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Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn: A Novel
Francine Stevenson's chance encounter with a ten-year-old who shows up at her doorstep after her mother's sudden death spirals into an adventure for the ages
Francine Stevenson gets more than she bargained for when she rescues ten-year-old Davie from a group of bullies clamoring to snatch his beloved iPad. From that day forward the puzzlingly direct boy continues to show up at her door until the two develop a unique understanding. Their Pixar movie nights and Davie’s random Steve Jobs factoids slowly work to soothe the ache of her mother’s recent passing.
When Francine learns Davie is in foster care, she decides to introduce herself to his foster parents who she can’t help but judge for allowing the kid to spend evenings with a literal stranger.
To Francine’s surprise Davie’s foster mother is none other than Jeanette, her fiery high school crush. Their reintroduction forces Francine to face her severely single reality. And hearing her dreaded old nickname brings up long-buried issues she never dreamed of confronting.
Tired of being used by the women she meets on dating apps, Francine grows closer to the very-married Jeanette, until all her other priorities begin to cloud over, and Davie is only on the periphery of her mind. After a consecutive string of bad choices, Francine is left wondering how to free herself from an incredibly hot but toxic entanglement, as she works to become the kind of person Davie can depend on. What follows is a tumultuous journey of self-discovery told by one of the zaniest voices in fiction.
A tale of found family and hijinks, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn will wiggle deep into even the most resistant hearts.
Francine Stevenson gets more than she bargained for when she rescues ten-year-old Davie from a group of bullies clamoring to snatch his beloved iPad. From that day forward the puzzlingly direct boy continues to show up at her door until the two develop a unique understanding. Their Pixar movie nights and Davie’s random Steve Jobs factoids slowly work to soothe the ache of her mother’s recent passing.
When Francine learns Davie is in foster care, she decides to introduce herself to his foster parents who she can’t help but judge for allowing the kid to spend evenings with a literal stranger.
To Francine’s surprise Davie’s foster mother is none other than Jeanette, her fiery high school crush. Their reintroduction forces Francine to face her severely single reality. And hearing her dreaded old nickname brings up long-buried issues she never dreamed of confronting.
Tired of being used by the women she meets on dating apps, Francine grows closer to the very-married Jeanette, until all her other priorities begin to cloud over, and Davie is only on the periphery of her mind. After a consecutive string of bad choices, Francine is left wondering how to free herself from an incredibly hot but toxic entanglement, as she works to become the kind of person Davie can depend on. What follows is a tumultuous journey of self-discovery told by one of the zaniest voices in fiction.
A tale of found family and hijinks, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn will wiggle deep into even the most resistant hearts.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2025
23 people are currently reading
10559 people want to read
About the author
Renee Swindle
7 books132 followersRenee Swindle is the author of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn, A Pinch Of Ooh La La, Shake Down The Stars, and Please Please Please.
Instagram: reneewritesnovels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/reneeswindlebooks
Pre-order Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn: https://bit.ly/FrancinesCrashandBurn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
November 5, 2025
4/5
- This book is soooo powerful! It’s funny, fresh, and a unique story that kept me rooting for the fmc. The story really shows the depths of sadness that grief can take you and how it feels to crawl your way out of it. The humor in this book kept the story from feeling too heavy, while still touching on deeper themes which I loved.
- The writing in this book was so funny! Reminded me so much of Mia Mckenzie’s writing. Found myself laughing out loud! Also really love how this book examines friendship and letting go of the perceptions of others & deciding what’s best for you.
- Absolutely fell in love with Davie!!!
- This book is soooo powerful! It’s funny, fresh, and a unique story that kept me rooting for the fmc. The story really shows the depths of sadness that grief can take you and how it feels to crawl your way out of it. The humor in this book kept the story from feeling too heavy, while still touching on deeper themes which I loved.
- The writing in this book was so funny! Reminded me so much of Mia Mckenzie’s writing. Found myself laughing out loud! Also really love how this book examines friendship and letting go of the perceptions of others & deciding what’s best for you.
- Absolutely fell in love with Davie!!!
April 8, 2025
4.5 🌟
Goodreads Giveaway
omg this book did me in. Fuck. I love messy women and Francine Stevenson really takes the cake. I’m struggling to find what I wanna say about this book. It’s such a great tale of found family and how it can save us and ruin us all the same. It’s a story about how trauma shapes us but how we have the choice to move on and break our cycles or continue viciously destroying everything in our lives. There’s so many layers to this story and I think it would take me paragraphs upon paragraphs to parse them all out, so what I wanna say is that I loved this book in all its messiness and complexities. Back to back Goodreads bangers fr. I might have to add “messy women lit fic“ to my list of my favorite genres. Because between this and Nothing Serious, I’m just living for chaotic, traumatized women discovering their worth outside of relationships and their work. So yeah, I really enjoyed this book. I literally read it in two sittings. The crash and burn was in fact spectacular ;)
Goodreads Giveaway
omg this book did me in. Fuck. I love messy women and Francine Stevenson really takes the cake. I’m struggling to find what I wanna say about this book. It’s such a great tale of found family and how it can save us and ruin us all the same. It’s a story about how trauma shapes us but how we have the choice to move on and break our cycles or continue viciously destroying everything in our lives. There’s so many layers to this story and I think it would take me paragraphs upon paragraphs to parse them all out, so what I wanna say is that I loved this book in all its messiness and complexities. Back to back Goodreads bangers fr. I might have to add “messy women lit fic“ to my list of my favorite genres. Because between this and Nothing Serious, I’m just living for chaotic, traumatized women discovering their worth outside of relationships and their work. So yeah, I really enjoyed this book. I literally read it in two sittings. The crash and burn was in fact spectacular ;)
March 1, 2025
3.5 stars
This was not a light read. The ending is somewhat hopeful, but up until 99% of the book, you are pretty much worried this terrible time will somehow get worse. It discusses some heavy topics like grief, internalized homophobia, sexual assault, grooming, child abuse, intimate partner violence, colorism, poverty, and ableism. I think it's a story many could learn something from, but it really made for a unhappy reading experience. So, be warned about that.
