What do you think?
Rate this book
Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia
Frenchie Garcia can’t come to grips with the death of Andy Cooper. Her friends didn’t know she had a crush him. And they don’t know she was the last person with him before he committed suicide. But Frenchie’s biggest concern is how she blindly helped him die that night.
Frenchie’s already insane obsession with death and Emily Dickinson won’t help her understand the role she played during Andy’s “one night of adventure.” But when she meets Colin, she may have found the perfect opportunity to recreate that night. While exploring the emotional depth of loss and transition to adulthood, Sanchez’s sharp humor and clever observations bring forth a richly developed voice.
Frenchie’s already insane obsession with death and Emily Dickinson won’t help her understand the role she played during Andy’s “one night of adventure.” But when she meets Colin, she may have found the perfect opportunity to recreate that night. While exploring the emotional depth of loss and transition to adulthood, Sanchez’s sharp humor and clever observations bring forth a richly developed voice.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
11 people are currently reading
1502 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
March 30, 2013
I read this book at the suggestion of my fiance, who won it in a Goodreads giveaway. It was a book that immediately got my attention when I started reading and kept my attention throughout. It's a book that most of us can connect with on some level, as grief is a universal feeling we all experience at some point in our lives.
This book is written for the YA audience but as an almost-50-year-old I found it compelling. The author has done what often amazes me: she has managed to put words to paper that make a reader say "yes, that's exactly how it feels!". I've tried in vain in the past to find words to describe grief and have never been able to do it. However, I immediately recognized the feeling when I started reading Ms. Sanchez's book. She somehow managed to capture the weight, the lethargy, the sadness, the anger, and the confusion in a way that was immediately raw and familiar.
Frenchie's journey through grief is poignant and touching. Anyone who has lost someone close will be able to identify with her; anyone who has not yet lost anyone close will get a taste of what grief feels like. Ms. Sanchez's ability to bring clarity to a jumbled tangle of feelings, particularly in a way that will appeal to younger (teen) readers, is masterful.
This book is written for the YA audience but as an almost-50-year-old I found it compelling. The author has done what often amazes me: she has managed to put words to paper that make a reader say "yes, that's exactly how it feels!". I've tried in vain in the past to find words to describe grief and have never been able to do it. However, I immediately recognized the feeling when I started reading Ms. Sanchez's book. She somehow managed to capture the weight, the lethargy, the sadness, the anger, and the confusion in a way that was immediately raw and familiar.
Frenchie's journey through grief is poignant and touching. Anyone who has lost someone close will be able to identify with her; anyone who has not yet lost anyone close will get a taste of what grief feels like. Ms. Sanchez's ability to bring clarity to a jumbled tangle of feelings, particularly in a way that will appeal to younger (teen) readers, is masterful.
June 5, 2013
"I close my eyes and try to focus only on the buzz and the pain, but all I can see is Andy. Andy in his room, alone, swallowing pills, lying down and convulsing to death. Is that how it went? Did he maybe change his mind halfway through it, but it was too late? He couldn't even get up to get help? Or was every agonizing second better than what he was leaving behind?"
-Quoted from an unfinished ARC
I was nervous going into this one. Having not read anything by Emily Dickinson nor knowing much about her life I worried that I would miss out on a lot of the meaning of the story. I worried that I wouldn’t get some of the references in the text but that was completely unwarranted. While Dickinson’s work does make the odd appearance it is merely a stanza here and there or a mention of how she lived her life secluded. I was happy to see that she wasn’t a main focal point in the novel, instead her essence was merely a friend to our main character Frenchie.
Frenchie Garcia is a very dark character when we meet her. It’s clear right from the get go that she is dealing with some heavy stuff and attempting to come to terms with something very dark. I was surprised at how drab the novel felt to me in the beginning. Frenchie was depressed, she was in a bad place and began pushing everyone away from her because of it. What was beautiful in the story is how she begins to dig herself out. We get to watch her come to terms with the sudden death of Andy Cooper and we get to watch her realize that the world isn’t as bad as she may think.
The person helping her most along the way is Colin. He’s a guy who has had a crush on her in the club scene for a while and he finds himself tagging along with Frenchie on a one night adventure. I really came to like him. He saw a beauty in Frenchie and dug in deep to get to her core and open her up. Watching these two as their relationship progressed was great. In a single night they open up to one another in ways that people in long term relationships don’t even do. There was a brutal honesty to their adventure and it was funny, sweet and at times brought me to tears.
I think what worked so well for this novel is the way it was told. We are Frenchie months after Andy’s death and their one night together and we get to follow her as she recreates the night with Colin. As she visits all the sites of that night we also get interspersed chapters that tells of the original night with Andy. I loved watching the parallels between the two nights. The excitement of the night with Andy was palpable and I could really sense how it affected Frenchie deeply. Upon recreating the night I felt like I was searching along with her. I found myself dissecting absolutely everything that Andy said to try to find out why he took his life.
A rather depressing novel that does find the light in the end, Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is one that I highly recommend. It’s full of interesting outlooks and features a wonderful budding romance. If you’re looking for a darker contemporary read that is full of honesty then this could be a good place to start.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
--
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
I was nervous going into this one. Having not read anything by Emily Dickinson nor knowing much about her life I worried that I would miss out on a lot of the meaning of the story. I worried that I wouldn’t get some of the references in the text but that was completely unwarranted. While Dickinson’s work does make the odd appearance it is merely a stanza here and there or a mention of how she lived her life secluded. I was happy to see that she wasn’t a main focal point in the novel, instead her essence was merely a friend to our main character Frenchie.
Frenchie Garcia is a very dark character when we meet her. It’s clear right from the get go that she is dealing with some heavy stuff and attempting to come to terms with something very dark. I was surprised at how drab the novel felt to me in the beginning. Frenchie was depressed, she was in a bad place and began pushing everyone away from her because of it. What was beautiful in the story is how she begins to dig herself out. We get to watch her come to terms with the sudden death of Andy Cooper and we get to watch her realize that the world isn’t as bad as she may think.
The person helping her most along the way is Colin. He’s a guy who has had a crush on her in the club scene for a while and he finds himself tagging along with Frenchie on a one night adventure. I really came to like him. He saw a beauty in Frenchie and dug in deep to get to her core and open her up. Watching these two as their relationship progressed was great. In a single night they open up to one another in ways that people in long term relationships don’t even do. There was a brutal honesty to their adventure and it was funny, sweet and at times brought me to tears.
I think what worked so well for this novel is the way it was told. We are Frenchie months after Andy’s death and their one night together and we get to follow her as she recreates the night with Colin. As she visits all the sites of that night we also get interspersed chapters that tells of the original night with Andy. I loved watching the parallels between the two nights. The excitement of the night with Andy was palpable and I could really sense how it affected Frenchie deeply. Upon recreating the night I felt like I was searching along with her. I found myself dissecting absolutely everything that Andy said to try to find out why he took his life.
A rather depressing novel that does find the light in the end, Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is one that I highly recommend. It’s full of interesting outlooks and features a wonderful budding romance. If you’re looking for a darker contemporary read that is full of honesty then this could be a good place to start.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
--
You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
January 30, 2013
Frenchie Garcia was that girl I kept a curious eye on in high school. You know the one...artistic and slightly mysterious, listens to indy music, owns her individuality, and makes smoking cigarettes look cool. I always wondered what her life was like compared to mine, and whether or not we were as different on the inside as we appeared to be on the outside.
Thanks to Frenchie's story, I think I know the answer.
Sure she's obsessed with death, and chats it up with a dead Emily Dickinson at the cemetery down the street, but underneath it all Frenchie's just like anybody else. She's just a regular girl trying to sort out her feelings after experiencing the most exciting, and simultaneously horrifying, night of her life.
DEATH, DICKINSON, AND THE DEMENTED LIFE OF FRENCHIE GARCIA was a fast, fun, emotionally charged read that had me turning pages like a crazy person. Ms. Torres Sanchez delivered another charming story showcasing her ability to engage readers in a thoughtful and genuine way without watering down the integrity of her characters.
Thanks to Frenchie's story, I think I know the answer.
Sure she's obsessed with death, and chats it up with a dead Emily Dickinson at the cemetery down the street, but underneath it all Frenchie's just like anybody else. She's just a regular girl trying to sort out her feelings after experiencing the most exciting, and simultaneously horrifying, night of her life.
DEATH, DICKINSON, AND THE DEMENTED LIFE OF FRENCHIE GARCIA was a fast, fun, emotionally charged read that had me turning pages like a crazy person. Ms. Torres Sanchez delivered another charming story showcasing her ability to engage readers in a thoughtful and genuine way without watering down the integrity of her characters.
February 7, 2017
READ THIS BOOK
March 16, 2013
As I say almost every time, I received this book via a GoodReads drawing. Despite this kind and consideration my candid opinions follow.
Our protagonist, Frenchie, is in a definite funk. She's generally a rather dark and dour character in the best of times but over the past four months things seem to have gotten steadily worse since that boy down the street committed suicide...
For the second time in three days I'm writing a review about characters dealing with grief. While the first was grief as viewed from the outside by many different people, this grief is specific, hidden and deeply personal. Nobody knows Frenchie is grieving because nobody knows why she would have any reason to be grieving for this boy to whom she has ostensibly no connection. As the plot unfolds we learn the story of their hidden connection and see the reason for her sense of loss.
In general when I read books in the "Young Adult" category I try to cut them a bit of slack. These are generally tuned down and simplified to fit comfortably into small and growing minds. Prepared though I was to make this allowance for this book I found it to be wholly unnecessary. Mrs Sanchez deals openly with a tough subject with no 'dumbing down.' Her characters are in real and obvious pain and deal with it in a way that is not only believable but moving.
Also when examining YA books I ask myself the simple question of whether I'd let my own teenager read the book. While there are a handful of profanities and some amount of smoking, this the real world and there's nothing that every kid hasn't heard 1,000 times by the time they're 13. Sanchez wonderfully balances a real world with the impressionability of her audience. The positive lessons provided about handling loss are more than ample repayment for any negative examples set.
In summary, I was touched by the author's portrayal of youthful grief and her protagonist was endearing and relatable even with the burden of her terrible secret. Weighing in at a 3-hour read it was a morning well spent and a helpful book to anyone dealing with loss. This book is what YA literature should be. Real characters in real situations with real lessons to teach to readers. You can keep your vampires and zombies. Sanchez has hit the proverbial nail firmly on the head.
Our protagonist, Frenchie, is in a definite funk. She's generally a rather dark and dour character in the best of times but over the past four months things seem to have gotten steadily worse since that boy down the street committed suicide...
For the second time in three days I'm writing a review about characters dealing with grief. While the first was grief as viewed from the outside by many different people, this grief is specific, hidden and deeply personal. Nobody knows Frenchie is grieving because nobody knows why she would have any reason to be grieving for this boy to whom she has ostensibly no connection. As the plot unfolds we learn the story of their hidden connection and see the reason for her sense of loss.
In general when I read books in the "Young Adult" category I try to cut them a bit of slack. These are generally tuned down and simplified to fit comfortably into small and growing minds. Prepared though I was to make this allowance for this book I found it to be wholly unnecessary. Mrs Sanchez deals openly with a tough subject with no 'dumbing down.' Her characters are in real and obvious pain and deal with it in a way that is not only believable but moving.
Also when examining YA books I ask myself the simple question of whether I'd let my own teenager read the book. While there are a handful of profanities and some amount of smoking, this the real world and there's nothing that every kid hasn't heard 1,000 times by the time they're 13. Sanchez wonderfully balances a real world with the impressionability of her audience. The positive lessons provided about handling loss are more than ample repayment for any negative examples set.
In summary, I was touched by the author's portrayal of youthful grief and her protagonist was endearing and relatable even with the burden of her terrible secret. Weighing in at a 3-hour read it was a morning well spent and a helpful book to anyone dealing with loss. This book is what YA literature should be. Real characters in real situations with real lessons to teach to readers. You can keep your vampires and zombies. Sanchez has hit the proverbial nail firmly on the head.
June 7, 2013
"Nope" I say. "But I believe in assholes at first sight."
~Frenchie to Colin on the topic of love at first sight
Death Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia (quite the mouthful of a title huh?) took me by surprise. Going into Death Dickinson I really wasn't sure what to expect, the premise sounded promising, but I hadn't really heard much about it. I decided even though I hadn't heard much on it, I was going to take a chance on it, and boy, am I glad I did.
No one knew that Frenchie had a crush on Andy Cooper for quite sometime. So when he dies from suicide no one knows it has turned Frenchie's world upside down and has filled her with emotions she doesn't know what to do with. No one knows that Frenchie was the last person with him before he committed suicide.
This was a very raw and touching read, Jenny Torres writes everything beautifully, while reading I really felt like I was there with Frenchie, feeling what she was feeling and wishing she would find a way out of the sea of grief she was submerged under. I flew through this book in two sittings and could not get enough of Jenny's writing. After reading Death Dickinson I plan on reading Jenny Torres's other novel The Downside of Being Charlie very soon, I am so glad to have been introduced to a new author that is so talented.
My personal favorite part of Death Dickinson, was easily Frenchie. Frenchie isn't your usual YA main character, she mysterious,artistic, and more to her self (she was also hilarious). Which is why I liked her so much, she was so different, so different than I am and so different than other YA characters are. She's unique, and bold. I found myself wishing she was someone I knew in real life. Also besides Frenchie I really liked Colin.
This is a book I suggest to anyone that is looking for a beautiful (and realistic) story on a girl going through and getting over some heavy grief. Frenchie is a character that is not the norm, but I believe she is a character alot of readers will fall in love with and have you feeling like she is real and not just a character in a book. This is a book that will tug at your heart strings, entertain, and teach you a great life lesson all in one.
Death Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia (quite the mouthful of a title huh?) took me by surprise. Going into Death Dickinson I really wasn't sure what to expect, the premise sounded promising, but I hadn't really heard much about it. I decided even though I hadn't heard much on it, I was going to take a chance on it, and boy, am I glad I did.
No one knew that Frenchie had a crush on Andy Cooper for quite sometime. So when he dies from suicide no one knows it has turned Frenchie's world upside down and has filled her with emotions she doesn't know what to do with. No one knows that Frenchie was the last person with him before he committed suicide.
This was a very raw and touching read, Jenny Torres writes everything beautifully, while reading I really felt like I was there with Frenchie, feeling what she was feeling and wishing she would find a way out of the sea of grief she was submerged under. I flew through this book in two sittings and could not get enough of Jenny's writing. After reading Death Dickinson I plan on reading Jenny Torres's other novel The Downside of Being Charlie very soon, I am so glad to have been introduced to a new author that is so talented.
My personal favorite part of Death Dickinson, was easily Frenchie. Frenchie isn't your usual YA main character, she mysterious,artistic, and more to her self (she was also hilarious). Which is why I liked her so much, she was so different, so different than I am and so different than other YA characters are. She's unique, and bold. I found myself wishing she was someone I knew in real life. Also besides Frenchie I really liked Colin.
This is a book I suggest to anyone that is looking for a beautiful (and realistic) story on a girl going through and getting over some heavy grief. Frenchie is a character that is not the norm, but I believe she is a character alot of readers will fall in love with and have you feeling like she is real and not just a character in a book. This is a book that will tug at your heart strings, entertain, and teach you a great life lesson all in one.
June 6, 2013
Jenny Torres Sanchez’s Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is the detailed rendering of a young person’s grief. For Frenchie Garcia, she’s always been that person in high school who is a bit different from everyone else. She certainly portrayed a dark but unique individuality. She’s fully artistic and there was something mysterious about her. When a night that started off as exhilarating ended up being horrifying, author Jenny weaves a clever and unique story that shows that even the dark and mysterious Frenchie is like any regular girl trying to deal with some very heavy emotions.
Although Emily Dickinson’s name is within the title of the book, there’s no need to worry about missing out key points of the story if you don’t know anything about her. There are mentions of Dickinson’s work in the book but remains to be outside of the focal point. Dickinson was cleverly used as a friend to Frenchie.
This is certainly one of those books that play with your heart and feelings. The story’s direction to detail Frenchie’s accounts on handling a death, particularly the suicide of Andy, was well-written. The writing is able to carry readers in a fully-engaging way that it was easy to comprehend how Frenchie was able to pull herself out of a dark and depressing place.
The relationship between Frenchie and Colin is full of honesty and it was amazing to read how Frenchie tried to recreate that eventful night with Colin. I felt immersing myself in each moment as Frenchie was, trying to dissever that fateful night to see why Andy had taken his life.
Just like an amazing book that seems rather depressing throughout, Jenny’s amazing writing is able to convey the story and reminds readers that through the dark tunnel, there’s always a light at the other end. It is filled with an interesting outlook at how one person is trying to sort things out that had powerful impacts in their lives. Frenchie’s grief and her journey to overcome it are very touching. Her story is identifiable, especially to anyone who has lost someone close. Jenny’s Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is an amazing story that takes a very sensitive and moving subject, and transform it into a beautiful story that will appeal to readers.
Although Emily Dickinson’s name is within the title of the book, there’s no need to worry about missing out key points of the story if you don’t know anything about her. There are mentions of Dickinson’s work in the book but remains to be outside of the focal point. Dickinson was cleverly used as a friend to Frenchie.
This is certainly one of those books that play with your heart and feelings. The story’s direction to detail Frenchie’s accounts on handling a death, particularly the suicide of Andy, was well-written. The writing is able to carry readers in a fully-engaging way that it was easy to comprehend how Frenchie was able to pull herself out of a dark and depressing place.
The relationship between Frenchie and Colin is full of honesty and it was amazing to read how Frenchie tried to recreate that eventful night with Colin. I felt immersing myself in each moment as Frenchie was, trying to dissever that fateful night to see why Andy had taken his life.
Just like an amazing book that seems rather depressing throughout, Jenny’s amazing writing is able to convey the story and reminds readers that through the dark tunnel, there’s always a light at the other end. It is filled with an interesting outlook at how one person is trying to sort things out that had powerful impacts in their lives. Frenchie’s grief and her journey to overcome it are very touching. Her story is identifiable, especially to anyone who has lost someone close. Jenny’s Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is an amazing story that takes a very sensitive and moving subject, and transform it into a beautiful story that will appeal to readers.
August 16, 2013
My immediate reaction to this book was "holy shit I am in love!" (yea yea, sorry for dropping a curse word). Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is a beautifully written young adult novel. Filled with philosophical questions and deep emotion, this novel was a stunner. I had anticipated that I would enjoy the book and would recommend it to my students- I didn't anticipate charging through all 272 pages in one evening. Jenny Torres Sanchez did a marvelous job creating deep characters with rushing emotions. Frenchie is a character that I think a lot of teens can relate to - especially those who lean towards the macabre. I certainly saw a bit of my (teenage) self in her.. that teenage angst that always rears its ugly (but necessary) head. The set up for the story is all there too- a good amount of build up to the story of Andy and his death, as well as Frenchie exposing herself to the reader. Sanchez also weaved the beautiful and desperate Emily Dickinson into this story, giving it yet another layer.
Love, loss, life, death, growing up... it is all packed into this novel- and it gives a mighty punch. The philosophical questioning that arises throughout is incredible. I felt myself nodding in agreement and praising Frenchie's wisdom as I read the story.
This young adult novel is a transitional tale - one that will help teens who are struggling to find their footing in this mad mad world. It will help kids dealing with death and loss. The cast of characters can help kids navigate through those muddy times of change within their lives. As Frenchie shares her story of that fateful night with Andy, it can shed light for those struggling with their own depression or that of a loved one.
This novel is incredible. I loved every minute of it and have already sung its praises to my colleagues and students. I would highly recommend this novel. Seriously- stop reading this post and go get yourself a copy.
Love, loss, life, death, growing up... it is all packed into this novel- and it gives a mighty punch. The philosophical questioning that arises throughout is incredible. I felt myself nodding in agreement and praising Frenchie's wisdom as I read the story.
This young adult novel is a transitional tale - one that will help teens who are struggling to find their footing in this mad mad world. It will help kids dealing with death and loss. The cast of characters can help kids navigate through those muddy times of change within their lives. As Frenchie shares her story of that fateful night with Andy, it can shed light for those struggling with their own depression or that of a loved one.
This novel is incredible. I loved every minute of it and have already sung its praises to my colleagues and students. I would highly recommend this novel. Seriously- stop reading this post and go get yourself a copy.
February 4, 2013
There's something clearly wrong with Frenchie: she's depressed, doesn't want to hang out with her friends (even as Joel is pulling away because of his involvement with Lily), didn't get into art school and doesn't seem to care, and when Robyn tries to set her up with Colin she's rude and obnoxious. Then, at the depths of her despair, she asks Colin to hang out with her one night - a night the mimics the night she spent with Andy Cooper, recent suicide and former classmate.
Their night is relatively stereotypical teen rebellion (swimming in the ocean at night, trying to "steal" a swan boat, getting a tattoo, etc.) and Frenchie is somehow convinced that she missed a clue, a sign, that could have saved Andy. It's something that probably every friend of a suicide wishes they could have done, that if they somehow relive the last time they were together they could change something and the friend would still be alive.
In that way, this book gets it right. The problem is twofold, however: Emily Dickinson seems randomly chosen to be a friend/mentor (if Frenchie's an artist, why doesn't she have an artist to talk to?) and I really didn't care about Frenchie. Her problems and despair just didn't move me.
ARC provided by publisher.
Their night is relatively stereotypical teen rebellion (swimming in the ocean at night, trying to "steal" a swan boat, getting a tattoo, etc.) and Frenchie is somehow convinced that she missed a clue, a sign, that could have saved Andy. It's something that probably every friend of a suicide wishes they could have done, that if they somehow relive the last time they were together they could change something and the friend would still be alive.
In that way, this book gets it right. The problem is twofold, however: Emily Dickinson seems randomly chosen to be a friend/mentor (if Frenchie's an artist, why doesn't she have an artist to talk to?) and I really didn't care about Frenchie. Her problems and despair just didn't move me.
ARC provided by publisher.
May 15, 2017
I read this book in my Hispanic good books class. I think that Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is a very well written book. I have not read a book since August of 2016 because my mother had burned our house down and is now in jail for arson, and reading was the only thing that kept us close. Just like Frenchie was searching for closure, I think I found mine by reading this book. I was able to be pulled out of my funk. This book gripped my attention throughout the whole thing. The emotion was deep and overpowering. I feel like I can relate to Frenchie in some ways (not the death part), but the depression, pulling away from friends and family, and not enjoying what i used to love (reading). I would love to read more books from Sanchez. Job well done. :)
June 12, 2013
**ORIGINALLY ON READ-A-HOLICZ, HERE!**
4.5 STARS:
AH! I needed that. Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia *long title* was such an EMOTIONAL, HEART CHURNING, INTENSE, PHILOSOPHICAL, and MOVING book that makes you question and ask about EVERYTHING! I was hooked from the first page which has an Emily Dickinson poem *Emily is my FAVORITE poets* and I really could not put this book down!
This book takes us through Frenchie's life after Andy Cooper. She spent this one amazing night with him *a guy she been crushing on* and then the next day she finds out he died! Killed himself!!! @_@ That would have messed me up too but Frenchie didn't feel like normal people she was strange, different, and a bit on the demented *crazy*, intense side; which made her feel A LOT more than just grief. She was such an interesting person to get to read about. She likes to spend her time talking to her *imaginary* dead person Emily Dickinson *not the famous one, another one :P* Frenchie doesn't understand WHY Andy took her on that ride that night or why he killed himself the day after.
So she goes on this quest one night with a guy she just met, Collin. I honestly LOVED Collin, if he was any other guy he might not have cared but he was different and as he said, "I don't mind strange things" so he stuck with Frenchie on HER night to recreate everything. As we go through that night and the night four months past, we get to see that sometimes life can be just life but then what is life really? right. Well theres TONS of philosophical conversations like that between Frenchie & Collin. There were also SO many parts were i was reading and was literally like this:
Is there a sub-plot? YES. You see Frenchie is depressed, she just doesn't see it. And I've lost someone just like Frenchie did and i understood what it was like to get that lost in your grief that nothing in this world feels the same. And you start to question, to thirst for the truth and sometimes the truth is that you won't really know the whole of it. We just have to deal. That's what Frenchie does and even though she kinda loses her Best friends for a bit she ultimately comes back and apologize's *even though I agree that Joel was kinda ignoring her & being jerkish*.
I think that going over that night, especially with Collin, helped her to finally come to terms with that night and finally get closure. I loved the ending! Especially when she goes to Andy's grave and buries him with the letter she wrote him. And especially cried when she read this:
Honestly I feel like Frenchie was stuck in a really bad place but after everything she comes out okay. She's learned many things and can now move on with life. She doesn't think in the negative *much* but tries to think better of life. I feel like she's lighter, happier at the end. She's still not certain about her future but she has Collin *whom is Sweet to hell* and she's in a good place. And that's all I could have wanted from Frenchie to have, happiness :)
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! It was such an intense book about loss and the search for the truth; with a little bit of romance thrown in ;D There's so many great quotes on life, love, and loss. I could NOT put it down. It's a MUST READ for those quiet summer night. I especially recommend it to readers who love intense books that will wretch your heart & EMOTIONS & filled with great thought provoking characters! I will so be looking at Jenny's other books!
4.5 STARS:
AH! I needed that. Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia *long title* was such an EMOTIONAL, HEART CHURNING, INTENSE, PHILOSOPHICAL, and MOVING book that makes you question and ask about EVERYTHING! I was hooked from the first page which has an Emily Dickinson poem *Emily is my FAVORITE poets* and I really could not put this book down!
This book takes us through Frenchie's life after Andy Cooper. She spent this one amazing night with him *a guy she been crushing on* and then the next day she finds out he died! Killed himself!!! @_@ That would have messed me up too but Frenchie didn't feel like normal people she was strange, different, and a bit on the demented *crazy*, intense side; which made her feel A LOT more than just grief. She was such an interesting person to get to read about. She likes to spend her time talking to her *imaginary* dead person Emily Dickinson *not the famous one, another one :P* Frenchie doesn't understand WHY Andy took her on that ride that night or why he killed himself the day after.
So she goes on this quest one night with a guy she just met, Collin. I honestly LOVED Collin, if he was any other guy he might not have cared but he was different and as he said, "I don't mind strange things" so he stuck with Frenchie on HER night to recreate everything. As we go through that night and the night four months past, we get to see that sometimes life can be just life but then what is life really? right. Well theres TONS of philosophical conversations like that between Frenchie & Collin. There were also SO many parts were i was reading and was literally like this:
Is there a sub-plot? YES. You see Frenchie is depressed, she just doesn't see it. And I've lost someone just like Frenchie did and i understood what it was like to get that lost in your grief that nothing in this world feels the same. And you start to question, to thirst for the truth and sometimes the truth is that you won't really know the whole of it. We just have to deal. That's what Frenchie does and even though she kinda loses her Best friends for a bit she ultimately comes back and apologize's *even though I agree that Joel was kinda ignoring her & being jerkish*.
I think that going over that night, especially with Collin, helped her to finally come to terms with that night and finally get closure. I loved the ending! Especially when she goes to Andy's grave and buries him with the letter she wrote him. And especially cried when she read this:
"And I'm sorry if I missed something that you were trying to tell me. But I can't keep going back to that night, because I'm in today. And I hope that tomorrow I'll be in tomorrow, because it does exist Andy, It does." -Frenchie, page 282
Honestly I feel like Frenchie was stuck in a really bad place but after everything she comes out okay. She's learned many things and can now move on with life. She doesn't think in the negative *much* but tries to think better of life. I feel like she's lighter, happier at the end. She's still not certain about her future but she has Collin *whom is Sweet to hell* and she's in a good place. And that's all I could have wanted from Frenchie to have, happiness :)
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! It was such an intense book about loss and the search for the truth; with a little bit of romance thrown in ;D There's so many great quotes on life, love, and loss. I could NOT put it down. It's a MUST READ for those quiet summer night. I especially recommend it to readers who love intense books that will wretch your heart & EMOTIONS & filled with great thought provoking characters! I will so be looking at Jenny's other books!
December 4, 2021
"but watch out for those dead guys. they'll break your heart".
September 6, 2015
Frenchie Garcia is stuck in a rut. With graduation in the rear-view mirror, it’s time for Frenchie to figure out her future. The problem is, she can’t seem to find the motivation. Ever since her classmate Andy Cooper died, Frenchie’s thoughts have revolved more and more around death. What no one knows is that Andy spent his last night with Frenchie and what she thought was the beginning of something ended up being his final goodbye to the world. Now Frenchie must find a way to accept what happened if she has a chance of moving on.
Jenny Torres Sanchez’s Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia deserves a lot more credit and attention than it’s been given. I’ve been making an effort to seek out more Latina authors and when I came across this one, I had to read it. Frenchie has been pulling away from her friends for months, seeking refuge at the cemetery down the road where she holds imaginary conversations with Emily Dickinson. While not the resting place of the real Emily Dickinson, her namesake feels pretty close enough. Drawn to the poet because her poetry often deals with death, Frenchie is prone to some pretty morbid thoughts herself and it’s quite clear she’s never dealt with the suicide of the boy she once liked. She’s cynical, moody, and likely to scowl at any given moment, which actually makes her incredibly relatable. Her standoffish and stubborn attitude toward those pushing her to become the girl she once was makes sense only to the reader who begins to understand how Frenchie’s and Andy’s lives intersect as the story moves forward.
I loved the way this novel was structured, weaving together Frenchie’s present with the night she spent with Andy. Frenchie deals with issues of guilt, struggles with an answer to Andy’s suicide, and the muddiness that has become her own thoughts. A part of her feels responsible for his death and with no one to talk to, she’s left drowning in this unhealthy mindset. Her relationships have suffered, most notable is her friendship with her best friend Joel. She’s always been able to count on him, but when she needed him most, he wasn’t there and the chasm between the two keeps growing as his relationship with his girlfriend grows more serious. While her friends prepare to embark on new adventures, Frenchie looks ahead and sees a dead end and in many ways hopes for it.
Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is both tragic as well as cathartic, dark with a glimmer of hope. It’s a novel I highly recommend to anyone interested in exploring issues of death, guilt, and of course, Emily Dickinson.
“I feel that steady beat in my head, Em. I march through my days like those mourners, but I feel like I’m in that box, too. There’s a funeral in my brain. How do I make it stop?”
Jenny Torres Sanchez’s Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia deserves a lot more credit and attention than it’s been given. I’ve been making an effort to seek out more Latina authors and when I came across this one, I had to read it. Frenchie has been pulling away from her friends for months, seeking refuge at the cemetery down the road where she holds imaginary conversations with Emily Dickinson. While not the resting place of the real Emily Dickinson, her namesake feels pretty close enough. Drawn to the poet because her poetry often deals with death, Frenchie is prone to some pretty morbid thoughts herself and it’s quite clear she’s never dealt with the suicide of the boy she once liked. She’s cynical, moody, and likely to scowl at any given moment, which actually makes her incredibly relatable. Her standoffish and stubborn attitude toward those pushing her to become the girl she once was makes sense only to the reader who begins to understand how Frenchie’s and Andy’s lives intersect as the story moves forward.
I loved the way this novel was structured, weaving together Frenchie’s present with the night she spent with Andy. Frenchie deals with issues of guilt, struggles with an answer to Andy’s suicide, and the muddiness that has become her own thoughts. A part of her feels responsible for his death and with no one to talk to, she’s left drowning in this unhealthy mindset. Her relationships have suffered, most notable is her friendship with her best friend Joel. She’s always been able to count on him, but when she needed him most, he wasn’t there and the chasm between the two keeps growing as his relationship with his girlfriend grows more serious. While her friends prepare to embark on new adventures, Frenchie looks ahead and sees a dead end and in many ways hopes for it.
Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia is both tragic as well as cathartic, dark with a glimmer of hope. It’s a novel I highly recommend to anyone interested in exploring issues of death, guilt, and of course, Emily Dickinson.
June 11, 2013
First off I want to thanks Jenny Torres Sanchez for this book I was very excited to read it and be on the tour with her and Book Nerd tours!
It’s a fast read but one that’s very emotional. For a young girl dealing with a death of a boy she liked was gripping. Frenchie is dealing with some pretty heavy stuff in this one and I was just hooked I wanted to know what happened to her and why she was so upset and depressed. I don’t want to give too much away because you will take the journey with Frenchie on trying to figure out why someone she really felt for had to die so soon.
Sanchez made me feel like I was right there in this one, I felt all the emotion in Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Gracia . I read this one in one day because I needed more but I did cry a few times and that I never do. I have never felt for one character in a story as I did in this one and really I loved it. This is an remarkable read for some one looing for closure but know this it is very heartbreaking and you will fell for each and every character in this story.
I know the blurb on Goodreads and here might give away a little, but when you read you really don’t understand why she is so crushed and when you that the journey you will and I cant wait to hear what you all think because I loved it! This was a hard review to write because there is SO much emotion in it and really we all will walk away form it with our own feelings!
It’s a fast read but one that’s very emotional. For a young girl dealing with a death of a boy she liked was gripping. Frenchie is dealing with some pretty heavy stuff in this one and I was just hooked I wanted to know what happened to her and why she was so upset and depressed. I don’t want to give too much away because you will take the journey with Frenchie on trying to figure out why someone she really felt for had to die so soon.
Sanchez made me feel like I was right there in this one, I felt all the emotion in Death, Dickinson and the Demented Life of Frenchie Gracia . I read this one in one day because I needed more but I did cry a few times and that I never do. I have never felt for one character in a story as I did in this one and really I loved it. This is an remarkable read for some one looing for closure but know this it is very heartbreaking and you will fell for each and every character in this story.
I know the blurb on Goodreads and here might give away a little, but when you read you really don’t understand why she is so crushed and when you that the journey you will and I cant wait to hear what you all think because I loved it! This was a hard review to write because there is SO much emotion in it and really we all will walk away form it with our own feelings!
August 5, 2013
This has become one of my favorites of 2013.
Going into this book I was expecting from the synopsis that is was going to be morbid, funny, and weird. It was still morbid but not funny or weird. It made me sad at parts and I nearly cried at certain parts of this book. Suicide is something that hits home for me, I used to get suicidal thoughts when I was younger and one of my friends when I was thirteen shot himself because he was gay. That changed my life and I will never forget him. I liked the romance because it was realistic and wasn't insta-love and I really enjoyed Frenchie as a character. I just loved this book lol
I will talking more about this in a book thoughts video coming to my book channel very soon.
and come back to this to fill it out a bit more. I just finished this book so I need a little time to get my shit together haha
- :)
Going into this book I was expecting from the synopsis that is was going to be morbid, funny, and weird. It was still morbid but not funny or weird. It made me sad at parts and I nearly cried at certain parts of this book. Suicide is something that hits home for me, I used to get suicidal thoughts when I was younger and one of my friends when I was thirteen shot himself because he was gay. That changed my life and I will never forget him. I liked the romance because it was realistic and wasn't insta-love and I really enjoyed Frenchie as a character. I just loved this book lol
I will talking more about this in a book thoughts video coming to my book channel very soon.
and come back to this to fill it out a bit more. I just finished this book so I need a little time to get my shit together haha
- :)
February 6, 2013
This is an excellent look at a teen at ends with death and its tragic, sudden reality. It is not sappy or melodramatic, but rather in touch with the reality of the myriad reactions to suicide. There is no universal truth to guide Frenchie through her rather unique predicament. And although she may hope for one, ultimately she ends up understanding the futility of such a search. But what she does learn about herself and about the fragility and importance of life is the heart of the story, and one well-rendered.
July 2, 2013
I wanted to give this 3.5 stars, but bumped it up a bit because it was good and we all know GoodReads has something against half stars! I liked the story and the characters, although they all had their moments of insanity and annoyingness. Sanchez's writing and plot has echoes of John Green's Paper Towns and a tiny bit of Chris Crutcher's penchant for darkness, so it will appeal to fans of those authors, but it still stands on its own and manages to be something unique. A good read, but a sad one at points.
May 18, 2015
4.5 stars!
That was great, exactly the kind of book I love.
I wished there was a bit more of a conclusion at the end, to wrap everything up more nicely, but I loved the themes in this: death and life and friendship, moving on from people and things you know and why people do things they do.
I enjoyed this a lot!
That was great, exactly the kind of book I love.
I wished there was a bit more of a conclusion at the end, to wrap everything up more nicely, but I loved the themes in this: death and life and friendship, moving on from people and things you know and why people do things they do.
I enjoyed this a lot!
April 4, 2013
I just fell in love with this book. Frenchie was one of those characters who I just clicked with. Dear Jenny, this book squeezed my heart real tight. LOVED.
August 2, 2023
I was initially attracted to this novel because (right away) you can tell it's going to include Dickinson fandom, and she's one of my favorite poets. And that part did not disappoint! I was even introduced to some more obscure poems of hers I've never come across before, which I appreciated.
But this novel is also very underrated. It's a very easy read, and yet, it covers a lot about mental health, death and grief, the weirdo/emo/punk image, introversion not meaning that you're just psychotic or on your period, how being artistic fits into that persona, intrusive thoughts, the inability to think about the future with hope or at all when you're in a scary place like that, whether life is meaningful and whether there's an afterlife, fantasizing about and fixating on your own death, why people try to escape the difficult present with things like substances, tattoos, and music (some of those things being more okay and helpful than others), who can accept you for who you are still and break past your daunting, dark exterior and understand you and stay with you --- all of that and more.
Frenchie's story is split into two different time periods about two different but parallel adventures with two very different boys, and it's all very realistic in terms of the subtlety of a mental health-betterment journey: a lot depends more on perspective or on someone reaching out to you like awesome Colin than anything dramatic.
I think that this is a really good book to open the conversation about a lot of things --- including how many of us hide what's slowly killing us --- rather than someone claiming a miracle that they can't promise. Torres Sanchez keeps it realistic, but overall, she also keeps the overall message about life and the human experience having a positive outlook.
Random stuff:
- Chapter 31 basically broke my heart.
- I liked the other death- and mental health-media allusions made throughout this book, too, like to Van Gogh and to Dia de Los Muertos.
- I like the idea that we emos and silent sufferers are all just "the slant rhyme of the world."
- Favorite quote: "It sucks to be alone, even when you want to be."
- Maybe Frenchie's tattoo will be like her own version of a semicolon.
All in all: if you have been inspired or touched by anything from Dear Evan Hansen and All the Bright Places to twenty one pilots and Yungblud, then this is a book for you.
But this novel is also very underrated. It's a very easy read, and yet, it covers a lot about mental health, death and grief, the weirdo/emo/punk image, introversion not meaning that you're just psychotic or on your period, how being artistic fits into that persona, intrusive thoughts, the inability to think about the future with hope or at all when you're in a scary place like that, whether life is meaningful and whether there's an afterlife, fantasizing about and fixating on your own death, why people try to escape the difficult present with things like substances, tattoos, and music (some of those things being more okay and helpful than others), who can accept you for who you are still and break past your daunting, dark exterior and understand you and stay with you --- all of that and more.
Frenchie's story is split into two different time periods about two different but parallel adventures with two very different boys, and it's all very realistic in terms of the subtlety of a mental health-betterment journey: a lot depends more on perspective or on someone reaching out to you like awesome Colin than anything dramatic.
I think that this is a really good book to open the conversation about a lot of things --- including how many of us hide what's slowly killing us --- rather than someone claiming a miracle that they can't promise. Torres Sanchez keeps it realistic, but overall, she also keeps the overall message about life and the human experience having a positive outlook.
Random stuff:
- Chapter 31 basically broke my heart.
- I liked the other death- and mental health-media allusions made throughout this book, too, like to Van Gogh and to Dia de Los Muertos.
- I like the idea that we emos and silent sufferers are all just "the slant rhyme of the world."
- Favorite quote: "It sucks to be alone, even when you want to be."
- Maybe Frenchie's tattoo will be like her own version of a semicolon.
All in all: if you have been inspired or touched by anything from Dear Evan Hansen and All the Bright Places to twenty one pilots and Yungblud, then this is a book for you.
September 18, 2018
3.75 stars.
I really liked this book.
There are some obvious flaws - an underwhelming ending, sometimes try-hard dialogue, and a bit of a rushed relationship. But hey, I think it well-written for the most part, and that as bitchy as Frenchie is, she is self-aware about her flaws, and genuinely accountable for them. I like the journey she takes, I think it is important.
I think the way suicide is portrayed in this novel is definitely unlike what I have ever read before. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say too much, but I think it was able to be respectful to the deceased, while still pointing out his flaws and not turning him into a tragic, saintly figure.
My main complaint is just that Frenchie didn't seek out help for her own mental health. She goes on this journey to come to terms with her guilt and trauma, regarding someone else's mental health, but does not fully address that she herself is mentally ill, while it is very clear she is suffering from something, including suicidal ideation. I am glad Frenchie was able to find comfort in her own process, but girl also probably needs real help, and it would have been nice if the author addressed that.
I really liked this book.
There are some obvious flaws - an underwhelming ending, sometimes try-hard dialogue, and a bit of a rushed relationship. But hey, I think it well-written for the most part, and that as bitchy as Frenchie is, she is self-aware about her flaws, and genuinely accountable for them. I like the journey she takes, I think it is important.
I think the way suicide is portrayed in this novel is definitely unlike what I have ever read before. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't say too much, but I think it was able to be respectful to the deceased, while still pointing out his flaws and not turning him into a tragic, saintly figure.
My main complaint is just that Frenchie didn't seek out help for her own mental health. She goes on this journey to come to terms with her guilt and trauma, regarding someone else's mental health, but does not fully address that she herself is mentally ill, while it is very clear she is suffering from something, including suicidal ideation. I am glad Frenchie was able to find comfort in her own process, but girl also probably needs real help, and it would have been nice if the author addressed that.
May 13, 2024
what's unfortunate about this book is that it has a very promising premise, it has decent themes & explores them well for a teen audience. the pacing is solid & the grief is well written ( it also has a sick cover ) - but like many dickinson inspired fiction it uses emily as an aesthetic rather than a true plot point. as this cryptid type ghoul of a poet who flourishes in death. not to mention, just an ounce more than a wiki page google search on emily would show that the image of a haunting woman in white who didn't let the world know her isn't factual. kids were not afraid of emily, in fact they adored her. her ' social outcast ' persona isn't entirely factual either. therefore the comparison to the protagonist is weak from the very beginning of the novel. this connection feels like a scapegoat, an edgy sort of way to include death centered poetry in a teen novel. the poems included are also the public domain versions, which feature words & structure NOT by emily.. if i weren't a intense dickinson fan, i might not notice. but i am. & i did.
May 15, 2018
This was a fast-paced read, but I couldn't really connect with it. I felt like I should, despite the fact that I'm not the intended audience, as I was similar to Frenchie in many ways as a teen (though I didn't hate dogs - this was an offhand comment about Frenchie at the start of the book and is never brought up again, but it made me immediately distrust her).
I feel like the structure of the book was a hurdle for my enjoyment. It's a third of the way through the story when we finally get Frenchie to start talking about the fact that she spent a night with Andy Cooper, the last night before he killed himself, and then everything after that felt disjointed for me.
Fans of 13 Reasons Why might enjoy this, and I see that many others liked it infinitely more than I did. This just wasn't my book. 3/5
I feel like the structure of the book was a hurdle for my enjoyment. It's a third of the way through the story when we finally get Frenchie to start talking about the fact that she spent a night with Andy Cooper, the last night before he killed himself, and then everything after that felt disjointed for me.
Fans of 13 Reasons Why might enjoy this, and I see that many others liked it infinitely more than I did. This just wasn't my book. 3/5
March 18, 2022
Honestly, I had no idea where this story was going to go since it was a little slow to start. But as I kept on reading, I was just pulled in and it became a very quick read. I fell in love with each of the characters and could relate to on some level; I even became teary-eyed and started to cry during the flashbacks and the present as we learned more about Frenchie and even Andy too. The themes this YA book dealt with: death, life, friendships, depression, suicide, etc. flowed together nicely and were believable. But I do feel like some relationships were rushed, along with an underwhleming ending. Overall, I thought it was a nice read.
January 24, 2024
first of all we love books that take place in orlando, secondly it gave me a reverse of looking for Alaska energy while also covering the topic of what happens to the people , who were in someones life before and after they ended it. my dad just recently lost a friend and it hurt me to see how much he blamed himself when he never knew how sad she truly was. it gives recognition to the people left behind and i think thats beautiful
May 12, 2024
I’m pretty sure this book altered my brain chemistry, and my view on life and death. It was just that good. As a lover of Emily Dickinson and a fellow poet, this book was perfection and I can definitely relate to the demented life of Frenchie Garcia in some aspects. I got this book at my local library looking to read about Emily Dickinson, and I can safely say that I’m not disappointed!
January 8, 2019
Very good YA read on a tough subject (teen suicide). Excellent for high school readers who are looking for something to read that’s not a school assignment. Easy reading, good plot with relatable characters.
August 26, 2017
A little slow to start, but I found that I kept wanting to know more and more!
June 29, 2018
3.5 stars
Very morbid and really had me down for a long time, but beautiful in its own way too, especially towards the end. I didn't appreciate how the author made smoking seem so cool.
Very morbid and really had me down for a long time, but beautiful in its own way too, especially towards the end. I didn't appreciate how the author made smoking seem so cool.
August 21, 2019
This was an ok contemporary I do wish it was longer! The ending felt a bit rushed to me but it is one that I enjoyed reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews