What do you think?
Rate this book
Frankie Best Hates Quests
From the incredible imagination of Chris Smith - bestselling author and now a major new solo talent - comes an extraordinary accidental adventure for fans of Cressida Cowell and Pixar's Onward.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.
Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.
Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.
Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.
Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
400 pages, ebook
Published March 31, 2022
14 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Chris Smith
17 books13 followersChris Smith is an award-winning author, broadcaster and parent (a mug saying ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ counts as an award, right?). He grew up in leafy Northamptonshire and now lives in not-as-leafy North London with his wife, son and a cat called Mabel, who can talk. If you listen very carefully to the George Michael song ‘Outside’ you can hear a sample of Chris reading the news. He makes excellent tea.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 23, 2022
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages - 384
Publisher - Penguin
Source - Vine
Blurb from Goodreads
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.
Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.
Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
My Review
So I hadn't heard of this author before but a few of the books I have read recently have been quite dark plus just life in general so this was perfect book coming along at the perfect time. It is YA (young adult) but don't let anyone tell you these books can only be enjoyed by or purely for youngsters.
Frankie & her wee brother Joel are supposed to be going to their fun aunts whilst their parents go off on a research trip. Instead they end up at Grandad's house and Granda is a bit unique, they have been kept away for a while and can't really remember why. When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.
Frankie is twelve and all teen angst, glued to her phone, her brother is a geek and this cannot be happening. Think Lord of the rings meets bedknobs and broomsticks with a bit of harry potter, echoes of Labyrinth, adventure, creatures and a quest despite Frankie raging it is most assuredly NOT A QUEST.
It is light hearted, adventure, some humour, some things you need to take into account & remember the book is aimed at younger audiences so some things are juvenile(ish). The chapters are short, there are diary entries, view points change, overall it is a light hearted adventure read and if you need to drop out of our world for a little while this is a fab one to enter. 4/5 for me, I think this is a standalone, not sure if the author would revisit the world he created, I hope so. I will check out their other books and recommend this!
Pages - 384
Publisher - Penguin
Source - Vine
Blurb from Goodreads
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.
Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.
Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
My Review
So I hadn't heard of this author before but a few of the books I have read recently have been quite dark plus just life in general so this was perfect book coming along at the perfect time. It is YA (young adult) but don't let anyone tell you these books can only be enjoyed by or purely for youngsters.
Frankie & her wee brother Joel are supposed to be going to their fun aunts whilst their parents go off on a research trip. Instead they end up at Grandad's house and Granda is a bit unique, they have been kept away for a while and can't really remember why. When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.
Frankie is twelve and all teen angst, glued to her phone, her brother is a geek and this cannot be happening. Think Lord of the rings meets bedknobs and broomsticks with a bit of harry potter, echoes of Labyrinth, adventure, creatures and a quest despite Frankie raging it is most assuredly NOT A QUEST.
It is light hearted, adventure, some humour, some things you need to take into account & remember the book is aimed at younger audiences so some things are juvenile(ish). The chapters are short, there are diary entries, view points change, overall it is a light hearted adventure read and if you need to drop out of our world for a little while this is a fab one to enter. 4/5 for me, I think this is a standalone, not sure if the author would revisit the world he created, I hope so. I will check out their other books and recommend this!
March 15, 2022
rankie Best Hates Quests.
I read this every evening to my 9 years old son and he loved it, Frankie's mum and dad create games and needed to go off and do some research in the next area they were doing a game about which meant that Frankie and Joel her brother would have to stay with their grandfather.
They hadn't visited their grandfather for a long time and Frankie did not know why? But as long as Frankie has her phone and TV she will be happy. But unbeknown to Frankie that wasn't going to be the case!!
Frankie was now at her grandfathers with no phone signal and no TV what was she going to do? Then she finds a secret door in the bedroom which leads to the attic and then everything changes, Frankie doesn't like fantasy games because that is what her mum and dad produce and that was what her friends at school had picked on her about.
But Frankie's eyes are opened by a completely different world which leads to a massive adventure where they meet a vast mix of creatures and characters.
This is a well written story with a fantastic adventure for kids of all ages, recommended read!