The writing style is quite succinct and not super florid. While the story is quite angsty, it didn't feel melodramatic. Honestly, there were some scenes that went south quickly that were unexpected because the writing style was pretty matter of fact in its description of what was happening. There was only one point where the story buried a lead about one of Francine's bad experiences in high school that I found a tiny bit cheap in presentation, but the overall meaning of it was understood. It's a bit insane how many awful things she experienced before turning 30, but it created something for Jeannette to "bond" with her over.
I appreciated Kenji as a character a lot. Surprisingly, even in the first meeting where I'm sure the reader was meant to dislike her, I found her interesting. She exists to be one of the few people around Francine that didn't bully her when she didn't act as desired. I liked that her and partner were in the story to sort of serve as a baseline for normal relationships. I actually liked and felt sorry for Aunt Liane. I understood where she was coming from with Francine and her sister, but her way of trying to force them into being okay wasn't the answer. Uncle CJ was great, as well.
Davie is the real standout here. He's the catalyst for most of the events in this book and he becomes someone that makes Francine look outside herself. I find it a bit concerning she went from spending most of her life taking care of her mother to immediately signing on to take care of a child not long after her mother's passing. I'm a little surprised if her therapist thought that was a good idea. However, I did tear up at the end of the book.
Francine is a mess. I'm glad the book showed her seeing a therapist to try to unpack some of her issues. I also appreciated that I didn't feel the narrative wanted her to let sympathy for Jeannette's trauma incite unearned forgiveness. Jeannette suffered a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. The fact that her son is going down a very harmful, worrying path was also sad to read, but again, Francine wasn't the solution to all their problems. I truthfully didn't understand what Francine saw in Jeannette that was desirable, but I chalked it up to her having to learn that she deserved better treatment from people. That's a lesson I think a lot of people would appreciate.
Tentative recommend, but be mindful of the trigger warnings and that I wouldn't personally describe this as a hopeful book. Up to 99%, it's still quite heavy.
This was not a light read. The ending is somewhat hopeful, but up until 99% of the book, you are pretty much worried this terrible time will somehow get worse. It discusses some heavy topics like grief, internalized homophobia, sexual assault, grooming, child abuse, intimate partner violence, colorism, poverty, and ableism. I think it's a story many could learn something from, but it really made for a unhappy reading experience. So, be warned about that.
The writing style is quite succinct and not super florid. While the story is quite angsty, it didn't feel melodramatic. Honestly, there were some scenes that went south quickly that were unexpected because the writing style was pretty matter of fact in its description of what was happening. There was only one point where the story buried a lead about one of Francine's bad experiences in high school that I found a tiny bit cheap in presentation, but the overall meaning of it was understood. It's a bit insane how many awful things she experienced before turning 30, but it created something for Jeannette to "bond" with her over.
I appreciated Kenji as a character a lot. Surprisingly, even in the first meeting where I'm sure the reader was meant to dislike her, I found her interesting. She exists to be one of the few people around Francine that didn't bully her when she didn't act as desired. I liked that her and partner were in the story to sort of serve as a baseline for normal relationships. I actually liked and felt sorry for Aunt Liane. I understood where she was coming from with Francine and her sister, but her way of trying to force them into being okay wasn't the answer. Uncle CJ was great, as well.
Davie is the real standout here. He's the catalyst for most of the events in this book and he becomes someone that makes Francine look outside herself. I find it a bit concerning she went from spending most of her life taking care of her mother to immediately signing on to take care of a child not long after her mother's passing. I'm a little surprised if her therapist thought that was a good idea. However, I did tear up at the end of the book.
Francine is a mess. I'm glad the book showed her seeing a therapist to try to unpack some of her issues. I also appreciated that I didn't feel the narrative wanted her to let sympathy for Jeannette's trauma incite unearned forgiveness. Jeannette suffered a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. The fact that her son is going down a very harmful, worrying path was also sad to read, but again, Francine wasn't the solution to all their problems. I truthfully didn't understand what Francine saw in Jeannette that was desirable, but I chalked it up to her having to learn that she deserved better treatment from people. That's a lesson I think a lot of people would appreciate.
Tentative recommend, but be mindful of the trigger warnings and that I wouldn't personally describe this as a hopeful book. Up to 99%, it's still quite heavy.
December 17, 2024
I loved this book!
Francine lives with her anxious agoraphobic mom. They have a close and dysfunctional relationship. Her mom suddenly dies and Francine goes into a depressive tailspin. She meets a kid on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self. I loved this book so much. The characters were interesting and real. A lot of important topics were addressed. This book is filled with so much love and warmth! I could not put it down. I now want to drop what I’m doing and read another book by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.
Francine lives with her anxious agoraphobic mom. They have a close and dysfunctional relationship. Her mom suddenly dies and Francine goes into a depressive tailspin. She meets a kid on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self. I loved this book so much. The characters were interesting and real. A lot of important topics were addressed. This book is filled with so much love and warmth! I could not put it down. I now want to drop what I’m doing and read another book by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.
April 27, 2025
There was something uneven about the way this book was written. The story was very straightforward, then all of the sudden in a chapter over halfway through, Francine is narrating from a future self: one who is seeing a therapist. She starts seeing the therapist during the events of this book, and talks about what the therapist says... Yet there are no actual scenes with the therapist. With all that was going on, it feels like taking the step to go to therapy was pretty damn significant. You'd think the first visit would earn its own written scene. I don't know!
Kind of an odd book. The characters in this book felt a bit unrealistic at first, but I liked that people were given depths (both positive and negative) that weren't apparent to Francine at first. I wish less of the book had been about her relationship with Jeannette.
As some have mentioned, the book cover is very bright and the book contents can be... dark. I can see that one might not expect such triggering topics from this cover, but the writing style matched what I expected, so it didn't feel that jarring to have to plot be rough. But still, proceed with caution.
2.5 stars??
Kind of an odd book. The characters in this book felt a bit unrealistic at first, but I liked that people were given depths (both positive and negative) that weren't apparent to Francine at first. I wish less of the book had been about her relationship with Jeannette.
As some have mentioned, the book cover is very bright and the book contents can be... dark. I can see that one might not expect such triggering topics from this cover, but the writing style matched what I expected, so it didn't feel that jarring to have to plot be rough. But still, proceed with caution.
2.5 stars??
August 4, 2025
“I will never understand why people care about what other people think. It’s your life, not theirs. Who cares what people think about your life.”
A new favorite! This novel is about not caring what others think of you, and not being afraid of others, or yourself. Francine grew a lot in this story. Davie was the star of this book, I had to slowly read the last chapter because I didn’t want to say goodbye to him and his interesting facts. These characters felt incredibly real, and it has relatable parts. I appreciate all I learned from it, like more about autism, Bell’s Palsy, and the foster system. Kenji was a fantastic character and hilarious, too.
A new favorite! This novel is about not caring what others think of you, and not being afraid of others, or yourself. Francine grew a lot in this story. Davie was the star of this book, I had to slowly read the last chapter because I didn’t want to say goodbye to him and his interesting facts. These characters felt incredibly real, and it has relatable parts. I appreciate all I learned from it, like more about autism, Bell’s Palsy, and the foster system. Kenji was a fantastic character and hilarious, too.
July 10, 2025
Thank you to the author and RPH Audio for a copy of the audiobook. I loved this book and will definitely check out this authors other work.
The narration was fantastic and really brought the characters to life. While this book explores heavy topics, I found myself smiling/cracking up often because of the delivery.
The narration was fantastic and really brought the characters to life. While this book explores heavy topics, I found myself smiling/cracking up often because of the delivery.
June 5, 2025
I thought this was going to be a fun mess, but it was actually a very heavy mess.
Francine lives and takes care of her mother, who we learn within the first few pages passed away very suddenly, and they had a very codependent relationship so Francine is suffering grief and depression, realizing now that her mother is gone she has no one else.
Enter Davie, a 10 year old boy and neurodiverse thinker (this is how he’s described in an interview with the author) who she helps when he’s getting bullied by older kids outside her home. This kicks off a series of events with his foster mom Jeanette, a girl from Francine’s old high school. An affair, financially supporting Jeanette’s family, and a new codependent relationship all while Francine is trying to do well at her job, and grow and figure out who she is as her own person and what she wants to do with her life.
This novel is about found family, with Davie and Francine, and a classmate and her girlfriend from her new photography class, learning to be your own person, and being strong enough to step away from toxic relationships.
Jeanette was an exhausting character, and the more she was around and Francine leaned into that relationship, the more frustrated I got.
Davie and Francine’s relationship was sweet, and I’m glad he found her. The author mentioned in an interview that she had a neurodivergent reader who read the novel and provided feedback on Davie’s character.
But this novel is a LOT, each character has so much trauma. Abuse, sexual abuse, drug abuse, anger management issues, suicidal thoughts. Like, this isn’t some light novel with quirky characters, it’s HEAVY.
Overall, I thought this was decent. I personally just wasn’t ready for how much was going to be going on with these characters. You definitely have to be in the right mood to pick this one up.
Thank you @netgalley and @tinyrepbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Francine lives and takes care of her mother, who we learn within the first few pages passed away very suddenly, and they had a very codependent relationship so Francine is suffering grief and depression, realizing now that her mother is gone she has no one else.
Enter Davie, a 10 year old boy and neurodiverse thinker (this is how he’s described in an interview with the author) who she helps when he’s getting bullied by older kids outside her home. This kicks off a series of events with his foster mom Jeanette, a girl from Francine’s old high school. An affair, financially supporting Jeanette’s family, and a new codependent relationship all while Francine is trying to do well at her job, and grow and figure out who she is as her own person and what she wants to do with her life.
This novel is about found family, with Davie and Francine, and a classmate and her girlfriend from her new photography class, learning to be your own person, and being strong enough to step away from toxic relationships.
Jeanette was an exhausting character, and the more she was around and Francine leaned into that relationship, the more frustrated I got.
Davie and Francine’s relationship was sweet, and I’m glad he found her. The author mentioned in an interview that she had a neurodivergent reader who read the novel and provided feedback on Davie’s character.
But this novel is a LOT, each character has so much trauma. Abuse, sexual abuse, drug abuse, anger management issues, suicidal thoughts. Like, this isn’t some light novel with quirky characters, it’s HEAVY.
Overall, I thought this was decent. I personally just wasn’t ready for how much was going to be going on with these characters. You definitely have to be in the right mood to pick this one up.
Thank you @netgalley and @tinyrepbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
March 8, 2025
Francine is trying to figure out how to live her life in the aftermath of her mother’s death. When she rescues a 10 year old kid from some bullies she becomes a big part of his life. Determined to help him out, she meets his foster family and realizes that Davie’s foster mother was a girl that Francine had a crush on in high school.
While the book does have some lighthearted and fun moments, it’s definitely more serious than the cover design makes it seem. The story deals with grief, bullying, suicide, ableism, colorism, toxic relationships, past sexual assault, abusive parenting, and so much more. I don’t think anything in the book was poorly handled, but there were definitely a lot of times where I felt like things were just being glossed over instead of diving in deep. Like at a lot of points there were time jumps that made me feel like I was missing out on being able to see important developments happening. So often it felt like things were just occurring out of nowhere.
In the end I did enjoy seeing the journey that Francine went on with figuring out what she wants from her life and building up a community of people around her. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy coming of age stories about adult characters, found family, and complex queer characters.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While the book does have some lighthearted and fun moments, it’s definitely more serious than the cover design makes it seem. The story deals with grief, bullying, suicide, ableism, colorism, toxic relationships, past sexual assault, abusive parenting, and so much more. I don’t think anything in the book was poorly handled, but there were definitely a lot of times where I felt like things were just being glossed over instead of diving in deep. Like at a lot of points there were time jumps that made me feel like I was missing out on being able to see important developments happening. So often it felt like things were just occurring out of nowhere.
In the end I did enjoy seeing the journey that Francine went on with figuring out what she wants from her life and building up a community of people around her. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy coming of age stories about adult characters, found family, and complex queer characters.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
May 20, 2025
Love, love, loved this book!
April 12, 2025
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for access to the e-ARC. I won a physical ARC in a giveaway and ended up reading that version.
I first want to make clear, while I did very much enjoy this book, PLEASE read the content warnings before reading. It has some very triggering topics in it, that if not in a good state of mind, can be very upsetting.
I have to say, something I specifically enjoyed was all the different characters and watching them all interact and grow and change. Some of my favorite characters were Davie (of course) and Kenji. As mentioned above, this book has some hard topics in it, but these are topics that NEED to be talked about, not avoided and shoved under a rug like they don't exist. I appreciate Swindle showing characters with complexities and imperfections, and showing that you can learn from mistakes. I really think this book should have a lot more hype.
Thank you NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for access to the e-ARC. I won a physical ARC in a giveaway and ended up reading that version.
I first want to make clear, while I did very much enjoy this book, PLEASE read the content warnings before reading. It has some very triggering topics in it, that if not in a good state of mind, can be very upsetting.
I have to say, something I specifically enjoyed was all the different characters and watching them all interact and grow and change. Some of my favorite characters were Davie (of course) and Kenji. As mentioned above, this book has some hard topics in it, but these are topics that NEED to be talked about, not avoided and shoved under a rug like they don't exist. I appreciate Swindle showing characters with complexities and imperfections, and showing that you can learn from mistakes. I really think this book should have a lot more hype.
April 16, 2025
(3.5 Stars) Francine’s life is in turmoil. As the blurb says her mother dies unexpectedly leaving her floundering, falling into depression and having some manic behaviors. Then she meets ten year old Davie. He is on the spectrum and in foster care. Surprisingly, his foster mother is an old crush from high school. This is very much Francine’s journey and it is a chaotic one. A lot of serious topics are covered including grief, mental health, family cycles, abuse and bullying. Davie is a stand out character with his Steve Job facts. Francine relates to him because of her own experience as a child. And he helps give Francine the courage or reason to break the patterns of her past. I found it hard to identify with Francine as her life is unlike my own. But I was rooting for her. There is humor in the story but It is a heavier book than the bright color suggests.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Tiny Reparations Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
October 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Francine has a lot to learn about herself, her grief and her place in this world. A heartwarming journey of learning painful lessons while also learning interesting facts about Pixar and enslaved people. That sounds kind of random, but I promise it works. I fell in love with these characters.
This book isn’t easily put into a genre, I would call the ending a happy and hopeful one, but a journey of self discovery where Francine becomes a different person. She meets a young boy Davie who is fostered by her neighbors, and falls in love with his foster mother Jeannette. Davie is an extreme smart 11 year old in middle school who has been in 7 different foster homes. He knows everything about Pixar movies and American slavery. Interestingly I learned a lot about these topics just through his sweet dialogue.
Lots of trigger warnings: suicidal ideation, prescription drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, death of a parent, domestic abuse, infidelity, am I forgetting anything? After all that I have to say the book is very funny and sweet.
My only criticism is that I don’t love the current cover, which suggests a fun beach romance. Thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC. Book to be published 4/15/25.
#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #FrancinesSpectacularCrashAndBurn
This book isn’t easily put into a genre, I would call the ending a happy and hopeful one, but a journey of self discovery where Francine becomes a different person. She meets a young boy Davie who is fostered by her neighbors, and falls in love with his foster mother Jeannette. Davie is an extreme smart 11 year old in middle school who has been in 7 different foster homes. He knows everything about Pixar movies and American slavery. Interestingly I learned a lot about these topics just through his sweet dialogue.
Lots of trigger warnings: suicidal ideation, prescription drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, death of a parent, domestic abuse, infidelity, am I forgetting anything? After all that I have to say the book is very funny and sweet.
My only criticism is that I don’t love the current cover, which suggests a fun beach romance. Thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC. Book to be published 4/15/25.
#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #FrancinesSpectacularCrashAndBurn
June 10, 2025
I went into this audiobook expecting one thing and got so much more. A heartbreaking, heartfelt read about a woman crashing out and the little boy who saved her. I think Francine is very relatable: awkward Black girl who is going through it with life.
Davey has my heart. What a sweet, special little boy. He is perfect representation for children on the spectrum who march to their own drum.
I loved this one so much.
Davey has my heart. What a sweet, special little boy. He is perfect representation for children on the spectrum who march to their own drum.
I loved this one so much.
June 8, 2025
Audiobook: 4/5
Ebook/ Story Overall: 3.75/5 rounded up!
Francine’s Spectacular Crash & Burn is a really layered story that has a lot of emotional range. I think the cover might throw some people off—it’s bright and appears kind of playful—but the story holds a lot of heart, as well as a lot of pain. It’s more of a coming-of-age adult story, and I’m sure there will be a lot of readers who can easily relate to Francine’s experiences.
Francine is grieving the loss of her mother. She had an amazing relationship with her mom—someone who made her feel seen and heard. And not only is Francine grieving, but she also has a lot of hard feelings catching up to her. She’s unsure about her future, unsure about her purpose, and she’s going through depression. Some of this book does discuss self-harm and someone feeling like they’re at their brink, standing at the edge. But the book also explores the ways we can be brought back to life, rediscover ourselves, and begin the journey to healing.
Francine ends up coming across a young neurodivergent boy who was being bullied. She steps in to stop it and finds out that this boy is in foster care. He’s currently being fostered by someone she used to go to school with—someone who just happens to be the crush she’s never forgotten.
I think one of the best things about this book is the relationship that develops between Francine and Davey. Davey is a young boy who’s already experienced a lot of pain early in life. He’s been sent from foster home to foster home and finds it difficult to make real connections. But Davey is undoubtedly smart and knows how to set boundaries. I also really enjoyed that Davey’s way of coping—or communicating when he’s fed up—is by stating facts about slavery. The author’s use of that, as well as the purpose behind it, was really beautifully explored. Seeing how Francine begins to see herself in Davey was a nice touch, especially as she starts to wonder and explore more about her own feelings and potential diagnosis.
Another great thing about this book is the LGBTQIA+ representation. We see that Francine quickly latches onto her old high school crush. She’s always admired her for being strong and authentically herself, but now she has to separate the version of her she imagined from the reality of who that person actually is. What I appreciated about that relationship is that it’s deeply flawed and shines a light on how we can be blinded by the things we desire. Francine craved friendship and connection and is, in some ways, overwhelmed, excited, and anxious about all she’s feeling and seeing for a possible future with this girl.
I also think it’s really powerful to have a conversation around WLW relationships and assault/abuse. It’s just not something I often see discussed in books. In my opinion, the author did a great job of sparking a necessary light on something that very much occurs in real life to real people.
So we see Francine’s journey in love and loss in different ways throughout this book: the love and loss of her mother and how that, in some ways, propels this attraction even further; the love and loss of the idea of her crush, and the acceptance of realizing that she’s not the person Francine thought she was; and even her love of Davey, which pushes her to step forward and leave behind an old version of herself to be there for him.
If you’re someone who likes to see character growth, I think this will be a book you’ll appreciate—even though there were times I wanted to yell at Francine. I enjoyed how the story wrapped everything up in the end. I also liked that there’s a darkly comedic undertone throughout. There are plenty of moments where you’ll definitely find yourself chuckling or laughing and agreeing with Francine or her inner thoughts. Her personality is so strong and present.
I also had the audiobook for this read, and I think the narrator did a really great job of capturing that and conveying it on another level beyond just reading the physical copy. Not just with Francine, but even with the other characters, the tonal changes and mood shifts were done so well. It gave readers a clear and well-executed distinction of just how layered—and even troubled—some of these characters are.
My only issue with this book is that there were a lot of serious topics that felt like they were briefly or quickly addressed. I think there could’ve been more exploration of some of the things happening in Francine’s life, especially Davey’s life, and also in the lives of some of the other characters. One of the topics in this book is child abuse. I felt it addressed this at a surface level, alongside the harm and dangers that exist in those spaces—specifically for kids who are seen as “other,” or different, or who sometimes need a little more care and attention.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I think I went into it expecting something a little bit lighter but was actually really pleasantly surprised and pleased by the deeper aspects of the book. What would’ve made it a five-star read for me would have been making the book a little bit longer and exploring more of the histories of this group of characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for this egalley.
Ebook/ Story Overall: 3.75/5 rounded up!
Francine’s Spectacular Crash & Burn is a really layered story that has a lot of emotional range. I think the cover might throw some people off—it’s bright and appears kind of playful—but the story holds a lot of heart, as well as a lot of pain. It’s more of a coming-of-age adult story, and I’m sure there will be a lot of readers who can easily relate to Francine’s experiences.
Francine is grieving the loss of her mother. She had an amazing relationship with her mom—someone who made her feel seen and heard. And not only is Francine grieving, but she also has a lot of hard feelings catching up to her. She’s unsure about her future, unsure about her purpose, and she’s going through depression. Some of this book does discuss self-harm and someone feeling like they’re at their brink, standing at the edge. But the book also explores the ways we can be brought back to life, rediscover ourselves, and begin the journey to healing.
Francine ends up coming across a young neurodivergent boy who was being bullied. She steps in to stop it and finds out that this boy is in foster care. He’s currently being fostered by someone she used to go to school with—someone who just happens to be the crush she’s never forgotten.
I think one of the best things about this book is the relationship that develops between Francine and Davey. Davey is a young boy who’s already experienced a lot of pain early in life. He’s been sent from foster home to foster home and finds it difficult to make real connections. But Davey is undoubtedly smart and knows how to set boundaries. I also really enjoyed that Davey’s way of coping—or communicating when he’s fed up—is by stating facts about slavery. The author’s use of that, as well as the purpose behind it, was really beautifully explored. Seeing how Francine begins to see herself in Davey was a nice touch, especially as she starts to wonder and explore more about her own feelings and potential diagnosis.
Another great thing about this book is the LGBTQIA+ representation. We see that Francine quickly latches onto her old high school crush. She’s always admired her for being strong and authentically herself, but now she has to separate the version of her she imagined from the reality of who that person actually is. What I appreciated about that relationship is that it’s deeply flawed and shines a light on how we can be blinded by the things we desire. Francine craved friendship and connection and is, in some ways, overwhelmed, excited, and anxious about all she’s feeling and seeing for a possible future with this girl.
I also think it’s really powerful to have a conversation around WLW relationships and assault/abuse. It’s just not something I often see discussed in books. In my opinion, the author did a great job of sparking a necessary light on something that very much occurs in real life to real people.
So we see Francine’s journey in love and loss in different ways throughout this book: the love and loss of her mother and how that, in some ways, propels this attraction even further; the love and loss of the idea of her crush, and the acceptance of realizing that she’s not the person Francine thought she was; and even her love of Davey, which pushes her to step forward and leave behind an old version of herself to be there for him.
If you’re someone who likes to see character growth, I think this will be a book you’ll appreciate—even though there were times I wanted to yell at Francine. I enjoyed how the story wrapped everything up in the end. I also liked that there’s a darkly comedic undertone throughout. There are plenty of moments where you’ll definitely find yourself chuckling or laughing and agreeing with Francine or her inner thoughts. Her personality is so strong and present.
I also had the audiobook for this read, and I think the narrator did a really great job of capturing that and conveying it on another level beyond just reading the physical copy. Not just with Francine, but even with the other characters, the tonal changes and mood shifts were done so well. It gave readers a clear and well-executed distinction of just how layered—and even troubled—some of these characters are.
My only issue with this book is that there were a lot of serious topics that felt like they were briefly or quickly addressed. I think there could’ve been more exploration of some of the things happening in Francine’s life, especially Davey’s life, and also in the lives of some of the other characters. One of the topics in this book is child abuse. I felt it addressed this at a surface level, alongside the harm and dangers that exist in those spaces—specifically for kids who are seen as “other,” or different, or who sometimes need a little more care and attention.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read. I think I went into it expecting something a little bit lighter but was actually really pleasantly surprised and pleased by the deeper aspects of the book. What would’ve made it a five-star read for me would have been making the book a little bit longer and exploring more of the histories of this group of characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tiny Reparations Books for this egalley.
June 16, 2025
I inHALED this and thought it was really cute (at times). I loved Francine's development and her relationship with Davie was so sweet... I really thought this was gonna lean more romcom due to the cover, but it's way more serious than that. the relationship was toxic but honestly it was entertaining too. I almost wish this book was actually more serious and litfic-y, but I think the more "lighthearted" and easy writing style and vibe it had worked out better for it in the end. 4 stars because I read the whole thing in a day 👍🏽
September 9, 2025
So close to a 5 because of how wholesome it was. I’m so happy for Davie and Francine.
February 23, 2025
Thank you, Tiny Reparations for the e-arc!
This book is truly an emotional roller coaster. Francine is a character I will not be forgetting about any time soon.
The book takes place just moments before Francines mom's passing, this book is a journey of Francine coping with her mothers loss and trying to live in a world without her. Francine is a complex character, not many will agree with her actions or the situations she finds herself in but it's her own experience.
Francine's grief was written really well, we don't see Francine have a typical "healing" journey with grief. It's very raw and emotional, you can't help but want to give her a big hug.
Francine in her grief meets a young boy named Davie, who randomly starts showing up to her house and quickly they form a heartwarming friendship.
Davie is on the spectrum, the way that Francine understands this. Her friendship with Davie is one filled with love and recognition. Davie being part of the foster system and also having lost his mother, Francine sees herself and Davie and for that she creates an environment in which Davie feels safest in. Literally cried over how loving she was with Davie.
This would've been a full 5-star book but I felt like Francine's drug use was glossed over. I really wish that we got to see more about what steps she was taking to get sober. The book glossed over when it came to Francine taking meds that weren't hers so I really wish this was addressed as well.
I do want to make clear that this is not a love story. Francine's relationship with Jennette is one built off trauma. Francine is constantly getting used by Jennette and there are several boundaries that Jennette crosses. I think the book does a great job at highlighting the fact that Jennette isn't 100% a bad person. She is someone who needs help and was wronged by a system as well.
Francine also has Bell's Palsy that is triggered by stress, this is something that is important to understanding her character! We see her actively struggle with her views with her condition throughout the book, she learns to not be afraid of her condition, but she does receive a lot of bullying and harassment about her condition.
There are several heavy topics, such as;
- Death of a parent
- Grief
- Drug abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Mental abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Physical Abuse
- Depression
- Suicide ideation
- Suicide attempt
- Bullying
- Pedophilia
- Toxic relationship
- Panic Attacks
- Agoraphobia
This book can be heavy at times, but I really do encourage others to read it, please take care of yourselves, my friends.
This book is truly an emotional roller coaster. Francine is a character I will not be forgetting about any time soon.
The book takes place just moments before Francines mom's passing, this book is a journey of Francine coping with her mothers loss and trying to live in a world without her. Francine is a complex character, not many will agree with her actions or the situations she finds herself in but it's her own experience.
Francine's grief was written really well, we don't see Francine have a typical "healing" journey with grief. It's very raw and emotional, you can't help but want to give her a big hug.
Francine in her grief meets a young boy named Davie, who randomly starts showing up to her house and quickly they form a heartwarming friendship.
Davie is on the spectrum, the way that Francine understands this. Her friendship with Davie is one filled with love and recognition. Davie being part of the foster system and also having lost his mother, Francine sees herself and Davie and for that she creates an environment in which Davie feels safest in. Literally cried over how loving she was with Davie.
This would've been a full 5-star book but I felt like Francine's drug use was glossed over. I really wish that we got to see more about what steps she was taking to get sober. The book glossed over when it came to Francine taking meds that weren't hers so I really wish this was addressed as well.
I do want to make clear that this is not a love story. Francine's relationship with Jennette is one built off trauma. Francine is constantly getting used by Jennette and there are several boundaries that Jennette crosses. I think the book does a great job at highlighting the fact that Jennette isn't 100% a bad person. She is someone who needs help and was wronged by a system as well.
Francine also has Bell's Palsy that is triggered by stress, this is something that is important to understanding her character! We see her actively struggle with her views with her condition throughout the book, she learns to not be afraid of her condition, but she does receive a lot of bullying and harassment about her condition.
There are several heavy topics, such as;
- Death of a parent
- Grief
- Drug abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Mental abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Physical Abuse
- Depression
- Suicide ideation
- Suicide attempt
- Bullying
- Pedophilia
- Toxic relationship
- Panic Attacks
- Agoraphobia
This book can be heavy at times, but I really do encourage others to read it, please take care of yourselves, my friends.
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars
✨This book has humor, depth, a main character you can’t help but root for – and a little boy that wanders into her life that will absolutely steal your heart.
✨It’s not often that such a layered and nuanced story also makes me laugh out loud so often. I love it when an author can make me laugh and cry and feel such emotion.
✨The character development and dialogue in these pages are absolutely incredible. I really couldn’t put it down. I hope you’ll give it a read. I can’t wait to check out the author’s backlist and will be anxiously waiting to see what she writes next.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Neurodivergent rep
✨LGBTQ rep
✨Mental illness rep
✨Healing from grief narratives
✨Bighearted stories
✨Contemporary fiction
My thanks to @tinyrepbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.
✨This book has humor, depth, a main character you can’t help but root for – and a little boy that wanders into her life that will absolutely steal your heart.
✨It’s not often that such a layered and nuanced story also makes me laugh out loud so often. I love it when an author can make me laugh and cry and feel such emotion.
✨The character development and dialogue in these pages are absolutely incredible. I really couldn’t put it down. I hope you’ll give it a read. I can’t wait to check out the author’s backlist and will be anxiously waiting to see what she writes next.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Neurodivergent rep
✨LGBTQ rep
✨Mental illness rep
✨Healing from grief narratives
✨Bighearted stories
✨Contemporary fiction
My thanks to @tinyrepbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.
July 12, 2025
Oh my goodness, Francine, I love you! I devoured this book. The author’s writing pulled me in immediately: instantly immersed in Francine’s voice, inner sanctum, and story. HOOKED.
Francine is richly crafted: with worlds of depth, character development, raw messiness and true hilarity, she is one of my absolute favourite characters ever.
I fell in love with the side characters too. Primarily Davie, if I’m being honest - the autism representation was gloriously astounding and real - and what a spectacular little guy he is. His quirks and intricacies and way of communicating was incredible. I loved how the author showed us the ways Francine began to tell when he was nearing meltdowns or when he was feeling good, and how different the way she related to him was from the other people in his life.
The romance aspect of the story was great. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I REALLY enjoyed what happened. I won’t give any spoilers!! So that’s all you’re getting from me on that. The ending was perfect in EVERY way.
Thank you so much for writing such a “spectacular” book! It’s going on my top five of 2025 and I will definitely be ordering a physical copy, which is not something I usually do for e-books I’ve read!
I’ll be thinking about Francine’s Spectacular Crash & Burn for a LONG time…it gripped, shattered, and warmed my heart all at the same time.
Francine is richly crafted: with worlds of depth, character development, raw messiness and true hilarity, she is one of my absolute favourite characters ever.
I fell in love with the side characters too. Primarily Davie, if I’m being honest - the autism representation was gloriously astounding and real - and what a spectacular little guy he is. His quirks and intricacies and way of communicating was incredible. I loved how the author showed us the ways Francine began to tell when he was nearing meltdowns or when he was feeling good, and how different the way she related to him was from the other people in his life.
The romance aspect of the story was great. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I REALLY enjoyed what happened. I won’t give any spoilers!! So that’s all you’re getting from me on that. The ending was perfect in EVERY way.
Thank you so much for writing such a “spectacular” book! It’s going on my top five of 2025 and I will definitely be ordering a physical copy, which is not something I usually do for e-books I’ve read!
I’ll be thinking about Francine’s Spectacular Crash & Burn for a LONG time…it gripped, shattered, and warmed my heart all at the same time.
April 14, 2025
Francine lives with her agoraphobic mother who records psychic and astrology videos. Their codependent relationship abruptly ends when Francine's mother dies and Francine feels lost. Preparing to end her own life, she instead meets 10 year old, Davie, a boy on the autism spectrum, when she saves him from a bully. Davie lives with his foster parents in a poor section of Oakland, and when Francine takes him home one day, she realizes she went to high school with Jeannette, the foster mother, and her former crush.
This intense, well written book deals with issues of mental illness, substance abuse, codependency, racism (most of the characters are Black), classism, and neurodiversity. Yet, despite all of that, the book does not feel cluttered or preachy. Instead, it's incredibly well written and engaging, with three-dimensional portraits of all of the main characters.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
This intense, well written book deals with issues of mental illness, substance abuse, codependency, racism (most of the characters are Black), classism, and neurodiversity. Yet, despite all of that, the book does not feel cluttered or preachy. Instead, it's incredibly well written and engaging, with three-dimensional portraits of all of the main characters.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
April 30, 2025
It’s really hard to summarize my thoughts on this one. I loved that Francine was queer. I loved her relationship with her mom. I loved Davie (how could you not?) but I really really really realllllllyyyyy hated Jeanette. She was rude, annoying and I found myself actively not trusting her or liking her through the book. It made it frustrating to read.
July 11, 2025
Francine is spiraling after the death of her mother, when a chance encounter with a ten year old boy changes her trajectory. From there, the story continues with lots of dark humor, growth, tough life lessons, trauma and healing, and many other pieces that make it into the heavy but hopeful story that it is.
I loved the character of Francine. She is a messy main character, and not in a fun quirky way, but in a dark and real way that feels like a person genuinely going through a hard time and doing her best some days just to survive. Much of this book felt like it was written in a way like we were getting a peek into her diary - lots of spiraling thoughts, moments of self awareness, etc. You know that she genuinely is trying her best, but she carries a heavy load.
Davie, the ten year old boy in the story, is an absolute light, and watching his relationship develop with Francine is joyful and hopeful and heartwarming. I loved the two of them and their interactions and the way that they held each other accountable and grew in their own ways.
There are a lot of unlikeable characters in this story, but Swindle does a great job showing that we are all flawed, all of us are the product of our past and we all carry our own burdens.
Trigger warnings include: suicidal ideation, abuse, descriptions of past sexual assault, death of a family member, and probably some others I’m forgetting.
It’s a heavy book, but it has many moments of hope.
I loved the character of Francine. She is a messy main character, and not in a fun quirky way, but in a dark and real way that feels like a person genuinely going through a hard time and doing her best some days just to survive. Much of this book felt like it was written in a way like we were getting a peek into her diary - lots of spiraling thoughts, moments of self awareness, etc. You know that she genuinely is trying her best, but she carries a heavy load.
Davie, the ten year old boy in the story, is an absolute light, and watching his relationship develop with Francine is joyful and hopeful and heartwarming. I loved the two of them and their interactions and the way that they held each other accountable and grew in their own ways.
There are a lot of unlikeable characters in this story, but Swindle does a great job showing that we are all flawed, all of us are the product of our past and we all carry our own burdens.
Trigger warnings include: suicidal ideation, abuse, descriptions of past sexual assault, death of a family member, and probably some others I’m forgetting.
It’s a heavy book, but it has many moments of hope.
August 15, 2025
Francine’s Spectacular Crash & Burn completely won me over! This could have been such a deeply depressing story, but the author masterfully wove in humor that kept me from crying through every chapter. The balance between heavy, emotional moments and perfectly timed levity was just brilliant.
Davie is hands-down one of my new favorite characters. He’s on the spectrum, and when he’s upset, he rattles off facts about slavery; when he’s happy, it’s rapid-fire trivia about Steve Jobs and Pixar. It was so quirky, unexpected, and genuinely funny that I found myself cackling every time.
Francine, on the other hand, had grown so used to dysfunction that she didn’t know what it felt like to live without it, causing her to overlook so much. I’ll admit, I felt a little smug catching all the red flags she missed (don’t we all?), but the truth is, we’ve all been there in some way. This book is such a powerful reminder that recognizing what's best for us and doing better at pursuing it takes time and growth.
Poignant yet funny, this story stayed with me long after I finished it.
July 16, 2025
Whew Chile
Francine stressed me out! She was a hot mess before she lost her mom. She became a hotter mess afterwards. It started with the foolishness at her job. I was appalled by the stuff she dealt with. I was ready to climb into the book and shake her when was interacting with her aunt. I had the same urge several times throughout the book. It got stronger when she entered into a toxic relationship with her high school crush. The star of the book for me was Davie. He was so quirky and lovable. He balanced out Francine’s nonsense. Their relationship was sweet. I loved how things turned out for them. This was a very entertaining read that kept my full attention from start to finish.
Francine stressed me out! She was a hot mess before she lost her mom. She became a hotter mess afterwards. It started with the foolishness at her job. I was appalled by the stuff she dealt with. I was ready to climb into the book and shake her when was interacting with her aunt. I had the same urge several times throughout the book. It got stronger when she entered into a toxic relationship with her high school crush. The star of the book for me was Davie. He was so quirky and lovable. He balanced out Francine’s nonsense. Their relationship was sweet. I loved how things turned out for them. This was a very entertaining read that kept my full attention from start to finish.
September 18, 2025
This book is one of those books that will make you feel sad for the main character, then feel sorry, then feel happy, then want to strangle her, then feel happy again. 🤣🤣
Francine had experienced some serious heartbreak at the very beginning of the book that made her question her own life afterwards. The decisions she made during the course of her grieving process were genuine but also super naive. As the reader, you would want to strangle her, sit her down, and tell her “girl, no!” But she had to learn. Even if that meant from a child. (I loved Davie). I would say Francine needed a friend but she had a friend and didn’t listen to her much .Life literally had to run its course with her.
I really enjoyed this book and was so happy certain things that I thought would happen, didn’t. Because the way Francine was moving, you just never know! 😅
If this book is not on your TBR, add it! But please check the trigger warnings because I do feel like it should have come with a few.
Francine had experienced some serious heartbreak at the very beginning of the book that made her question her own life afterwards. The decisions she made during the course of her grieving process were genuine but also super naive. As the reader, you would want to strangle her, sit her down, and tell her “girl, no!” But she had to learn. Even if that meant from a child. (I loved Davie). I would say Francine needed a friend but she had a friend and didn’t listen to her much .Life literally had to run its course with her.
I really enjoyed this book and was so happy certain things that I thought would happen, didn’t. Because the way Francine was moving, you just never know! 😅
If this book is not on your TBR, add it! But please check the trigger warnings because I do feel like it should have come with a few.
August 16, 2025
Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn had me laughing out loud and quietly tearing up—sometimes on the same page.
As a therapist who uses literature in healing spaces, I loved how humor carried Francine (and us) through grief, hard truths, and complicated relationships. It isn’t until she steps up to protect Davie, a brilliant young autistic Black boy in foster care, that she learns to honor her pain, embrace her worth, and choose the kind of love that sustains rather than destroys.
This book is messy, heartfelt, and hilarious, with much-needed mental health and autism representation. Highly recommend if you enjoy stories of found family, self-discovery, and healing in unexpected places.
As a therapist who uses literature in healing spaces, I loved how humor carried Francine (and us) through grief, hard truths, and complicated relationships. It isn’t until she steps up to protect Davie, a brilliant young autistic Black boy in foster care, that she learns to honor her pain, embrace her worth, and choose the kind of love that sustains rather than destroys.
This book is messy, heartfelt, and hilarious, with much-needed mental health and autism representation. Highly recommend if you enjoy stories of found family, self-discovery, and healing in unexpected places.
May 23, 2025
I was super excited to read this because I thought it was going to be a sweet read about a quirky and endearing woman.
Francine is definitely quirky, but I didn’t find her endearing in the slightest. I actually found her, and every other character, to be beyond annoying. It’s described as a coming of age, but it didn’t flow naturally, and with the exception of one part, all of it felt extremely forced.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this. Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn hit the shelves April 15th.
Francine is definitely quirky, but I didn’t find her endearing in the slightest. I actually found her, and every other character, to be beyond annoying. It’s described as a coming of age, but it didn’t flow naturally, and with the exception of one part, all of it felt extremely forced.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy of this. Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn hit the shelves April 15th.
April 20, 2025
i normally don’t read contemporary books that aren’t romance books so this was out of my wheelhouse but in the end i really enjoyed it. super engrossing, well written, very original voice. so many terrible decisions but the title warned me. really good ending tho and i loved all of the joy and love and care that was found in this book
June 20, 2025
The title and cover suggest a fun romp, but the story tackles much deeper issues. I stayed hooked and liked most of the characters. My main frustration was how long Francine let Jeanette manipulate her...she’s smart, and I wanted her to catch on sooner.
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