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Frankie and Joely
Frankie and Joely are best friends. They love each other like no one else can. But when a summer break in the country brings fresh distractions, simmering jealousies and festering secrets, can their friendship survive?
It’s the holidays and, together, Frankie and Joely board a train and escape the city and their mums for a week of freedom. But when Joely introduces Frankie to her country cousins, Thommo and Mack, it soon becomes clear that something other than the heat is getting under their skin. As the temperature rises and the annual New Years’ Eve party looms closer, local boy Rory stirs things up even more and secrets start to blister. Suddenly the girls’ summer getaway is not panning out how either of them imagined. Will they still be ‘Frankie and Joely’ by the end of their holiday?
It’s the holidays and, together, Frankie and Joely board a train and escape the city and their mums for a week of freedom. But when Joely introduces Frankie to her country cousins, Thommo and Mack, it soon becomes clear that something other than the heat is getting under their skin. As the temperature rises and the annual New Years’ Eve party looms closer, local boy Rory stirs things up even more and secrets start to blister. Suddenly the girls’ summer getaway is not panning out how either of them imagined. Will they still be ‘Frankie and Joely’ by the end of their holiday?
264 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
6 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Nova Weetman
27 books109 followersNova Weetman wrote short fiction and children’s television before publishing her first YA novel, The Haunting of Lily Frost, in 2014. She lives with her partner, a playwright, and their two children in Brunswick, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 24, 2023
This is my fifth Nova Weetman book, I've loved the previous four, but not this one. The others have been middle aged stories, this is an older teen book. Joely and Frankie are supposed best friends, heading out to to Joely's cousins farm over New Years outside Melbourne. It is very hot and dry.
I really wanted to like this, but the two leads and every other character (other than Jill, Joely's aunt) are pretty awful. If this is what best friends are like and act towards each other in Australia now, I don't want to know. I found it appalling how they communicated with each other, how awful the boys treated them and just what a miserable place rural Victoria is portrayed here.
There was none of the magic of her other books, so disappointing. 2 stars.
I really wanted to like this, but the two leads and every other character (other than Jill, Joely's aunt) are pretty awful. If this is what best friends are like and act towards each other in Australia now, I don't want to know. I found it appalling how they communicated with each other, how awful the boys treated them and just what a miserable place rural Victoria is portrayed here.
There was none of the magic of her other books, so disappointing. 2 stars.
June 23, 2015
‘Frankie and Joely’ is the new young adult novel from Australian author Nova Weetman.
We meet teenage friends Frankie and Joely as they embark on a journey to the outback – to visit Joely’s extended family – and, unbeknownst to the girls, test the limits of their friendship.
Frankie and Joely are thirteen and on the cusp of all that that means. Frankie is the beauty of the two, something Joely is only now becoming painfully aware of as her best friend draws more male attention. Joely’s mother is protective, in stark contrast to Frankie’s own who probably won’t miss her while she’s gone. These are just some of the tensions brewing beneath the surface of the girl’s friendship – to be slowly stripped away and exposed as they leave the city and head to the drought-ravaged country in the summertime, where these tensions rise with the heat.
I really loved this book that so transported me to my 13-year-old self – well, loved and struggled with my remembrances of how confusing that time was (thank you very much, Nova Weetman!). Frankie and Joely are at times prickly and precocious young women, and then they swing back to the tender middle-road of their long-standing friendship. I loved them, and I was frustrated by them – mostly because I saw so much of my younger self in their nastier qualities.
I related to Joely’s jealousy over her friend’s burgeoning beauty, which is highlighted by the reactions of her male cousins – Thommo and Mack – to Frankie.
As Frankie glances again to where Joely’s looking, she notices Rory staring back at them, a slight smile on his face, and she can’t decide whether the smile is aimed at Joely, or her, or someone else entirely. It’s creepy and thrilling at the same time.
I also related to Frankie’s awkward feelings at being permitted to view the inner-workings of her friend’s family from close-range, both as a guest and outsider.
‘Frankie. And Joely. What’s with all the boys’ names?’
‘They aren’t,’ she says, sounding more defensive than she means to, but irritated at the order he said their names.
‘Round here they are.’
‘Yeah, I know. You’re from the city.’ He says the last word like it’s a taste that’s gone bad in his mouth.
Maybe it’s the darkness or maybe it’s being cross that Frankie was more interested in reading than in talking to her, but Joely doesn’t feel scared anymore. She could never usually argue with a boy she didn’t know, but tonight she wants to.
The book is narrated in third person, floating between Frankie, Joely, Thommo and Mack. I was thankful for the omniscient narration, as it becomes apparent that all of these teenagers would be somewhat unreliable as they map this complicated summer holiday of hormones and heartbreak. I also really enjoyed the too-rare third person in this YA novel because it allows readers to really see the girls develop over the summer, to watch them grow and mark the changes – particularly in sexuality and confidence;
‘Aren’t you hot?’ says Mack to Frankie.
She smiles at him, knowing he’d never understand why she was wearing a coat on a night like this. ‘Maybe I’ve got nothing underneath.’ She grins, amused as the thought plays across Mack’s face then disappears in an embarrassed growl.
I didn’t always love being in the boys’ heads, but that’s probably because I connected so strongly with the young women that I didn’t want to leave them. But Weetman uses Thommo and Mack to mark some equally brilliant revelations about the changing dynamics of friendship once puberty hits;
He realises this is what Mack does; he plays people, twisting situations to his advantage, even if it means laying others out to dry.
‘Frankie and Joely’ is a really beautiful novel. No character is perfect or perfectly likable here, and I appreciated that immensely – Weetman shows the myriad sides to teenagers on the cusp of young adulthood, highlighting the ways we tear others down to build us up, and the ways such nastiness often stems from our own insecurities and lacking. I feel like ‘Frankie and Joely’ is documenting the last days of young girl’s closeness – as such, it is a rare celebration of the complications of friendship (female especially) that will poke older readers’ nostalgia, and speak to young people’s current struggles quite powerfully.
We meet teenage friends Frankie and Joely as they embark on a journey to the outback – to visit Joely’s extended family – and, unbeknownst to the girls, test the limits of their friendship.
Frankie and Joely are thirteen and on the cusp of all that that means. Frankie is the beauty of the two, something Joely is only now becoming painfully aware of as her best friend draws more male attention. Joely’s mother is protective, in stark contrast to Frankie’s own who probably won’t miss her while she’s gone. These are just some of the tensions brewing beneath the surface of the girl’s friendship – to be slowly stripped away and exposed as they leave the city and head to the drought-ravaged country in the summertime, where these tensions rise with the heat.
I really loved this book that so transported me to my 13-year-old self – well, loved and struggled with my remembrances of how confusing that time was (thank you very much, Nova Weetman!). Frankie and Joely are at times prickly and precocious young women, and then they swing back to the tender middle-road of their long-standing friendship. I loved them, and I was frustrated by them – mostly because I saw so much of my younger self in their nastier qualities.
I related to Joely’s jealousy over her friend’s burgeoning beauty, which is highlighted by the reactions of her male cousins – Thommo and Mack – to Frankie.
As Frankie glances again to where Joely’s looking, she notices Rory staring back at them, a slight smile on his face, and she can’t decide whether the smile is aimed at Joely, or her, or someone else entirely. It’s creepy and thrilling at the same time.
I also related to Frankie’s awkward feelings at being permitted to view the inner-workings of her friend’s family from close-range, both as a guest and outsider.
‘Frankie. And Joely. What’s with all the boys’ names?’
‘They aren’t,’ she says, sounding more defensive than she means to, but irritated at the order he said their names.
‘Round here they are.’
‘Yeah, I know. You’re from the city.’ He says the last word like it’s a taste that’s gone bad in his mouth.
Maybe it’s the darkness or maybe it’s being cross that Frankie was more interested in reading than in talking to her, but Joely doesn’t feel scared anymore. She could never usually argue with a boy she didn’t know, but tonight she wants to.
The book is narrated in third person, floating between Frankie, Joely, Thommo and Mack. I was thankful for the omniscient narration, as it becomes apparent that all of these teenagers would be somewhat unreliable as they map this complicated summer holiday of hormones and heartbreak. I also really enjoyed the too-rare third person in this YA novel because it allows readers to really see the girls develop over the summer, to watch them grow and mark the changes – particularly in sexuality and confidence;
‘Aren’t you hot?’ says Mack to Frankie.
She smiles at him, knowing he’d never understand why she was wearing a coat on a night like this. ‘Maybe I’ve got nothing underneath.’ She grins, amused as the thought plays across Mack’s face then disappears in an embarrassed growl.
I didn’t always love being in the boys’ heads, but that’s probably because I connected so strongly with the young women that I didn’t want to leave them. But Weetman uses Thommo and Mack to mark some equally brilliant revelations about the changing dynamics of friendship once puberty hits;
He realises this is what Mack does; he plays people, twisting situations to his advantage, even if it means laying others out to dry.
‘Frankie and Joely’ is a really beautiful novel. No character is perfect or perfectly likable here, and I appreciated that immensely – Weetman shows the myriad sides to teenagers on the cusp of young adulthood, highlighting the ways we tear others down to build us up, and the ways such nastiness often stems from our own insecurities and lacking. I feel like ‘Frankie and Joely’ is documenting the last days of young girl’s closeness – as such, it is a rare celebration of the complications of friendship (female especially) that will poke older readers’ nostalgia, and speak to young people’s current struggles quite powerfully.
December 2, 2015
This was definitely a different read. I struggled with the star rating, because three looks too low to me, but it didn't quite reach my usual four. 3.5, then. There were parts to this book that I really loved -- the description of the small rural town, Payne. The way Weetman wrote about the heat was so realistic I almost felt all sticky and exhausted and disgusting the way that that kind of heat can make you.
As for the actual meat of the novel, it's still sitting with me. The story, which revolves around two fifteen year old girls and their friendship, was very cleverly written, in that it made what was really a week where not too much (in adult-world) happened at all, into a narrative that felt much, much longer, and much more action-packed.
I also really admired the portrayal of the friendship, which is in essence what the whole story was about. Girls' friendships are often characterised as competitive and bitchy and petty and nothing else. And Frankie and Joely are competitive and a little bitchy and a lot petty, but they're brilliant because they also love each other! Intensely. This novel has done a really good job of walking the line between how a person can irritate the hell out of you with just a word or a gesture, but you can still love them fiercely and have them be the most important thing to you.
One last note: I just loved that this was a book about girls being friends, and not a book about the boys. Very interesting read.
As for the actual meat of the novel, it's still sitting with me. The story, which revolves around two fifteen year old girls and their friendship, was very cleverly written, in that it made what was really a week where not too much (in adult-world) happened at all, into a narrative that felt much, much longer, and much more action-packed.
I also really admired the portrayal of the friendship, which is in essence what the whole story was about. Girls' friendships are often characterised as competitive and bitchy and petty and nothing else. And Frankie and Joely are competitive and a little bitchy and a lot petty, but they're brilliant because they also love each other! Intensely. This novel has done a really good job of walking the line between how a person can irritate the hell out of you with just a word or a gesture, but you can still love them fiercely and have them be the most important thing to you.
One last note: I just loved that this was a book about girls being friends, and not a book about the boys. Very interesting read.
June 13, 2018
Frankie and Joely might just be my pick for the best of #LoveOzYA this year. I loved this beautiful, touching novel that explores adolescent friendship in the most brilliant, evocative way possible. True, proper, all-in female friendship is never flawless, always up and down and all over the place, and Nova Weetman has captured this stunningly. Frankie and Joely are two city girls heading for a week in the country with Joely’s aunt’s family (including her two cousins Thommo and Mack), but their holiday does not pan out how either of them thought it would. The setting is so well described in this novel that I felt myself sweating from the Australian bush heat, despite the never-ending winter I’m actually living through. I also loved the seamlessly change in POVs and the real sense of what it is like to be a teenager. I was completely transported.
Pick this book up immediately, especially if you’re a lady in the throngs of her teenage years, or just one who doesn’t mind being well and truly sent back to that time. Five stars!
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
Pick this book up immediately, especially if you’re a lady in the throngs of her teenage years, or just one who doesn’t mind being well and truly sent back to that time. Five stars!
Read more on my blog: Middle Chapter
December 23, 2017
Trigger warnings: animal cruelty (I guess? A kangaroo gets hit by a motorbike and they put it out of its misery when they realise it's still alive), terrible parenting.
Okay, let's start out with the positives about this book, shall we?
- It's about two 15 year old girls and their friendship. Which is great, because so many YA books now are about 17 year olds, which makes it REALLY difficult to find books for the 13-14 year olds because they can't relate to the life experiences of the 17 year olds.
- It's set on a farm and in a small town in rural Victoria.
- It's very evocative of an Australian summer.
That's it. That's all I've got.
Now onto the stuff that made me want to tear my hair out:
- Frankie and Joely...don't actually seem to like each other very much? And yes, I know that 15 year old girls are incredibly insecure where their friendships are concerned. I *was* a 15 year old girl who was incredibly insecure where my friendships were concerned. I work with 150 of them and I see the constant changes to their friendship groups. But these two? Were terrible at communicating, were basically hating on each other the second the other one was out of sight, were constantly judging each other, and seemed to constantly be two seconds away from a fight.
- It features omniscient narration. Two pages in Frankie's head. Then without any warning, we're thrown to Joely's perspective. Then a paragraph later, we're in her cousin Mack's head. Two sentences and we've jumped to Thommo's version of events. And then Rory walks past and we switch to him just for the hell of it. No thank you please.
- It's a very character driven story, and as a result there's almost no plot? Like...it's set between Boxing Day-ish and early January. And basically all that happens is that Frankie and Joely go to stay with Joely's aunt and uncle (the only likeable characters in the whole damn book), they have a lot of passive-aggressive arguments, every boy in town falls for Frankie because she's sooooo cool, a kangaroo gets killed and Joely is super torn up about it, they go to the pool, Joely gets hella sunburnt, and there are friendship dramas because of boys. That's it. What's the point jfc.
- Both Frankie and Joely have messy relationships with their pretty terrible mothers, but there's never sufficient detail given about their mothers to actually make it relevant to the story? Like, Frankie's mother clearly has substance abuse problems and dates possibly abusive men? But all we really know is that Frankie's worried about her All The Time as a result of these things. Joely's mother is clearly very dominating and controlling, but mostly what we know about her is that she gets shitty if Joely doesn't answer her phone and then when they DO have a phone conversation, it lasts like 3 sentences. So...?????
So yeah. I wanted to like this, because it's LoveOzYA. Also because the cover is gorgeous. But there just didn't seem to be much purpose to the story and the characters were...kind of the worst.
Okay, let's start out with the positives about this book, shall we?
- It's about two 15 year old girls and their friendship. Which is great, because so many YA books now are about 17 year olds, which makes it REALLY difficult to find books for the 13-14 year olds because they can't relate to the life experiences of the 17 year olds.
- It's set on a farm and in a small town in rural Victoria.
- It's very evocative of an Australian summer.
That's it. That's all I've got.
Now onto the stuff that made me want to tear my hair out:
- Frankie and Joely...don't actually seem to like each other very much? And yes, I know that 15 year old girls are incredibly insecure where their friendships are concerned. I *was* a 15 year old girl who was incredibly insecure where my friendships were concerned. I work with 150 of them and I see the constant changes to their friendship groups. But these two? Were terrible at communicating, were basically hating on each other the second the other one was out of sight, were constantly judging each other, and seemed to constantly be two seconds away from a fight.
- It features omniscient narration. Two pages in Frankie's head. Then without any warning, we're thrown to Joely's perspective. Then a paragraph later, we're in her cousin Mack's head. Two sentences and we've jumped to Thommo's version of events. And then Rory walks past and we switch to him just for the hell of it. No thank you please.
- It's a very character driven story, and as a result there's almost no plot? Like...it's set between Boxing Day-ish and early January. And basically all that happens is that Frankie and Joely go to stay with Joely's aunt and uncle (the only likeable characters in the whole damn book), they have a lot of passive-aggressive arguments, every boy in town falls for Frankie because she's sooooo cool, a kangaroo gets killed and Joely is super torn up about it, they go to the pool, Joely gets hella sunburnt, and there are friendship dramas because of boys. That's it. What's the point jfc.
- Both Frankie and Joely have messy relationships with their pretty terrible mothers, but there's never sufficient detail given about their mothers to actually make it relevant to the story? Like, Frankie's mother clearly has substance abuse problems and dates possibly abusive men? But all we really know is that Frankie's worried about her All The Time as a result of these things. Joely's mother is clearly very dominating and controlling, but mostly what we know about her is that she gets shitty if Joely doesn't answer her phone and then when they DO have a phone conversation, it lasts like 3 sentences. So...?????
So yeah. I wanted to like this, because it's LoveOzYA. Also because the cover is gorgeous. But there just didn't seem to be much purpose to the story and the characters were...kind of the worst.
December 2, 2015
This review first appeared on Readers in Wonderland
Characters I could not deal with
FRANKIE AND JOELY is a very character driven novel, and unfortunately the main characters were people I had issues connecting with. They were just frustrating in various ways. Some of their thoughts and actions I didn’t agree with, or they’d say things that grate my nerves. The only characters I liked entirely were minor side characters like Joely’s Aunt and Uncle. Frankie did grow on me, but the rest of them ugh.
A focus on friendship
Books with good friendships can be few and far between so it’s always exciting to find a book that explores them. But it’s also scary because the friendships generally aren’t the focus of the contemporaries because it’s all sunshine and rainbows. There’s no room for development then. Franky and Joely’s friendship certainly isn’t easy.
What is communication?
For apparent best friends they two girls have a lot of bitchy things to say about each other, and annoyances. It astounded me they had been friends as long as they had. They also didn’t communicate. Seriously if they just spoke up more often none of the annoying situations would have happened. But I supposed if they started off perfect there would have been no room for growth.
Love pentagon
I wish this wasn’t an exaggeration, but it isn’t. FRANKIE AND JOELY has a love pentagon. And because I didn’t really connect to any of the characters I couldn’t ship any of the possible ships. I had no patience for any of them. Plus some of the characters were arseholes and didn’t deserve anyone. And some of the parts of the love dilemma fell way too quickly for some of the other members for my liking.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
Another aspect of FRANKIE AND JOELY I liked was that it was set in rural Victoria! I haven’t read an Aussie novel in a while, and having been on a cattle farm just a few months ago it felt really authentic. The stinking summer heat, the slang, the culture was very familiar and relatable. It was nice to read.
Characters I could not deal with
FRANKIE AND JOELY is a very character driven novel, and unfortunately the main characters were people I had issues connecting with. They were just frustrating in various ways. Some of their thoughts and actions I didn’t agree with, or they’d say things that grate my nerves. The only characters I liked entirely were minor side characters like Joely’s Aunt and Uncle. Frankie did grow on me, but the rest of them ugh.
A focus on friendship
Books with good friendships can be few and far between so it’s always exciting to find a book that explores them. But it’s also scary because the friendships generally aren’t the focus of the contemporaries because it’s all sunshine and rainbows. There’s no room for development then. Franky and Joely’s friendship certainly isn’t easy.
What is communication?
For apparent best friends they two girls have a lot of bitchy things to say about each other, and annoyances. It astounded me they had been friends as long as they had. They also didn’t communicate. Seriously if they just spoke up more often none of the annoying situations would have happened. But I supposed if they started off perfect there would have been no room for growth.
Love pentagon
I wish this wasn’t an exaggeration, but it isn’t. FRANKIE AND JOELY has a love pentagon. And because I didn’t really connect to any of the characters I couldn’t ship any of the possible ships. I had no patience for any of them. Plus some of the characters were arseholes and didn’t deserve anyone. And some of the parts of the love dilemma fell way too quickly for some of the other members for my liking.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
Another aspect of FRANKIE AND JOELY I liked was that it was set in rural Victoria! I haven’t read an Aussie novel in a while, and having been on a cattle farm just a few months ago it felt really authentic. The stinking summer heat, the slang, the culture was very familiar and relatable. It was nice to read.
Read
August 29, 2019This was the best book i have read by far this year.
It is about 2 Best friends, (girls) from the city. It was set around Christmas and new years. Joely was going to visit her two country cousins and decided to take Frankie with her. Mack and Tom are both falling for Frankie. Frankie and Joely both find this rebel boy (Rory) about their age. They fall for him. Frankie and Joely are seeing Rory. Frankie doesnt know that Joely is seeing Rory, and Joely doesnt know that Frankie is seeing Rory.
I shouldnt spoil it all but that was a quick overview
It is about 2 Best friends, (girls) from the city. It was set around Christmas and new years. Joely was going to visit her two country cousins and decided to take Frankie with her. Mack and Tom are both falling for Frankie. Frankie and Joely both find this rebel boy (Rory) about their age. They fall for him. Frankie and Joely are seeing Rory. Frankie doesnt know that Joely is seeing Rory, and Joely doesnt know that Frankie is seeing Rory.
I shouldnt spoil it all but that was a quick overview
did-not-finish
April 7, 2016DNFed at 38%
I hate DNFing books. Well, maybe not hate, but extremely dislike. Usually, the books I decide to read are ones that I think I will like and have aspects of my favourite genres. And when I read a few chapters, I already feel committed in finishing the story. I also hope/believe that it will get better and finishing the book means that I did not just waste the time spent only half finishing it. So, therefore I only really DNF if I think I will never try the book again - if the story really was that bad or rather definitely not for me. That's also why I have a shelf dedicated to books I started but never finished but that weren't deemed too bad so I might give them another chance someday (though let's face it; they'll probably be sitting there for years to come), which is also growing every day.
But with this book, I had to break my special rule and call it quits. Not to the shelf of the half-finished that I may, you know, one day get back to but to that of the DNF shelf, which I have to admit make up a small number of books I have decided to read.
Why DNF?
1. The characters. The most unappealing thing that dragged this book down was the characters. I place much importance in connecting with the characters when I decide if I'm liking the book or not, as I'm sure almost everyone does. So when I can't, I need something that will really redeem the book, (and if you haven't already worked out, there weren't really any redeeming qualities). In this case, the two main protagonists are Frankie and Joely (imaginative title, am I right?), fifteen-year-old best friends who live in the city. To clarify, they are both girls. Joely stands for Joelene.
I think that the reason I didn't connect was partly due to the fact that Frankie and Joely seemed quite young. Their voices (not in the literal sense) felt young compared to their actual age and their behaviour and actions were usually immature. Maybe this is how fifteen-year-olds think and act, but much of the time I was bored, rolling my eyes, or thinking how petty and trivial their fights were. Too trivial even for fifteen-year-old girls.
Frankie especially got on my nerves, and is a character that I not only did not care for but I also disliked. She was pretty, yet a loner, was envied, yet had an unfortunate home life, was wanted by all the guys, yet acted really selfishly. She's what, fifteen? For me, the main characters and the myriad secondary characters felt flat, fake and one dimensional.
2. The writing. This was the second main part of the book that got on my nerves, and while some characters promised growth/development, I knew, obviously, that the writing would remain the same, which is why it ultimately was what made me finally DNF at 38%.
First of all, there were many times when the POV switched. I have no qualms with this, but the manner in which the author switched the POVs was jarring and at times I questioned the reasoning behind this. At random times in the middle of chapters, the POV would suddenly change from, let's say, Frankie's POV to Joely's, and I would be now following Joely's thoughts and be in her head instead of the character the POV had switched from. As well, there would be the occasional paragraphs from the perspective of a secondary character (all of whom I didn't really care for) littered in amongst the rest of the story. I feel that the author wanted to give the reader some information that we would not otherwise know of, or to show us a particular character's thoughts, but I thought that they weren't necessarily important or could have been accomplished in a more smooth, less jarring manner that fit with the story, like dedicating each chapter to either Frankie's or Joely's POV and keeping it like that.
Secondly, there was too much telling and not enough showing. The characters were just doing things and even though at times the story would be "shown" instead of "told", the combination of this sort of writing left it feeling forced and flat and as well made it difficult to connect with the characters or invest in the story.
Lastly, the present tense. I wasn't really sure why the author chose to use present tense, but I believe it was a really bad idea. It brought me out of the story many times and also felt repetitive in the way she phrased things, e.g. she says... he looks... they say... etc. A lot of sentences started like this. As well, it was third person present tense, which I personally dislike and find hard to follow. The present tense made everything feel urgent, effective for dystopian or action books, but not slow-moving realistic fiction, which is what Frankie and Joely is. Sticking to good ol' 3rd person past tense would have been a better choice.
3. The plot/pacing. After reading almost 2/5ths of the book, I didn't feel much had happened, just a slow-building conflict between two main characters whom I could care less about. I didn't have any sense of where the book could possibly be going and thus, had nothing to look forward to. The first part of the book I did read was slow-paced and boring and made me want to put it down and do something else instead.
To conclude, Frankie and Joely had poor writing, characters, pacing and a non-existent plot line which ultimately led to my DNFing it. Of course, I would not recommend this book if you were ever so inclined to pick it up.
I hate DNFing books. Well, maybe not hate, but extremely dislike. Usually, the books I decide to read are ones that I think I will like and have aspects of my favourite genres. And when I read a few chapters, I already feel committed in finishing the story. I also hope/believe that it will get better and finishing the book means that I did not just waste the time spent only half finishing it. So, therefore I only really DNF if I think I will never try the book again - if the story really was that bad or rather definitely not for me. That's also why I have a shelf dedicated to books I started but never finished but that weren't deemed too bad so I might give them another chance someday (though let's face it; they'll probably be sitting there for years to come), which is also growing every day.
But with this book, I had to break my special rule and call it quits. Not to the shelf of the half-finished that I may, you know, one day get back to but to that of the DNF shelf, which I have to admit make up a small number of books I have decided to read.
Why DNF?
1. The characters. The most unappealing thing that dragged this book down was the characters. I place much importance in connecting with the characters when I decide if I'm liking the book or not, as I'm sure almost everyone does. So when I can't, I need something that will really redeem the book, (and if you haven't already worked out, there weren't really any redeeming qualities). In this case, the two main protagonists are Frankie and Joely (imaginative title, am I right?), fifteen-year-old best friends who live in the city. To clarify, they are both girls. Joely stands for Joelene.
I think that the reason I didn't connect was partly due to the fact that Frankie and Joely seemed quite young. Their voices (not in the literal sense) felt young compared to their actual age and their behaviour and actions were usually immature. Maybe this is how fifteen-year-olds think and act, but much of the time I was bored, rolling my eyes, or thinking how petty and trivial their fights were. Too trivial even for fifteen-year-old girls.
Frankie especially got on my nerves, and is a character that I not only did not care for but I also disliked. She was pretty, yet a loner, was envied, yet had an unfortunate home life, was wanted by all the guys, yet acted really selfishly. She's what, fifteen? For me, the main characters and the myriad secondary characters felt flat, fake and one dimensional.
2. The writing. This was the second main part of the book that got on my nerves, and while some characters promised growth/development, I knew, obviously, that the writing would remain the same, which is why it ultimately was what made me finally DNF at 38%.
First of all, there were many times when the POV switched. I have no qualms with this, but the manner in which the author switched the POVs was jarring and at times I questioned the reasoning behind this. At random times in the middle of chapters, the POV would suddenly change from, let's say, Frankie's POV to Joely's, and I would be now following Joely's thoughts and be in her head instead of the character the POV had switched from. As well, there would be the occasional paragraphs from the perspective of a secondary character (all of whom I didn't really care for) littered in amongst the rest of the story. I feel that the author wanted to give the reader some information that we would not otherwise know of, or to show us a particular character's thoughts, but I thought that they weren't necessarily important or could have been accomplished in a more smooth, less jarring manner that fit with the story, like dedicating each chapter to either Frankie's or Joely's POV and keeping it like that.
Secondly, there was too much telling and not enough showing. The characters were just doing things and even though at times the story would be "shown" instead of "told", the combination of this sort of writing left it feeling forced and flat and as well made it difficult to connect with the characters or invest in the story.
Lastly, the present tense. I wasn't really sure why the author chose to use present tense, but I believe it was a really bad idea. It brought me out of the story many times and also felt repetitive in the way she phrased things, e.g. she says... he looks... they say... etc. A lot of sentences started like this. As well, it was third person present tense, which I personally dislike and find hard to follow. The present tense made everything feel urgent, effective for dystopian or action books, but not slow-moving realistic fiction, which is what Frankie and Joely is. Sticking to good ol' 3rd person past tense would have been a better choice.
3. The plot/pacing. After reading almost 2/5ths of the book, I didn't feel much had happened, just a slow-building conflict between two main characters whom I could care less about. I didn't have any sense of where the book could possibly be going and thus, had nothing to look forward to. The first part of the book I did read was slow-paced and boring and made me want to put it down and do something else instead.
To conclude, Frankie and Joely had poor writing, characters, pacing and a non-existent plot line which ultimately led to my DNFing it. Of course, I would not recommend this book if you were ever so inclined to pick it up.
May 24, 2018
This review was originally written in June, 2015. It was edited to read more clearly in May, 2018 - however the sentiment of the review is the same.
***
I received and read an ARC of Frankie and Joely, and my honest rating would have to be 2.5 stars.
Frankie and Joely have a friendship not unlike a lot of girls’ their age – perhaps after a fight or two. Except, oddly enough, the pair have never fallen out. The story begins with the two girls going on a trip over the Christmas break, to see Joely’s extended family in the outback. Frankie comes from an unwelcome home, and is described as so beautiful and even-skinned that boys drop what they’re doing to stare. Joely comes from a strict yet broken home, and while she is certainly not described as ugly, she is not quite as alluring to boys as her best friend – something the character is painfully and constantly aware of.
These are a very unusual pair of best friends. The story begins without any reason for hate between them – but there are already high levels of resentment brewing. Joely frets about bringing her beautiful best friend to meet her boy cousins, and Frankie is hesitant about agreeing to go. Basically neither one of them wishes it was happening. It's natural for two girls so young and self-conscious to be anxious - what makes them unusual is how deeply passive aggressive they are to eachother – from the very first pages. It’s almost as if they hate each other. Elements of it are written quite well, their vulnerable and sometimes-nasty thoughts feel true to form - however the frequent waves in which the girls disagree and wish the other may come undone are uneasily brutal. At no point do I feel like they act like a real team, except momentarily, when they goof around in a wheelbarrow in the middle of the night. It was the simplest moment, and not one of intense Hollywood-soul-mate revelation. Apart from this, comfort is not fully shown between them until the end.
They remind me of a pair of friends who will grow apart in some years, find new friendships and interests, and reflect that what they had with one another wasn’t truly friendship - but more like a bond simply to survive highschool. After all, Joely admits that she loves Frankie the most because she was the only person to ever take an interest in her. And Frankie believes Joely is the only person who has ever taken her at face value. We learn this is ironic, as lack of interest and judging are the two constant things that the girls do to one another in their minds. In fact, the only thing the girls have in common are their sensitive family situations - that which they never express to one another and keep private for the length of the novel.
The story Frankie and Joely feels like a page from their lives; quite a dramatic one, with sunstroke, blisters, and perverted country boys. This isn’t a bad story; it’s written quite well, and the girls – in the end – are sweet. I liked the ending. The country cousin boys were inadvertently sexist and awkward (both Thommo and Mack resent the girls at some point for spoiling their imagined, unattempted romantic conquests), but this hasn’t got anything to do with why I’ve given Weetman only three stars. In fact, I ended up liking the girls a great deal more when they didn’t let the boys ruin their friendship – and the fact that they dealt with boys like that is a far closer to the reality that awaits young, female readers who may take an interest in the novel Frankie & Joely. I suppose the reason I only have given 2.5 stars is because of the frustrations I felt with the characters from start to finish were never really resolved.
***
I received and read an ARC of Frankie and Joely, and my honest rating would have to be 2.5 stars.
Frankie and Joely have a friendship not unlike a lot of girls’ their age – perhaps after a fight or two. Except, oddly enough, the pair have never fallen out. The story begins with the two girls going on a trip over the Christmas break, to see Joely’s extended family in the outback. Frankie comes from an unwelcome home, and is described as so beautiful and even-skinned that boys drop what they’re doing to stare. Joely comes from a strict yet broken home, and while she is certainly not described as ugly, she is not quite as alluring to boys as her best friend – something the character is painfully and constantly aware of.
These are a very unusual pair of best friends. The story begins without any reason for hate between them – but there are already high levels of resentment brewing. Joely frets about bringing her beautiful best friend to meet her boy cousins, and Frankie is hesitant about agreeing to go. Basically neither one of them wishes it was happening. It's natural for two girls so young and self-conscious to be anxious - what makes them unusual is how deeply passive aggressive they are to eachother – from the very first pages. It’s almost as if they hate each other. Elements of it are written quite well, their vulnerable and sometimes-nasty thoughts feel true to form - however the frequent waves in which the girls disagree and wish the other may come undone are uneasily brutal. At no point do I feel like they act like a real team, except momentarily, when they goof around in a wheelbarrow in the middle of the night. It was the simplest moment, and not one of intense Hollywood-soul-mate revelation. Apart from this, comfort is not fully shown between them until the end.
They remind me of a pair of friends who will grow apart in some years, find new friendships and interests, and reflect that what they had with one another wasn’t truly friendship - but more like a bond simply to survive highschool. After all, Joely admits that she loves Frankie the most because she was the only person to ever take an interest in her. And Frankie believes Joely is the only person who has ever taken her at face value. We learn this is ironic, as lack of interest and judging are the two constant things that the girls do to one another in their minds. In fact, the only thing the girls have in common are their sensitive family situations - that which they never express to one another and keep private for the length of the novel.
The story Frankie and Joely feels like a page from their lives; quite a dramatic one, with sunstroke, blisters, and perverted country boys. This isn’t a bad story; it’s written quite well, and the girls – in the end – are sweet. I liked the ending. The country cousin boys were inadvertently sexist and awkward (both Thommo and Mack resent the girls at some point for spoiling their imagined, unattempted romantic conquests), but this hasn’t got anything to do with why I’ve given Weetman only three stars. In fact, I ended up liking the girls a great deal more when they didn’t let the boys ruin their friendship – and the fact that they dealt with boys like that is a far closer to the reality that awaits young, female readers who may take an interest in the novel Frankie & Joely. I suppose the reason I only have given 2.5 stars is because of the frustrations I felt with the characters from start to finish were never really resolved.
July 27, 2015
I love novels about female friendship and rural Australia and hot summers, and Frankie and Joely has all of these things. The stifling heat and the dusty middle-of-nowhere town are depicted beautifully. The story is told using third-person omniscient - predominantly from the perspectives of Frankie and Joely, but also offering Mack's, Thommo's and Rory's viewpoints. This is a style of narration that is really difficult to get right, and at times, as POV changed from paragraph to paragraph, I felt at a remove from the characters. The stark differences in how Frankie and Joely view each other and themselves make their perspectives the most compelling - had the story instead been told by only one or the other, so much of the exploration of their friendship would be missing, and it wouldn't be as rich or as nuanced a story. I am always fascinated with the awful characters in stories, so more of Rory's point of view and his particular background and motivations would have been terrific; similarly, Mack and Thommo aren't POV characters for particularly much of the story, and I feel they could've contributed more.
Joely's aunt and uncle are the most sympathetic characters of the novel - there's a scene where the aunt makes scones with Joely which is one of the loveliest in the novel (and made me really want to make and eat scones. Which I might do after I finish writing this). Frankie's desire to be accepted, and her love and care for her off-the-rails mum makes her far more likeable than Joely, whose childishness is at times grating. That said, they are fifteen-year-old characters and, knowing actual fifteen-year-olds (and having been fifteen myself), they're very realistically depicted. I think the pettiness and melodramas and general complexities of intense teenage friendship are well-drawn. The girls communicate poorly and behave like idiots and treat each other badly, despite how important the friendship is to both of them, because they're both dealing with their own issues: trying to deal with family and boy dramas and attempting to work out who they are and who they want to be.
It's an easy, enjoyable contemporary Aussie YA read, which I think will appeal most to younger teenaged readers who can identify with Frankie and Joely and the intensities and difficulties of their friendship. If you liked Kate Gordon's Writing Clementine, I reckon you'll like this one, too (and vice versa).
Joely's aunt and uncle are the most sympathetic characters of the novel - there's a scene where the aunt makes scones with Joely which is one of the loveliest in the novel (and made me really want to make and eat scones. Which I might do after I finish writing this). Frankie's desire to be accepted, and her love and care for her off-the-rails mum makes her far more likeable than Joely, whose childishness is at times grating. That said, they are fifteen-year-old characters and, knowing actual fifteen-year-olds (and having been fifteen myself), they're very realistically depicted. I think the pettiness and melodramas and general complexities of intense teenage friendship are well-drawn. The girls communicate poorly and behave like idiots and treat each other badly, despite how important the friendship is to both of them, because they're both dealing with their own issues: trying to deal with family and boy dramas and attempting to work out who they are and who they want to be.
It's an easy, enjoyable contemporary Aussie YA read, which I think will appeal most to younger teenaged readers who can identify with Frankie and Joely and the intensities and difficulties of their friendship. If you liked Kate Gordon's Writing Clementine, I reckon you'll like this one, too (and vice versa).
August 27, 2015
This review appears in www.buzzwordsmagazine.com.
Set in a small Victorian country town during the week between Christmas and New Year, Joely invites best friend Frankie for a holiday at her Aunt and Uncle’s farm. Joely introduces Frankie to her country cousins, Thommo and Mack, who both begin to compete for the beautiful Frankie’s attention. Tensions rise further when local bad boy, Rory, decides to make a move on both girls. When it is revealed that Rory has been leading the girls on, without the other knowing, hidden jealousies threaten to shatter their friendship.
The story is written in third person omniscient and told mainly from Frankie and Joely’s perspectives. The constant change in point of view gives a fascinating insight into the complicated dance between teenage girls as they explore the intense love they feel for each other along with equally strong feelings of annoyance, jealousy and competitiveness. The rural town setting, the stifling heat, dust and flies add a believable and uncomfortable atmosphere to the story as these two girls attempt to navigate their personal problems.
Mother/daughter relationships are also explored with Frankie’s aloof and unreliable mother and Joely’s anxious and overprotective mum nicely contrasted with the warmth and tenderness of Joely’s Aunt Jill, whose kitchen and home cooking provide a refuge for the girls.
The novel gives interesting insights into both Frankie and Joely’s struggle for self-awareness in a world filled with boys, family problems and testing emotions. It also reminds older readers of the power and importance of first friendships. This is an honest and beautiful story about female relationships aimed at junior to middle teens.
On her webpage, Nova Weetman states her goal as a writer is to: “Write stories that snuck into a reader’s heart so they’d fall in love with them.” She has certainly achieved this with Frankie and Joely
Set in a small Victorian country town during the week between Christmas and New Year, Joely invites best friend Frankie for a holiday at her Aunt and Uncle’s farm. Joely introduces Frankie to her country cousins, Thommo and Mack, who both begin to compete for the beautiful Frankie’s attention. Tensions rise further when local bad boy, Rory, decides to make a move on both girls. When it is revealed that Rory has been leading the girls on, without the other knowing, hidden jealousies threaten to shatter their friendship.
The story is written in third person omniscient and told mainly from Frankie and Joely’s perspectives. The constant change in point of view gives a fascinating insight into the complicated dance between teenage girls as they explore the intense love they feel for each other along with equally strong feelings of annoyance, jealousy and competitiveness. The rural town setting, the stifling heat, dust and flies add a believable and uncomfortable atmosphere to the story as these two girls attempt to navigate their personal problems.
Mother/daughter relationships are also explored with Frankie’s aloof and unreliable mother and Joely’s anxious and overprotective mum nicely contrasted with the warmth and tenderness of Joely’s Aunt Jill, whose kitchen and home cooking provide a refuge for the girls.
The novel gives interesting insights into both Frankie and Joely’s struggle for self-awareness in a world filled with boys, family problems and testing emotions. It also reminds older readers of the power and importance of first friendships. This is an honest and beautiful story about female relationships aimed at junior to middle teens.
On her webpage, Nova Weetman states her goal as a writer is to: “Write stories that snuck into a reader’s heart so they’d fall in love with them.” She has certainly achieved this with Frankie and Joely
November 26, 2015
This book is unflinchingly honest about teenage girls' friendships. Frankie and Joley barely seem to like each other at times, yet they are inextricably linked. Both are outsiders for different reasons, so it's clear why they drifted together, even if they are very different people. The differences begin to show even more when they are out of their element in a small town.
I loved the way the pair obviously relied on each other even while they were emotionally sabotaging each other. And they were both so clueless when it came to boys. It felt very real to me, as did the setting. I could feel the oppressive heat and the way that heightens everything because it's so unbearable.
The one thing I didn't like was the way the narrative hopped from one POV to another without warning. One moment we're seeing the world through Joley's eyes, then just for a second, we'll skip across to Rory's or Mack's before slipping back.
But if you're looking for a book that accurately reflects the often painful experience of being a best friend, this is definitely worth a look.
I loved the way the pair obviously relied on each other even while they were emotionally sabotaging each other. And they were both so clueless when it came to boys. It felt very real to me, as did the setting. I could feel the oppressive heat and the way that heightens everything because it's so unbearable.
The one thing I didn't like was the way the narrative hopped from one POV to another without warning. One moment we're seeing the world through Joley's eyes, then just for a second, we'll skip across to Rory's or Mack's before slipping back.
But if you're looking for a book that accurately reflects the often painful experience of being a best friend, this is definitely worth a look.
July 15, 2015
3.5/5 STARS! full review coming soon
August 1, 2015
Honestly would not recommend. This book was boring at best and none of the characters were particularly likeable. Failed to excited.
April 20, 2016
Another soft one star read. This book was just dull, dull, dull. Nothing to say about it really.
September 24, 2020
pretty good! it was an interesting read and I'm really happy about the POV switches.
At first I was a bit confused, because I thought, "this is a thing most authors struggle with, seeming as since their story is only portrayed from a few different points of view, it's difficult to convey to the readers what the other characters are thinking when they need to think something important." but I ended up enjoying it nonetheless!
I only have a few bones to pick with this story, such as how everyone was so easily charmed by Frankie and how lax their parents were, but it's understandable, I guess.
Only other complaint is a joke, but I was secretly vouching for Frankie and Joaly to get together by the end of the book. But hey, I'm in a way relieved they didn't, because not all books have to be about the romantic aspects of love. Friendship is just as important.
At first I was a bit confused, because I thought, "this is a thing most authors struggle with, seeming as since their story is only portrayed from a few different points of view, it's difficult to convey to the readers what the other characters are thinking when they need to think something important." but I ended up enjoying it nonetheless!
I only have a few bones to pick with this story, such as how everyone was so easily charmed by Frankie and how lax their parents were, but it's understandable, I guess.
Only other complaint is a joke, but I was secretly vouching for Frankie and Joaly to get together by the end of the book. But hey, I'm in a way relieved they didn't, because not all books have to be about the romantic aspects of love. Friendship is just as important.
January 28, 2017
3.5 stars, I think.... Hmmm.
The writing is a bit plain for me - all telling with barely any showing, and the head-hopping made me nauseous. BUT the story is powerful overall. It really captured the essence of those intense friendships you have with some girls when you're young and insecure and a bit jealous of your friend for being beautiful and adored. The kinds of friendships that don't always last - they're sort of a platonic whirlwind affair, filled with love and hate and an inexplicable connection. They're not always pretty, but that's why the story was powerful - it was unflinchingly honest.
#loveozya #novaweetman #summerinregionalvictoria #FrankieandJoely #book4for2017
The writing is a bit plain for me - all telling with barely any showing, and the head-hopping made me nauseous. BUT the story is powerful overall. It really captured the essence of those intense friendships you have with some girls when you're young and insecure and a bit jealous of your friend for being beautiful and adored. The kinds of friendships that don't always last - they're sort of a platonic whirlwind affair, filled with love and hate and an inexplicable connection. They're not always pretty, but that's why the story was powerful - it was unflinchingly honest.
#loveozya #novaweetman #summerinregionalvictoria #FrankieandJoely #book4for2017
February 21, 2022
2.5
A book with an Australian setting, well count me in to read it.
Unfortunately, the book disappointed me, it was a quite dull read and I did struggle through some parts. Also the two main characters, I wasn't big on, Joely gets really petty and horrible, Frankie is a little better. They have strained relationships with their mothers but the reasons are vague.
The description of the heat and the setting was the best part of the whole book.
The only likable characters in the book are the Aunt and Uncle.
The friendship portrayed is not friendship goals.
A book with an Australian setting, well count me in to read it.
Unfortunately, the book disappointed me, it was a quite dull read and I did struggle through some parts. Also the two main characters, I wasn't big on, Joely gets really petty and horrible, Frankie is a little better. They have strained relationships with their mothers but the reasons are vague.
The description of the heat and the setting was the best part of the whole book.
The only likable characters in the book are the Aunt and Uncle.
The friendship portrayed is not friendship goals.
November 6, 2016
Young adult novel. I was frustrated by this novel. The story of Joelie and Frankie two friends who believe they are best friends. From the very start their relationship is not that of best friends. Taking offence, not talking, not trusting each other. But then there were times they had each other's back. They were both needy, but at times I felt like yelling at the book.
December 18, 2024
Joely takes Frankie to her cousins’ farm for a holiday. Thommo and Mack have grown a lot since Joely last saw them. It is a scorching hot summer so they hang out at the local pool and meet charismatic Rory. This is not the only source of tension between these best friends, as they reflect on the relationships with their very different Mums and navigate their friendship.
July 22, 2017
I would give this 4.5 if I could - because Joely is annoying as all get out! But hey, she is a teen, and female friendships at that age are seesaws at the best of time. I still can't get over the kangaroo's resting spot as a meeting place though! But adored the ending & last line :D
August 23, 2015
I think Frankie and Joely may have a fundamental misunderstanding of the phrase "best friends." They are so PETTY, oh my gosh. They have these stupid internal fights about stupid things like packets of chips and books and it's just ridiculous, honestly. I think I would have enjoyed it more if they'd started off not being friends, and then grew closer, because by the end of the book they were a lot nicer to each other.
Full review to come.
_____________________________________
My biggest problem with this book was the friendship between Frankie and Joely. Because FRANKLY (haha), they didn’t really seem to be friends. They have these ridiculous petty fights over stupid things like packets of chips (I mean, seriously) and who’s smarter than the other or prettier or whatever. It just got really old, really fast. Sure, maybe some 13-year-old girl friendships are like this but I couldn’t identify with it at all.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the POV. It’s in third person present, and unless it’s like J K Rowling writing, this POV never seems to work for me because I end up feeling disconnected. There was all this head-hopping between Frankie and Joely, so much that I kept mixing them up in my head.
There was some nice Australian-ness to the story. Everything from dead roos to the awful heat to terrible sunburn (I sympathise, Joely, I really do). And Joely’s aunt was really lovely.
Ultimately, I did like how the girls’ friendship developed towards the end. That was my favourite part about it – I just wish their fights hadn’t been so petty to begin with.
Full review to come.
_____________________________________
My biggest problem with this book was the friendship between Frankie and Joely. Because FRANKLY (haha), they didn’t really seem to be friends. They have these ridiculous petty fights over stupid things like packets of chips (I mean, seriously) and who’s smarter than the other or prettier or whatever. It just got really old, really fast. Sure, maybe some 13-year-old girl friendships are like this but I couldn’t identify with it at all.
I also wasn’t a big fan of the POV. It’s in third person present, and unless it’s like J K Rowling writing, this POV never seems to work for me because I end up feeling disconnected. There was all this head-hopping between Frankie and Joely, so much that I kept mixing them up in my head.
There was some nice Australian-ness to the story. Everything from dead roos to the awful heat to terrible sunburn (I sympathise, Joely, I really do). And Joely’s aunt was really lovely.
Ultimately, I did like how the girls’ friendship developed towards the end. That was my favourite part about it – I just wish their fights hadn’t been so petty to begin with.
August 3, 2015
While reading this book, all I could really think was that neither Frankie nor Joely understood what was meant by the word friend, let alone the phrase "best friend". I wasn't even sure if they liked each other at times- they'd having these extremely petty thoughts towards each other (an example would be Joely "[hoping] the mosquitos bite Frankie and not her"). I mean, really. They'd have these passive aggressive arguments about the stupidest things e.g. what flavour of chips they want (just halve them, people), and they keep a ridiculous number of secrets from each other. From the reader's point of view, it certainly doesn't seem like they're best friends.
Unfortunately, the terrible friendship isn't the only unfavourable aspect of the novel. The writing is extremely stilted, with the author stating every little thing that the characters do and every little emotion they feel. Definitely a heck of a lot of telling rather than showing. There's a lot of thoughts/stream of consciousness style of writing, and I feel like it really doesn't work that well in the context of a fairly generic drama-filled contemporary YA.
Overall, the book felt unpolished to me. The plot wasn't really that interesting, and the characters were quite unlikeable and immature as well as being difficult to relate to. I can't really recommend this book, unfortunately.
Ratings
Overall: 3/10
Plot: 1.5/5
Romance: 2/5
Writing: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Cover: 2/5
Unfortunately, the terrible friendship isn't the only unfavourable aspect of the novel. The writing is extremely stilted, with the author stating every little thing that the characters do and every little emotion they feel. Definitely a heck of a lot of telling rather than showing. There's a lot of thoughts/stream of consciousness style of writing, and I feel like it really doesn't work that well in the context of a fairly generic drama-filled contemporary YA.
Overall, the book felt unpolished to me. The plot wasn't really that interesting, and the characters were quite unlikeable and immature as well as being difficult to relate to. I can't really recommend this book, unfortunately.
Ratings
Overall: 3/10
Plot: 1.5/5
Romance: 2/5
Writing: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Cover: 2/5
December 30, 2016
I didn't like any of the characters. Maybe Jill and Ged (and Thommo at times), but that's about it. I couldn't stand Joely and I honestly did not understand why she and Frankie were even friends considering how much resentment she held towards Frankie?? Frankie herself, could be irritating, but I did appreciate the higher level of complexity her character had; she was more than the pretty face most saw and I liked that.
Joely and Frankie's friendship was the key part of the book but I honestly do not understand how they were friends. About 99.96% of the time, they were insecure, resentful and didn't even seem to like each other?? When did the definition of best friends change?
Otherwise, the plot was rather slow, the characters (especially Mack and Joely and RORY GOD DAMN HIM) were kinda horrible people and there wasn't much in terms of development.
What I did like was the setting; maybe it's because I'm reading this in a very hot, very stuffy Melbourne, but Payne's oppressing heat felt so real and vivid to me, I really really enjoyed reading about the town and would have liked to see more of it.
Joely and Frankie's friendship was the key part of the book but I honestly do not understand how they were friends. About 99.96% of the time, they were insecure, resentful and didn't even seem to like each other?? When did the definition of best friends change?
Otherwise, the plot was rather slow, the characters (especially Mack and Joely and RORY GOD DAMN HIM) were kinda horrible people and there wasn't much in terms of development.
What I did like was the setting; maybe it's because I'm reading this in a very hot, very stuffy Melbourne, but Payne's oppressing heat felt so real and vivid to me, I really really enjoyed reading about the town and would have liked to see more of it.
October 12, 2016
I found this book somewhat frustrating to read. Set in present tense, the idea seemed quite novel until a few pages in. I feel that it may have been easier to read, and certainly less clunky in places, if set in past tense.
I am from country Victoria and have spent plenty of time in the great divide of city life vs romanticised country life vs actual country life, I still struggled to connect with the book in a way that I hoped to. Frankie seems over-the-top, and larger than life, Joely seems like a complete cow who doesn't like anyone, including her best friend. The romantic entanglements are disappointing, but the conclusion is sweet and somewhat satisfying.
I am from country Victoria and have spent plenty of time in the great divide of city life vs romanticised country life vs actual country life, I still struggled to connect with the book in a way that I hoped to. Frankie seems over-the-top, and larger than life, Joely seems like a complete cow who doesn't like anyone, including her best friend. The romantic entanglements are disappointing, but the conclusion is sweet and somewhat satisfying.
September 8, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of those close friendships you have when you are a teenager, the bonds you form and all the complications that come along with them. Also loved that it was set in the country, can relate to those stinking summer days, where the only relief is heading to a muddy dam of the town 'pool'.
Thank you Nova Weetman!
Thank you Nova Weetman!
Read
December 19, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Animal death (kangaroo)
Animal death (kangaroo)
Read
November 15, 2016I found it impossible to connect with Frankie and Joely, and I didn't buy for a second that these two were 'best friends', let alone that they were exploring their friendship's boundaries. This was a DNF for me.
did-not-finish
October 9, 2017So disappointed after the amount I loved Everything is Changed. I really don't care about Frankie, Joely or their supposed friendship. For bffs they sure do hate each other.
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