and a show-off. Now that's she's in this new school where there are just thirty girls she can't express herself so she mostly keeps her mouth shut. But she slowly discovers there are people who see her for who she really is and sooner or later she'll have to open up and let them in.

Marchetta books always have great characters. I'm not only talking about the main characters but also those really small ones. In Saving Francesca there were jewels like Thomas Mackee, Jimmy Hailer, Tara Finke and Will Trombal. *ahem* Most of them are guys but they were the ones who shined and captured my attention. Most of the people like Tom or Will but I have a soft spot for Jimmy. He start of as a bully but he's also the sort of guy who'll follow you home and eat dinner at your place. He's just so weird and funny but I like this sort of people in books and in real life. Tom was also fun with his burps, kissing noises and farts. I have the second book, The Piper's Son so I'll read it soon and find out more about Tom. He was a very secretive person in Francesca's story.

There was this one scene where Tom calls girls Bitch Spice, Butch Spice, Slut Spice, and Stupid Spice and they spend the next 2 pages trying to figure out which one is which. It's such an ordinary thing people do when they're hanging out it was just like I was there with them.

Marchetta pulled me into her world right after the first page and makes me tear up in the end. She bring out happy tears from my cold heart I can't help but love her for it. She truly is a contemporary Queen. No one can compare to her work.

Reader reviewed by abscae

This book reached me in a place within my soul I never go into. I could completely relate to this story. Francis's voice is so real I think this actually happened. When I read it, it was like living through the book, feeling her pain, helplessness and anxiety. I found my self laughing out loud and smiling throughout the book as well as crying. Just one word to the public. You don't find many books like these and it is truly special. You find yourself believeing in yourself and finding faith through francesca's raw, emotional words. If I could find more books like these, I would live off them.

Reader reviewed by ToRi

This book shows real life issues not just stories about things that never happen(not that that's a bad thing) But it shows things that really do happen to people everyday like a parent seperating or moving schools.
you should really read this book!!

Reader reviewed by Thuy-Kim

Melinda Marchetta's second novel 'Saving Francesca' is a huge success among teenagers due the small areas in which she throws in sarcastic ideas towards life that ingeniously created her teenage fanbase.

The story is told through the eyes of Francesca who has to deal with moving to a new school, a depressed mother and coping with life's little surprises. Francesca's life was ordinary until she was forced by her mother to move to recently co-ed school, much to the dismay of many parents but her own. Now she is forced to make it through her last schooling years without her rock; her mother, whilst searching for the core reason of her mother's depression.

Marchetta's clever plot revolves around the themes of realtionships, coping with stress and high school life to help teenagers find a source of comfort in which they can relate; to help them through the up and downs of the rollercoaster that is life.

I believe this book to be truly inspiring and motivational and recommend this book for all teenagers.

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

Francesca Spinelli's proactive mother has forced her to go to St. Sebastian's School for Boys, recently made co-ed by giving the girls a toilet. Francesca would rather go to the other school with her friends, instead of being stuck at Sebastian's with an unusual group of people, including:
Siobhan, her ex-best friend and infamous slut;
Tara Finke, feminist and activisit extraordinaire;
Justine, an accordian player;
Thomas Mackee, whose specialty is farting and teasing the girls;
Jimmy, over-friendly upperclassmen who terrifies younger kids simply by asking them questions and who's determined to make himself a fifth member of Francesca's family;
and Will Trombal, their surly prefect whom Francesca can't stop thinking about.

She thinks that's bad, but it gets worse when her mother succumbs to depression and lies in bed for months at a time. Too late, Francesca realizes that she is more like her mother than she realized, and that the family needs her to feel complete.

Australian author Melina Marchetta's second book is jam-packed with wit and poignancy. It will make you laugh over and over and tug at your heartstrings. SAVING FRANCESCA is nearly perfect; now it just needs a large fan base.

Reader reviewed by linda

Francesca starts her first year at an all-boys' school that has decided to accept 30 girls. Francesca is not comfortable with the guys or any of the "misfit" girls from her old school but in the end she realizes her snobby friends from her old school supressed her real personality. Even though school starts to get better for her as she bonds with the girls and even some of the unusaul guys, her mother's deep depression is affecting her whole family. Her father's choice to ignore the problem makes Francesca very angry and she lashes out at him with powerful statements.

Reader reviewed by Leslie J. de la Rosa

You know the feeling when you feel your life is slowly falling apart and their’s nothing you can do about it. You feel lonely and scared and you just want everything to go back to normal. Well Francesca is lonely and scared her mother, the most self-assured woman in the world, has just entered a series of depression and Francesca has also just moved to a new school were only 30 girls attend. As you can see things aren’t looking so well for her. She has trouble dealing with what’s happening to her mother and people in school are not making her day any better, until she made some friends. She doesn’t notice it at first but they are gradually getting close to one another. I couldn’t put this book down for a second. It’s really good. I can’t wait to read her other book.

Reader reviewed by GreenAngel

Francesca has recently been moved to a all boys turned co-ed school. She says it's like living in a big fishbowl with lot's of other fish. None of her friends attend this new school. Secondly, her mother fall under a depression and her whole family starts to break apart due to this. And finally, she meet Will, the most annoying boy she has known.

Reader reviewed by Janet

This book, about Francesca Spinelli, follows her through her mother's depression, trying to fit in at a formerly all-boys Catholic school that has, for the first time, allowed girls to attend, and obviously, her falling in love. Yes, I know. Sounds very cliche. However, it is written so wonderfully detailed and realistically that teenagers can easily identify with her. The dialog is very realistic to language nowadays, does not lack humor, and is easily read. It is good for light reading and just something entertaining.

Reader reviewed by shopgirl

Francesca Spinelli is having a rough time. A formerly all-boys school has recently gone co-ed, and her mother insisted Francesca attend this school rather than the school she is used to - the one where all her friends are.

Then things go from bad to worse, because one day, Francesca's mom Mia, doesn't get out of bed. This throws off the whole family dynamic, because Francesca, her brother Luca, and their father all depend on Mia to get everyone going in the mornings. Mia refuses to get up, Francesca's father won't talk about the problem, Luca is pushing Francesca for answers, and Francesca is just floundering.

Things get really bad because Francesca's dad decides to split up the family. He will stay home to take care of Mia, and Luca and Francesca will be separated and go to various family members's homes for the duration.

And then finally, just when Francesca thinks she can't handle anymore, enter Will Trombal. The handsome but irritating boy that Francesca insists she hates. And he seems to feel the same way towards her... or does he?

I loved this book. The mystery surrounding Mia's illness, and what triggers it, is something very personal and something that a lot of people still today do not wish to talk about. I applaud Ms. Marchetta for taking on this heavy subject and showing how with help, people can recover, but it is a slow moving process, rather than something that can be cured with one dose of drugs, as so many people often assume.

For balance, Ms. Marchetta has thrown in a romantic element between Francesca and Will. On the surface, this seems to be too much for one character to handle, but Marchetta's voice handles this deftly and demonstrates how teenagers often have too much going on in their lives, but manage things quite well in spite of that.

It's not so much that the book has taboo content as it does serious content, and due to that, I would recommend this one for ages 14 and up.