I read this every evening to my 9 years old son and he loved it, Frankie's mum and dad create games and needed to go off and do some research in the next area they were doing a game about which meant that Frankie and Joel her brother would have to stay with their grandfather.
They hadn't visited their grandfather for a long time and Frankie did not know why? But as long as Frankie has her phone and TV she will be happy. But unbeknown to Frankie that wasn't going to be the case!!
Frankie was now at her grandfathers with no phone signal and no TV what was she going to do? Then she finds a secret door in the bedroom which leads to the attic and then everything changes, Frankie doesn't like fantasy games because that is what her mum and dad produce and that was what her friends at school had picked on her about.
But Frankie's eyes are opened by a completely different world which leads to a massive adventure where they meet a vast mix of creatures and characters.
This is a well written story with a fantastic adventure for kids of all ages, recommended read!
June 27, 2022
This was absolutely fantastic - a new favourite for sure.
It was so fun!
So this unexpectedly has a lot of elements that I love - it’s a portal fantasy (my favourite type of book) & it has a narrator. Wasn’t expecting it, but I loved it!
Shout out to Chris Smith (the author), Roy McMillan & Karise Yansen who narrated the audiobook - it’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever read. In addition to the multiple narrators, there were sound effects too! It was just fantastic. It felt like a radio play. Highly recommend listening to it if audiobooks are your thing.
That said, the physical copy has illustrations (by Kenneth Anderson), which are gorgeous! The cover art is also really pretty. I couldn’t find the name of the cover artist but I think it might have also been Kenneth Anderson, going off the similarity to the internal illustrations.
Character development! Foreshadowing! Great writing! Fun settings! Adventure!
Anyway, “Frankie Best Hates Quests” is a super fun, fresh fantasy adventure for kids. I’ll certainly be recommending it at work! (I work in a book store)
It was so fun!
So this unexpectedly has a lot of elements that I love - it’s a portal fantasy (my favourite type of book) & it has a narrator. Wasn’t expecting it, but I loved it!
Shout out to Chris Smith (the author), Roy McMillan & Karise Yansen who narrated the audiobook - it’s one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever read. In addition to the multiple narrators, there were sound effects too! It was just fantastic. It felt like a radio play. Highly recommend listening to it if audiobooks are your thing.
That said, the physical copy has illustrations (by Kenneth Anderson), which are gorgeous! The cover art is also really pretty. I couldn’t find the name of the cover artist but I think it might have also been Kenneth Anderson, going off the similarity to the internal illustrations.
Character development! Foreshadowing! Great writing! Fun settings! Adventure!
Anyway, “Frankie Best Hates Quests” is a super fun, fresh fantasy adventure for kids. I’ll certainly be recommending it at work! (I work in a book store)
April 4, 2022
Frankie best hates quests by Chris Smith.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
A fun read for Kids. Loved the cover. 4*.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
A fun read for Kids. Loved the cover. 4*.
June 27, 2022
Looking for a fun middle grade reader fantasy read?
Look no further, this is just what you need!
Get ready for adventure and an amazing quest
As trying to rescue her Grandad goes Frankie Best.
With gnoblins and other magical creatures to meet
And dangerous enemies to defeat
This is a fun read with illustrations throughout
A phantasmagoric read, of that there's no doubt!
Coping without wi-fi and her usual things
This is an adventure that changes will bring
An engaging read filled with surprises and so
I really hope more children (and adults) will give it a go!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review
Look no further, this is just what you need!
Get ready for adventure and an amazing quest
As trying to rescue her Grandad goes Frankie Best.
With gnoblins and other magical creatures to meet
And dangerous enemies to defeat
This is a fun read with illustrations throughout
A phantasmagoric read, of that there's no doubt!
Coping without wi-fi and her usual things
This is an adventure that changes will bring
An engaging read filled with surprises and so
I really hope more children (and adults) will give it a go!
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review
March 2, 2023
Wow what can I say other than this middle grade is amazing.
I’ve not read a middle grade for 24 years and although I’m a lot older now I enjoyed every second of this book it made me feel like a child all over again. I found myself smiling all the way through the book and I absolutely adored the subtle Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit nods throughout, specially the “second breakfast “.
Smiths world building was amazingly magical, and throughout every chapter I felt transported to Pararellia. I can now say I am a firm member of the fellowship of the bacon roll.
This is an easy five star read for me and I now cannot wait for my daughter to read this
I’ve not read a middle grade for 24 years and although I’m a lot older now I enjoyed every second of this book it made me feel like a child all over again. I found myself smiling all the way through the book and I absolutely adored the subtle Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit nods throughout, specially the “second breakfast “.
Smiths world building was amazingly magical, and throughout every chapter I felt transported to Pararellia. I can now say I am a firm member of the fellowship of the bacon roll.
This is an easy five star read for me and I now cannot wait for my daughter to read this
March 15, 2024
Another book bought to read to the kids, an amusing, enjoyable tale of adventure and growth, realising who your friends really are, and what you want in life, accompanied by a quest to save a kingdom. The story is engaging and well told, the characters memorable, with plenty of puns and silliness along the way, but done in a way that works for both the setting and the story. Smith's writing really does have a Prachett style to it, which adds to the appeal of the book. An easy story to recommend.
December 20, 2024
I would've loved this as a kid! I very much enjoyed it now as an adult, but it definitely spoke to the kid part of my brain. The characters are likeable and the story concept is fun. I absolutely love the writing style, it's funny and very like Princess Bride and Series of Unfortunate Events with the breaking the 4th wall aspects. The plot can be a little surface level, there is some world building but not really enough for me. Definitely will give this to my 10yo cousin next!
February 20, 2023
A fun adventure with Frankie, Joel and Grandad. Very funny and imaginative.
Frankie and Joel get left for a week at Grandads. Only for Frankie to discover there is no WiFi. Absolute bedlam for a tech savvy 12 year old trying to stay in contact with her friends. Little did she know that this would lead her on an adventure into the land of Parallelia.
Frankie and Joel get left for a week at Grandads. Only for Frankie to discover there is no WiFi. Absolute bedlam for a tech savvy 12 year old trying to stay in contact with her friends. Little did she know that this would lead her on an adventure into the land of Parallelia.
August 14, 2024
Bonnie and I loved this book, read through very quickly as she was always asking for just another chapter! Really positive role model in Frankie who was a little bit obsessed with her phone but came to realise there’s more to life. Lovely that she did the quest with her brother and became closer to him too over the course. Such a fun story to read aloud with great details and illustrations.
February 12, 2023
Your love of this book, as kid or parent, depends on your tolerance for the genre. Lots of fun lines but a few too many 'aha' plot moments and too many characters (always in groups of five). Valiant effort at fantasy for kids, all the same.
March 21, 2023
This was a fun easy fantasy and had good humour in it as well. I really loved seeing the progression from all of the characters and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Definitely recommend
Definitely recommend
July 2, 2023
It was so good it felt like I was I the story with all the adventures and the magical creatures
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2024
A fun fantasy adventure for top juniors. Liked all the main characters and the humour.
June 13, 2024
Lots of fun and the characters are great.
March 27, 2022
Frankie Best Hates Quests.
I read this every evening to my 9 year old son and he loved it, Frankie's mum and dad create games and needed to go off and do some research in the next area they were doing a game about.
Which meant that Frankie and Joel her brother would have to stay with their grandfather.
They hadn't visited their grandfather for a long time and Frankie did not know why? But as long as Frankie has her phone and TV she will be happy. But unbeknown to Frankie that wasn't going to be the case!!
Frankie was now at her grandfathers with no phone signal and no TV what was she going to do? Then she finds a secret door in the bedroom which leads to the attic and then everything changes, Frankie doesn't like fantasy games because that is what her mum and dad produce and that was what her friends at school had picked on her about.
But Frankie's eyes are opened by a completely different world which leads to a massive adventure where they meet a vast mix of creatures and characters.
This is a well written story with a fantastic adventure for kids of all ages, recommended read!
I read this every evening to my 9 year old son and he loved it, Frankie's mum and dad create games and needed to go off and do some research in the next area they were doing a game about.
Which meant that Frankie and Joel her brother would have to stay with their grandfather.
They hadn't visited their grandfather for a long time and Frankie did not know why? But as long as Frankie has her phone and TV she will be happy. But unbeknown to Frankie that wasn't going to be the case!!
Frankie was now at her grandfathers with no phone signal and no TV what was she going to do? Then she finds a secret door in the bedroom which leads to the attic and then everything changes, Frankie doesn't like fantasy games because that is what her mum and dad produce and that was what her friends at school had picked on her about.
But Frankie's eyes are opened by a completely different world which leads to a massive adventure where they meet a vast mix of creatures and characters.
This is a well written story with a fantastic adventure for kids of all ages, recommended read!
April 22, 2023
Frankie is a typical teenage girl, obsessed with her phone, friends, and being cool. The last thing she wants is to be stuck for a week at her grandads house with her nerdy younger brother and no wifi!
Frankie’s grandad is kidnapped and taken to another world, Parallelia. Frankie and her brother team up with friends they meet along the way to try and save their grandad.
The book is funny, the author completely nails the teenage sarcasm and sibling bickering. The story transports you to a beautifully descriptive land with fantastic creatures such as, gnoblins, knelves, pirates, and justice. The book has pictures throughout showing what creatures look like and descriptions of them which my daughter loved.
This book really appeals to adults and children alike.
Frankie’s grandad is kidnapped and taken to another world, Parallelia. Frankie and her brother team up with friends they meet along the way to try and save their grandad.
The book is funny, the author completely nails the teenage sarcasm and sibling bickering. The story transports you to a beautifully descriptive land with fantastic creatures such as, gnoblins, knelves, pirates, and justice. The book has pictures throughout showing what creatures look like and descriptions of them which my daughter loved.
This book really appeals to adults and children alike.
April 4, 2022
Frankie best hates quests by Chris Smith.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
A fun read for Kids. Loved the cover. 4*.
Frankie Best is not happy.
She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .
A fun read for Kids. Loved the cover. 4*.
January 4, 2023
In this book a girl called Frankie Best goes on a quest to save her Grandfather in Parallelia. Parallelia is a magical place from Spingles Quest, a game her Father and Mother made. Frankie really doesn’t like Parallelia when she first steps into it, but her little brother Joel loves it so much! In this book you will find soup, weird fruit, a castle at the foot of a volcano and funny animals! In the end of the book something happens to Frankie that she really doesn’t like!
June 1, 2022
Kindly got an eArc via Netgalley.
This book was sooooo much fun. The Quest which was NOT a quest was gripping, funny and an amazing adventure.
World-building, atmosphere and character were well thought and absolutely amazing.
Recommended for all gaming wizards and soon-to-be quest-goers.
Hillarious and heart-warming. Loved it!
This book was sooooo much fun. The Quest which was NOT a quest was gripping, funny and an amazing adventure.
World-building, atmosphere and character were well thought and absolutely amazing.
Recommended for all gaming wizards and soon-to-be quest-goers.
Hillarious and heart-warming. Loved it!
May 16, 2022
A fun and funny adventure- with a narrator that frequently breaks the fourth wall - that deconstructs and gently mocks a lot of the classic quest fantasy tropes. But, as Frankie herself discovers, you have to love those tropes in the first place in order to do so. It's also a really good fantasy in it's own right, with fun, interesting world-building, some original ideas and good characters.
December 20, 2023
I was enjoying the first 7 chapters, but as I kept reading, the story became annoying. Not sure if it was the main character or the long chapters, but I just wanted to get it over with fast. I liked it enough to give it 3 stars but those things knocked a star off my rating. I do recommend it, though.
June 5, 2022
Read- June 2022
- This is one of the best middle grade books I've read in a very long time. At points I did feel like the author was trying a bit to hard to relate to a younger audience which is why it got a 4 star rating from me but overall this was fantastic.
- This is one of the best middle grade books I've read in a very long time. At points I did feel like the author was trying a bit to hard to relate to a younger audience which is why it got a 4 star rating from me but overall this was fantastic.
November 14, 2023
It is a middle-school fantasy comedy. Boring at the beginning, but picked up pace in the middle, and although losing that pace here and there, keeps it interesting until the end. Reading it once is ok.
May 2, 2023
4.5 stars
Only knocked down half a star because the MC was an annoying charicature of tween girls.
Only knocked down half a star because the MC was an annoying charicature of tween girls.
July 10, 2023
Funny and adventurous (11 yr old- K's buddy)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews