The 10 P.M. Question

by Kate De Goldi

Twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons is a talented kid with a quirky family, a best friend named Gigs, and a voice of anxiety constantly nibbling in his Could that kidney-shaped spot on his chest be a galloping cancer? Are the smoke alarm batteries flat? Has his cat, The Fat Controller, given them all worms? Only Ma, who never leaves home, takes Frankie’s worries seriously. But then, it is Ma who is the cause of the most troubling question of all, the one Frankie can never bring himself to ask. When a new girl arrives at school — a daring free spirit with unavoidable questions of her own — Frankie’s carefully guarded world begins to unravel, leading him to a painful confrontation with the ultimate 10 p.m. question. Deftly told with humor, poignancy, and an endearing cast of characters, The 10 P.M. Question will touch everyone who has ever felt set apart.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Mental Health, Book Club, Middle Grade

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2008

About the author

Kate De Goldi is a full-time writer who grew up in Christchurch and now lives in Wellington. Her first book was for adults: called like you, really, it was published under the name Kate Flannery, and gave a series of interlinked short stories about the women in a Catholic family. Since then she has won numerous awards and accolades for her fiction, including the American Express and Katherine Mansfield Awards for short stories, and the overall Children’s Book Award in 1997 for her young adult novel Sanctuary.

In 2000, her novel about adoption, Closed, Stranger won an Honour Award in the New Zealand Post Children and Young Adults' Book Awards, and in 2001, Kate was made an Arts Foundation Laureate. Her book Clubs, illustrated by Jacqui Colley, won the picture book category of the New Zealand Post Children’s and Young Adult Awards in 2005; that year it also won the overall book of the year, and it also gained the Russell Clark Award at the LIANZA Book Awards.

Kate’s most recent novel, The 10PM Question (2008), won Book of the Year and Best Young Adult fiction at the 2009 New Zealand Post Children and Young Adults' Book Awards. It was also runner-up in the Fiction category at the Montana NZ Book Awards 2009, at which it won the Readers' Choice Award. It was a finalist in the LIANZA Children's Book Awards for the Esther Glen Award, and was shortlisted for the Nielson BookData NZ Booksellers' Choice Award.

The 10PM Question has been selected to appear in the prestigious international publication The White Ravens 2009 and with sales of over 14,000 copies the book now wears a Silver Premier NZ Bestseller sticker and remains at No. 1 on the NZ Bestsellers List (week ending 22 August 2009). The rights have been sold to Allen & Unwin Publishers in Australia, and Dutch and German rights have also been sold. It is due to be published in North America later this year.

Kate is also very well known as an astute and energetic book reviewer for radio and television.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was really was a continual disappointment, thought Frankie, how all little pieces of story magic were eventually crushed by reality.”

and because I need a happy one too…

“Come on, throw it, throw it. I may as well get a shine on the end of my knob.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Bonga Swetso ♥

High Points.
Frankie. Gigs. Sydney. The entire Parsons clan. New Zealand. Cakes. Knobshine. Projects. Mr A. Secret Passwords. Heart-shattering. Shredders. Card games. Lists. Quirks. Eccentricities. Siblings. Chilun. Ray Davies. The Fat Controller. Camp. Late night talks. Aurora Awakens. Hope. Love. Song wars. Favourite default memories. “Normality”. Computer technology. Partially Bling Man. Word definitions. Oh good, GOD. Rara avis.

Low Point.
The only quibble I had with this book was the way the chapters were divided into every other (maybe?) Tuesday. I felt, in doing this, De Goldi denied us from seeing a lot of scenes that I would have loved to read first hand and not just from the memory of Frankie.

Hero.
Oh Frankie, you adorable little precious poppet.
I can’t decide whether I want to adopt you or run around antagonising dogs with you.
There’s a fine line between them, I feel.
When I was reading this book, there were an alarming number of moments when I was like “I understand COMPLETELY”. But, I think there are worse people I could relate to. Definitely.
I don’t want to go into the many many reasons why I loved Frankie, but I think he’s best to get to know on your own. But here’s a few because I can’t resist.
He’s strong, he’s resilient, he’s inquisitive, he’s observant, he’s capable of shattering my cold Northern heart, he’s hilarious, he’s intelligent, he’s imaginative, he’s the perfect hero for this book and he doesn’t like unsavoury collisions with a plaster in a public pool.
That, I have to agree, does suck and it knocks me sick too.
I just want to cuddle you, listen to you talk about birds and write stories with you while I eat all we share Mistake Cake… which sounds DELICIOUS by the way.

Best Friend.
Oh Gigs. You are definitely in the running for the ‘Lee Carter Award for Adorable, Cheeky Ragamuffin BFF Who Will End Up Getting Us Arrested When We’re Older’.
And Sydney. Well, I didn’t appreciate you BREAKING MY HEART.
Let’s tuck our skirts in our knickers and do cartwheels and go and buy nose rings together and make boys feel uncomfortable with how amazing and fearless we are.
And then we can cuddle, yes? *sob*

Furry Friends.
A cat called The Fat Controller and a beagle called Ray Davies. Best.names.ever.

Family.
Oh my lorrrd, I want to move in with the Parsons. I loved the way Ms De Goldi depicted the family dynamic. It was the perfect combination of side-splitting humour (honourable mention goes to the song wars between Uncle G and Louie… hilarious) and heart-shattering moments (honourable mention goes to the 10pm questions and a visit to the Aunties… blub.)

Theme Tune.

A Boy Like Me- Patrick Wolf.

"A boy like me should know much better than to raise his flag in stormy weather.
But I just can't get enough eletric shocks.
I wanna buy a lighthouse and ride a giraffe on the rocks.
I don't give up."

Like I could pick anyone else as my theme tune for this book . Always humorous, always beautiful, always haunting and forever an eccentric. Someone knight him already.
What can I say? The peculiar ones are always my favourites.

Sadness Scale.
10/10. BUT WAIT… don’t run fleeing in terror because of the sadness that you will feel. (And you will feel it). But this book is also full of beautiful, whimsical moments and, above all, hope and love and understanding.
This book struck a real chord with me and there were certain fears and worries that Frankie felt that really resonated with me.
And I know I always say it… and I know I’m going to start sounding like a broken record, but I have to really commend Ms de Goldi’s sensitive yet extremely accurate portrayal of mental illness. I loved how De Goldi managed to switch between depicting the uncomfortable but inevitable issues that living with someone with a mental illness brings and the glorious, heart-warming humour of Frankie’s story with perfect ease. There seemed to be a magnificent flow to this book and there was never a moment where I thought that the transition was forced or only put in the story for shock-factor. Her writing gave the entire book a perfect bitter-sweet tinge which I am sure will stick with me for a long time.

Recommended For.
EVERYONE. People who like their books with imagination and whimsy. People who want a book that will depict important issues without shying away when it gets too uncomfortable. People who have big families. People who worry about things and think it’s stupid… ps. IT’S NOT. People who understand the importance of keeping sweeties in a safe, dry place in case there is an apocalypse. People who like projects. People who like passwords. People who keep their bus tickets. People who like to make up their own languages. People who like doing cartwheels and don’t care if the boys can see your kecks. People who like Russian literature. People who think the cakes that don’t turn out right are always the best. People who like waking up to the splattered remains of a dead rat on their bath mat. People who talk to inanimate objects, which is OK, as long as they don’t talk back. People who always remember what trumps is. People who understand there can’t always be a happy ending, but continue to hope for one regardless.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should warn you now – I don’t think this review will be very well-written. I’m not sure I’m able to express my love, adoration, and pure joy with this book.

Quite simply, it is stunning. Heartbreaking, poignant, hilarious, beautiful, wonderful. It’s something very special.

In many ways I’m surprised to find it in the children’s section, as it is so insightful, with an unusual story-line and a sophisticated voice rarely seen in children’s fiction. But I’m delighted Templar (and previous publishing houses) are putting this kind of storytelling out there. Make no mistake – this is certainly a book for all ages.

I have to start with Frankie. He is adorable. I wanted to simultaneously be his best friend and adopt him. This kid had some seriously high stress levels and his anxieties, thoughts and concerns had me in stitches many times (don’t worry Frankie – I’m totally with you on the whole pool thing, I avoid them for that very same reason).

Frankie is a shy, reserved, intelligent, imaginative kid with a talent for drawing, who particularly likes birds. He’s also a bit of a hypochondriac and ever so slightly neurotic and while there are many delightful and funny moments throughout The 10pm Question that stem from his bizarre range of worries, it’s also clear that they are very serious to him and everything is starting to overwhelm Frankie. Sydney, his new best friend is loud, and vibrant and spontaneous, and asks awkward questions. Ma won’t leave the house and no one will talk about it. When it finally all becomes too much for him, my heart just broke for the little guy and I just wanted to give him a big hug – luckily, the fabulous Aunts are there just when he needs them the most.

Speaking of. The Aunts. were. amazing. I kind of want to be them when I’m old. They were hilarious and wise and filled their lives with many great things.

The 10pm Question is very much a character driven novel, but what brilliant characters. This fabulous, insane, eccentric, hilarious, utterly normal family. The way they interact, how they care for one another, how they bicker and argue and support each other – it was refreshing and captivating and I missed them once I finished reading. The relationships were spot on, but the bond between Frankie and his mother is particularly strong. Every night, at 10pm, Frankie goes to her with his fears and worries for the day and she patiently listens to him and answers all his questions, fighting the world for Frankie in the only way she can.

Ma was a lovely character, though she is probably the one we get to know least, because Frankie guards her so closely. She forges a life for herself, in the best she can, and her strength and courage in the face of her own crippling fears. I couldn’t help but admire her and the love she has for her family, and they for her.

The 10pm Question is the kind of book that makes me wish I were I writer. Full of humour, wit, compassion and richly developed characters that will stay with you long after you finish the book. Kate De Goldi tackles the difficult subject of mental illness in a way that is thoughtful, quiet, powerful, moving, respectful, eloquent and truthful. Frankie loves his mother. But he doesn’t understand how or why she is the way she is. Reading how Frankie and the rest of Parson’s family cope with their loved one’s condition boarders on the personal.

Kate De Goldi is extremely talented, as what could have easily been a depressing, awkward novel in someone else’s hands, instead is filled with a warmth and leaves you very much with a feeling of hope. The 10pm Question made me laugh. It made me cry. It reminded me of some of my own childhood memories, long forgotten.

This is a unique treasure of a book I will revisit time and time again (and has some wonderful cover art). Read it.

‘Last Saturday when they’d been there he’d had his annual unsavory collision with a plaster. There was nothing more revolting in Frankie’s view than free-styling your way, innocent and blissful, into the path of a used plaster. In Frankie’s hierarchy of squeamish experiences, the casual caress of a stained plaster was right up there with accidently catching sight of writhing maggots in a forgotten rubbish bag. He’d had to get out of the pool immediately last Saturday and lie on his towel in the sun to recover.’

~ page 37

‘C’mon, throw it, throw it. I may as well get the shine on the end of my knob.’

~ page 71.

Frankie. I love you. Bonga Swetso.

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

About one third through the book, I became increasingly confused about the book's setting. The protagonist makes remarks about how Sydney is a radical and exotic place so I thought, 'why, these kids must be Americans!'. And then it was mentioned that the only traveling Frankie's family has done was to US and UK, so it rules out those two places as well. Frankie's sister also wears uniform and attends a Catholic school.
So now we know the book is set in an English speaking, uniform wearing place which has lots of cakes and birds, and isn't in Australia, US, UK, Ireland, Scotland, Canada or Area 51.

It turns out that Frankie, the 12 years old boy, is actually from New Zealand.




And all of a sudden everything made much more sense.

I was born in Auckland, and anything that's about contemporary Kiwi land is automatically sentimental to me. I find Kiwi YA to be dramatically different to Aussie, or American YA (or maybe I'm just a limited reader). But seriously, it was refreshing to read a 'troubled teen' novel that doesn't involve drugs, cyber bullying, pedophiles, body image issue and whatever else is on MTV shows. Instead, it deals with more a teenager's more ordinary everyday concerns such as homeworks (in details as well), sports, hobbies, family dynamics, and current affairs to a certain extent. Not that it's necessarily a good thing, but De Goldi has chose to portray a fairly innocent New Zealand with the old fashioned, hospitably friendly and polite people. Baking is enjoyed by all, everyone loves home cooking and have fruit as snacks. Being obese is still something that's unusual and funny as opposed to the 'ZOMFG McDonalds will give you brain cancer and you'll die with your kidneys falling out it must be shut down' reaction. Is it realistic? Well I'm not sure, I suppose every city and its assholes and sheltered kids, NZ teens aren't any more depressing or happier (in fact while Australia came 6th for the world's happiest countries, NZ wasn't even in the top 10). But it will always reminds me of sunny days, lemonade (we used to grow lemons in the backyard which has orange skins and size of grapefruits) and excitement whenever I see a bridge (it was the pinnacle of human achievement to my 5 years old self).

Hmm, I don't know what else to say about the book. It's sort of like those happy childhood memories where you go 'man things were so much easier, better back then without Facebook and Justin Bieber'. Although it discusses some fairly dark subjects (anxiety illness, pseudo-child abuse), there's nothing explicit and you don't feel super depressed about the state of our world. I especially enjoyed the minor characters, even those who were only mentioned once. They all have such distinct personalities and quirks, while being optimistic and liberal. My only complaint is that the narratives can be quite chunky at times, and loaded with paragraphs of descriptions where the plot stays stagnant.


Anyway, Yay for New Zealand!


P.S. So everyone is still obsessed with crickets? And insanely good with bird trivia? Sometimes I wonder if I'm really from NZ.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this when it was a Kindle daily deal -- I couldn't resist a book about someone like me. My anxiety disorder didn't develop until I was twenty, but otherwise it's very much like Frankie's -- every little change to my body makes me panic I have cancer. And I have eczema, so I have a lot of rashes and bumpy skin and...

Anyway, Kate de Goldi writes sensitively but realistically about Frankie and his anxiety, framing it with his ordinary life, with the things that cause it and the things that make him seem okay. She also writes sensitively about his anxious, agoraphobic mother. And she doesn't pretend there's a miracle cure, either.

I really enjoyed it. I smiled in recognition, cringed in shared disgust, loved the characters. Well worth reading to help understand mental illnesses, in yourself or others, and -- to me, anyway -- it was somehow comforting.

[Zoe Hannay · Rating 5 out of 5]

i would like to read this for the rest of my life

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel for older children and younger teenagers is an intricately structured, sophisticated character study. It is a carefully crafted novel that builds on theme and character as it weaves in and around the family and friendships of main character Frankie over a few months in the year he is about to turn 13.

Frankie carries worry with him like a comfort rug. He gets about OK most days, as long as the battery is the fire alarm is fresh and someone in his chaotic household has remembered to leave him his bus fare, but every night at 10pm he sneaks into bed with his mother and asks the questions that are worrying him the most. Well, not the most—the question that worries Frankie the most is the one question he can't ask.

This novel is people with the most wonderful cast of characters: Frankie's best friend Gigs and their new friend Sydney (who isn't afraid to ask questions but has problems of her own). Snarky big sister Gordana and man-about-town brother Louie. Uncle George, actually Frankie's father. The posse of gleeful, obese great aunts. And Frankie's mother, centre of the family in unexpected ways.

I loved this book. I admire the masterful control de Goldi has over her characters, over the world they inhabit, the language she (and they) creates to build that world, and her incredibly skillful control of narrative time. One of my creative writing students mentioned in class tonight how character contributes to mood, and this book is a perfect example of that. Oh, and it's also very funny, the melancholy permeated by a great good humour.

Not one for plot-driven readers, but having said that, plenty happens. Highly recommended.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Our book club: 21
(Imogen's pick)

NOPE. Nope, nope and nope. Not for me. Not the one. I hated writing style, it was SO basic and would go into such detail on all the boring parts..oh wait 🙂.

Not one single thing actually happened, it felt at the beginning like it was trying to be 'Curious Incident' but it epically failed. The last two chapters were somewhat bearable and took my rating up from a 1 star (meaning not complete trash). I could kind of see the message it was trying to get too, and it was just okay.

Also the sexism was rife, it conformed to all the gender stereotypes, and it had a sense that it was aimed at 12 year old boys to try and bring back the 'girls can't throw' and 'men can't cry' crap!

We also have 100% discovered the hatred of a 'ha ha' in the narrative...YUK.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style didn't work for me. I liked the characters and was intrigued by the story line, but it was annoying and distracting to have important moments continually put on pause and the focus placed somewhere else. Every time Frankie had an significant conversation with someone, he would do something like look around the room, and then the conversation was stopped while a page or two of description about the room took place. When I'm about to learn something big and important, I don't care what someone's curtains look like. Get back to the heart of the story!

[TheBookSmugglers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/06/b...

Twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons is an extremely gifted artist, with a love for birds and languages. He is also a persistent worrier and a hypochondriac, someone with an internal “rodent voice” which constantly nags and niggles about a variety of problems: from groceries that need to be bought, lack of money for the school bus in the piggy-bank to the smoke-alarm batteries that need to be replaced and the spreading rash on his chest which looks like it could be cancer. It feels like no one in his family understands his anxiety expect for his Ma who, every night at 10PM, answers one of his all-consuming questions and chases away his fears – at least for the night. More than anything else in the world, Frankie wishes he could be like his worry-free best friend Gigs and not a creature of habit that has to rely on a well-organised, comforting routine to get through the day.

When a new girl named Sydney arrives at his school this well-guarded routine is shaken by her straightforward, brash, effusive personality. He can’t help but to become friends with Sydney even as he is overcome with the anxiety that comes from the certainty that she will eventually ask the one question that he can’t bring himself to ask and no one in his family will address: why hasn’t Ma left the house in 9 years?

I’ve had The 10PM Question on my radar for a while now but it wasn’t until Things Mean a Lot’s Ana started raving about it that I was compelled to read it. 1 And once again, she was completely right: The 10Pm Question is a wonderful book and I was left speechless by its prose, its insightful story, its plethora of fascinating characters. I am not exaggerating: it took me 5 hours to write these 327 words and I haven’t even started to examine the book yet. And this book deserves to be examined and dissected and I hope to be able to do this in a much less clinical way than it sounded just now.

The 10PM Question is that sort of book that deals with truly momentous events in a quiet, subdued way. It follows its main character as he navigates the stormy waters of his own anxiety and it does so with a lot of compassion, humour and subtlety: it is hard not to feel sympathy for Frankie and his plight and his frustration.

The most fascinating thing for me is how The 10PM Question is a book about mental illness that manages to deal with such a charged, complicated topic with tactfulness and without being direct or overt. It is really mind-blowing how well the author approaches the subject, how softly it creeps up into the writing until it becomes a veritable elephant in the room. But the clever thing is: this mirrors exactly what goes on in Frankie’s life as no one – not his father, not his brother, not his sisters, not his aunties nor his friends – will face or admit the problem with Ma. In a way it makes sense: all of the other characters have reached a point where they have dealt with the problem in their own way whereas Frankie is the youngest, and is approaching the age where he has to question his own environment. It takes a lot of courage and I can’t begin to express how much I loved Frankie, hoped for the best and admired the author for not shying away from an ending that didn’t solve all problems magically but still taking the characters in the right direction.

With regards to the other characters, there is a plethora of quirky, fun, fully fleshed-out secondary characters. Frankie’s family is the epitome of a dysfunctional family with extremely quirky characters but the author avoids the trap of stereotyping by writing every single relationship in depth and with a lot of heart. How can a book be so quirky, funny and silly even as it deals with such emotional topics?

Like for example, this visit to the public swimming pool:

"And last Saturday when they’d been there he’d had his annual unsavory collision with a Band-Aid. There was nothing more revolting in Frankie’s view than freestyling your way, innocent and blissful, into the path of a used Band-Aid. In Frankie’s private hierarchy of squeamish experiences, the casual caress of a stained Band-Aid was right up there with accidentally catching sight of writhing maggots in a forgotten rubbish bag. He’d had to get out of the pool immediately and lie on his towel in the sun to recover."

Furthermore: the story is interspersed with interesting breaks between the present and the recent past and it alternates brilliantly between them. The quality of the writing alone was enough to endear the book to me as soon as I started reading it – it is beautiful and nuanced, poetic even, but without slipping into Dreaded Purple Prose.

But beyond prose, story and characters, The 10PM Question is a thought-provoking book. Not only in terms of its own themes as aforementioned but also in terms of how it fits within literature in general; and with my own reading and what I expect from books in particular. It has been an interesting few months for me when it comes to reading and reviewing. I have realised that I expect a lot from books, that beyond simply providing a good story, I expect books at the very least not to be problematic in their portrayal of Potentially Explosive Subjects (sexism, racism, homophobia, just to name a few). In this novel there are two of those P.E.S.: the way Frankie thinks that there is a divide between boys and girls (there are things that are too “girlie” and things that girls cannot do); and how he feels about Sydney’s mother (who might a sex worker), which comes dangerously close to slut-shaming.

Before proceeding any further: as I have said many times before, I don’t expect characters to be perfect or perfect examples of perfect humanity. But there is a MARKED difference between 1) a character behaving/thinking one way and that behaviour being supported/endorsed by the text itself; 2) and a character behaving/thinking one way but the text challenging their views either directly or subtly. For example: a character can be racist or sexist or homophobic without the text being any of those things as long as it is challenged or at the very least acknowledged somewhere in the story. More to the point: even though Frankie thinks those things, the text does not support it. It is, very clearly, his own particular vision of the world and not the truth of the story. There is a really important difference there – at least for me. In this book, Sydney and other female characters present a different perspective in which the divide between boy-things and girl-things is a cultural, artificial construct; and with regards to how he views Sydney’s mother, the feeling comes from his own anger and frustration. Other characters view the mother in a different light and she is portrayed in a very sympathetic way.

This, as I have learnt, is a very difficult thing to pull off especially how the author does it here: without a shadow of didacticism. The 10Pm Question is a prime example of how a book can address those things in an awesome way. Going back to not only The Other Ana’s review but also her series of fascinating follow-up posts at Lady Business about this very subject, I find myself in complete agreement with her thoughts:

"I’m in awe of the way de Goldi prevented the thoughts of her close third person protagonist from becoming the only voice that is heard within the story, and try as I might I’m not sure if I can exactly point out how she did it. The 10PM Question is actually a novel that goes beyond my current working theory, because it’s not that slut-shaming and the complex circumstances sex workers find themselves in are exactly central to the story. Yet de Goldi manages to introduce enough plurality into the universe of the novel that Frankie’s anger is shown for what it is and Sydney’s mother is ultimately humanised."

The 10Pm Question is, just like its main characters, a Rara Avis: an unusual, uncommon, exceptional, unique, perfect book.

[Emilie Gurvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5

Found this book randomly while roaming sometime last year, and was immediately intrigued by it. It is not like something I’ve read before and it took me a while to get used to both the style of writing and building a relationship with the characters, but I found it overall enjoyable.
While I struggle to relate to a 12 year old boy in certain aspects, the story does manage to pull on your heart strings. Probably didn’t choose the right time to read it, but am glad I did nonetheless.

[Austral Scout · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 10pm Question is set in New Zealand, and it casually, authentically and sweetly integrates kiwi content, all of which adds meaning and value to the narrative, as opposed to the awkward insertion of token tidbits here and there, or spinning the spotlight on some of the country's darkest tales for shock value. I am so tired of our big hitters featuring a pohutakawa for the sake of having some native flora, or worse, featuring abuse or mass murder. I get that those are stories there too, but this is the kind I want to snuggle down with.
The poetic language provides injections of wit, whimsy and beauty. This is great writing, guys. De Goldi is generous with her colourful vocabulary without being showy. It's motif and theme-rich too. This book is a NZ English teacher's dream! AH!
There is a constant, gentle humour. For example, you learn the cat's name in the first paragraph; The Fat Controller. Sorry for that spoiler.
I think The 10pm Question is like a contemporary kiwi mixture of Okay for Now (one of my favourite books) and Stargirl...only edgier than either of those. And yet gentle, like the first.
I am in awe of the journey I made with these characters. My feelings towards each blossomed. Initially, I felt pity for the main character. I grew to admire him.
Information given, then seamlessly reincorporated as something we understand to be part of the world of the book. Routines are savoured; in-jokes become inclusive of the reader.
I felt refreshed to find myself transported to such an authentic adolescence without finding myself bombarded with an excess of sex, drugs, alcohol and all of the other things that "teenagers do" so therefore, a book wouldn't be authentic without? Garbage. Yes, Frankie (the main), is younger than some protag's, but he is still in the time of "the stirrings," and things are so much more tactful. This feels like a teen book without being repulsive to me. I think mid-teens would be a fair time to read it. There's a little cussing (mostly blasphemy), and some minor mature references, and overall, I think the message is for a slightly older YA (I wouldn't file this in children's so much as YA and adult).
Frankie, as narrator, is highly intelligent and interesting.

Only negatives:

Initially I listened to this as an audiobook available from my city library. Big mistake. I wasn't fond of the reader's voice. Not even a little. I respected his talent for switching between different voices, but the problem was, I didn't like any of them...nor his intonations or delivery of dialogue. He was ruining the characters, for me. I'm sorry, Reader Dude. I realised, while listening, that I was screwing my face up and shaking my head and repeating each line in my mind -- sometimes aloud -- the way I thought the character would say it. My advice: Don't get the audiobook! Read it! These characters are clever, and I found the reader's delivery of their speech so over the top and whiney that they all always sounded irritated. When I read it, I heard a lot of tongue in cheek and love behind the teasing lines that the recorded narration lacked. When I went into the library and lent a hard copy, everything was so much richer and better. Bye bye nasally high-pitched man, hello my superior imagination and lack of humility.
It's a slow start. But I don't think I'd change that...by the end, it all felt just as it should be. The right entree for the main that's served. It's a gentle meal. It's not my usual preference, is all.

Overall, I am very impressed with this book. I found it touching and tender. It dealt with potentially upsetting subject matter with hope and delicacy, teasing things out with magical alternations between frankness and subtlety, humour and sincerity. If you read this book, I want to talk about it.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Likes:
The Cover
The games Frankie Played inside his head (listing all the birds, the candies, etc.)
Uncle Roger's character
The Aunties
Sydney's clothes
The look inside Frankie and his mom's heads when their paranoia was creeping in
The relationship between Frankie and Sydney
The Questions Sydney asked
Mr. A
Frankie's internal dialogue
Frankie's drawing journal's which I desperately want to see!

Dislikes:
Sydney's mom
Gigs' character and name
Frankie and Gigs' secret language (drove me insane, I hated reading that and then having to read below what I had just tried to read) There was way too much of it in this book!
Frankie's relationship with most of his family, or at least the way they were portrayed
The choppy writing style and all the jumping around from one thought to another
Frankie and Sydney's relationship ( yes, I know I already said I liked it... which I did, but there were other parts I just hated... I know, I'm a walking contradiction.)
How Frankie's mind worked... at times
His brother Louie
How afraid he was to communicate with his own Mother about something that was affecting them both...... to a point....
How I can't really tell when this is supposed to be set; is it in the past? Is it in the Future? Is it an alternate universe? Is it an imaginary world? Is it the author's childhood?

Blah. Something about me and this book just did not click. We did not become fast friends, not did our relationship grow into anything more than an acquaintance. I was just ready to be finished with the book, I was a little bit bored. I didn't really care deeply about the characters. There was a decent story hidden amongst the rubble, but the way it was written took away. It was like she was talking around the story, instead of just telling it. Drove me insane.

Blah. 2.5 stars.

[Trudi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If ever "a sweet and wonderful story" was ever written, this is it folks. It totally enchanted me with its sparkle and sincerity. The book tackles some pretty serious issues yet it never becomes bogged down or begins to feel preachy. It soars and flows from beginning to end.

Frankie's voice rings true as the soon to be 12-yr-old plagued by pernicious worry and stalked by his hypochondria. His fears are many and the only person who stands a chance at soothing them is his loving Ma. That is until he meets Sydney -- a precocious, lovable, forthright girl who asks all the questions Frankie burns to ask but doesn't dare. Sydney has jumped into her life with both feet and with a ferocity that both terrifies and enthralls Frankie. They bond instantly, but Sydney has some huge problems of her own that threaten to shake Frankie's world to its very foundations.

I love Frankie's crazy family -- his troubled Ma, his eccentric father (known only as Uncle George), his scheming older brother Louie always on the lookout for the next "get rich quick" scheme, his sarcastic and dramatic older sister Gordana, and last but not least his smoking, drinking, prattling great Aunts who surround Frankie's family like meddlesome magpies, their presence huge, their love and commitment infinite.

Read this book!!! Don't believe me? Read Catie's wonderful review here.

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up because NEW ZEALAND.

I really quite enjoyed the first chapter or two of this book--right until Sydney came into the picture. I didn't dislike her exactly--I just liked the story better without her. The other major problem was we only get to see what happens on Tuesdays--every other Tuesday, and then towards the end every Tuesday--so he'd talk about something happening the next day that I really wanted to hear about, and then two weeks later I'd get a one paragraph recap. I can imagine how this format could make for an interesting novel, but it really didn't work here. The ending was somewhat flat--I was rather bored with it by that point, but I did love the fact that Gordana tried to help.

Good things included Frankie's totally wacky family (I could have read a whole book just Louie--as long as it had more than Tuesdays), THE SETTING, Frankie's obsession with birds and languages, Gigs's obsession with cricket, actually just Frankie and Gigs together, and all the little details that made it feel so realistic.

Content: Minimal language and some sexual innuendo which I *cough* didn't get until someone pointed it out.

[oliviasbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The language is witty and wonderful and the characters - even down to that password demanding guy who drives the school-bus - are delightfully wacky or delightfully puzzling or both.
Still I can't bring myself to muster enough curiosity about or interest in the story, which is about to unfold. I keep grabbing other books or my Kindle, partly mourning the clever expressions I am going to miss, but mainly refusing to put muscle power into the process of pulling myself through a plot that keeps evading my attention.

I've waited a bit for my attitude to miraculously change, but I think I am ready to let go - after a mere 31 pages of an unquestionably well-written book, which I do not even know yet what it possibly might be about.

[Emma Abrahams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely in love with this book and everyone who resides within it. The characters are so alive, I keep expecting to pass them on the street.

The 10PM Question is clever, sweet, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny (my husband heard me giggling often as I devoured this book).

It is one of those fabulous books that can be enjoyed by anyone, and which I will be recommending to my children pretty early on - no explicit or disturbing material to worry about.

I would love to learn Chillun and have my children grow up with friends as fabulous as Frankie, Gigs and Sydney.

[flajol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recognise myself in Frankie, even today. Particularly with those worrying questions that the daylight seems to chase away, but which return to nag with their 'rodent voices' when you lie down in the dark and don't have other people around to distract you.

12-year-old Frankie is a bundle of growing worries, with a loving but unusual home life that everyone accepts and no-one talks about, until Sydney arrives in his life. Sydney is an irrepressible ball of energy - she seems to be afraid of nothing, and that includes asking difficult questions. Frankie is drawn to her energy, but it will have consequences for the fragile routine he has set up for himself.

Warm and funny, The 10pm Question is worth savouring.

Also, I have to include the following quote, because it perfectly captures how I feel about ambiguous or multiple endings in books (and TV shows, films, etc):

'...it won't seem like the ending if I know those other endings are there.' Frankie's voice climbed, urgent and a little wavery. He knew this was the reason, this was why he found it disturbing. 'It's like the other endings will infect my ending, by just being there. In my ending the aral birds will be safe, but somehow they won't really be, because in another ending they will have died. Or Microsoft will have a terrible three-legged life, for heaven's sake. The other endings will be hovering there. Like, like, poison.'

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful read. I did not know what I was about to read, but this neat little book is your New Zealandish John Green. I could almost relate too much. This book is about growing up, friendships, difficult families and coming to terms with oneself. Exzellent. I recommend you all read it, especially if you like John Green-like novels.

[lucky little cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, fine, I lied when I said I didn't read YA books about disabilities anymore. I will happily reread this stunning, accurate, lovable book at least once a year.

So to get that straight, I don't read sucky YA disability books anymore.

Good disability-YA lit doesn't manipulate your emotions.

[Callum Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The 10pm Question
The 10pm Question by Kate de Goldi is a contemporary comedy written for young adults. Frankie Parsons is a twelve year old boy, who is very smart. He has an unusual and unique family. Frankie feels that he is the only one in the family that worries about things, such as are the smoke alarms working, shopping and everyone’s state of health, including his own. One day a new girl called Sydney arrives at school and Frankie’s whole world gets a shake up as Sydney starts to ask questions. This leads Frankie to finally confront his Mum with a very difficult question. An important message that Kate de Goldi wants us to understand is that, with good friendship and support, you can face some difficult questions. Frankie’s Mum hasn’t left the house in nine years but his best friend Gigs and his new friend Sydney, help him to come to terms with his Mums mental illness. We understand that every family has its quirks and that we are all different. I genuinely liked this book as it highlights the importance of family and friendship. I found the characters unique as each character clearly shows their good side and weird side; for instance Frankie’s Mum is a good cook and is very caring and understanding, but never leaves the house. I would recommend this novel to people who enjoy comedy, who enjoy reading about families and relationships and who enjoy reading about well-developed characters as well as a moving plot.

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot:
The book The 10 p.m. Question is about a 12 year old boy named Frankie who lives in New Zealand.Frankie has a older brother, Louie, who is moved out and another older sister, Gordana, who is stuck in her own little teenage world with her boyfriend.Frankie is full of questions and is always worried about something. He would ask himself questions like "Does the family have worms?" or "Are the fire alarm batteries out?". Then every night at 10 p.m, Frankie would go to Ma so she could tell him that none of his fears will ever actually happen.The only thing that is wrong with Frankies' mom is that she is very depressed and she has not gone outside of their house in a couple of years, but Frankie is to scared to ask what is wrong with her.
On the first day of school, Frankie and his best friend Gigs met a a girl that was going to be in their class and her name was Sydney. Sydney was a very engergetic person who gets blown away by who Frankie is and what his life is like when she meets him. Sydney is a type of person who likes to ask questions and for her there is no limit to what questions she can or can't ask, so of course Frankie gets worried about when she was going to ask about his mom. The day that Sydney finally asked, Frankie pretty much explodes because he couldn't handle everything he was worried about. That night when he went into his moms room for the 10 p.m. question he finally finds out that she is depressed and doesn't want to get help or be wathced over by anybody.When Frankie found out everything he was really mad and it caused their whole family to argue.(On the cover the blue bird is Ma and the red bird is Frankie).

Characterization:
There are a very different variety of characters in this book but they all have their own kind of humor. In the first few pages of the book you can tell that Frankies family is kind if messed up which causes problems towards the end of the book. Frankie's character has so many different emotions throughout this book it is crazy but through the book he is mostly either worried or just neutral.Gigs is more of an adventourous kid who is always looking for something different to do which I find weird how him and Frankie ended up being best friends because they are almost opposite. Sydney is the new girl that becomes part of Gigs and Frankies friend group. She is a major tomboy, and a energetic kid who can not stop talking. Another group of characters is "The Aunties". The Aunties are three of Frankies aunts who are very oversized people and make this book funny in many different parts of it. Ma's character wasnt really explained during the book. The only time you ever heard her talk was when Frankie was talking to her at 10 p.m. but during that time she seemed like she didn't really have much to say.

Audience:
I think this novel would be a good book for anyone 15 or older.This is a good age because there are some parts that get kind of confusing because there are parts where he flashes back to something that happened earlier and it was hard to tell when those times where and there was some bigger vocabulary in some parts of it also. A boy or a girl could read this book and get the same impact from it. I would also recommend this novel to someone who is interested in how anxiety and depression works because it kind of tells how much stuff is going through Frankies mind when he's worried.

Personal Response:
I gave this book a 3 out of 5 stars because I liked the book but the only bad part was I got kind of got confused in certian parts. Also,the book started out kind of slow to and I almost got to the point where I could have stopped reading it but the farther you went the more interesting it got.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book, well decided isn't the right word... I had to read this book, solely because it turns out the great Amanda Joshua has never read a book written by a new Zealander and so, to complete this assignment I read it.

The category this book fills out (as is obvious) is book written by a new Zealand author.

I have to say, I was quite surprised by the way this book developed. The first time I met, well read about, Frankie, I was a little bit irritated. You see, Frankie is a worrier. He worries about everything on THE FACE OF THE EARTH! He over analysed EVERYTHING, and I found that quite extenuating, especially since the only things I worry about are maths exams and food. (mostly food though!) So I am extremely surprised to find myself typing that he is my favourite character. I don't know at what stage of the book this happened, but suddenly I found that I had warmed to this quirky, little worryguts and had started to find his constant worrying and over-analysed thoughts rather endearing than disgustingly exhausting. The things he says are just so well-thought out and mature for a twelve year old to say.I loved watching as he categorises the world into two types of people, caged birds and free birds, then slowly realises that he himself is a caged bird ad tries desperately to free himself from his 'cage'. This also slightly relates to a poem we studied early into this school year with Ms. Berry.

My favourite quote would have to be: "Suddenly I realized that though it had always been a dream of mine and Gigs to finish filling in the cache, I was sad to see it come to an end. What would I do now? But then I remembered that I wasn't a caged bird anymore. I didn't have to stick to the same routine day in and day out. I put my old dreams behind me and soared away to find a new dream." I loved these few sentences because it really showed how much Frankie Parsons had grown and developed throughout the book. He had finally escaped his cage.

Something I learnt from this book was why some people worry so much. Frankie is raised by his mother who hasn't left the house in years. She is one of the caged birds in our novel. He unconsciously reacts to her never leaving and though he is perfectly able to leave the house, he worries everything outside his house. I also learnt that New Zealand writers are amazing and I should read more of their books. The third and last thing I learnt was that no matter how silly and stupid someone's worries and behavior may seem, there is always a good reason behind why they are scared or insecure and that I should not judge them immediately on sight.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an odd book about a family dealing with the mother's debilitating agoraphobia. I just didn't enjoy reading it. It's hard to get into a story when you just don't like or connect to the main character at all... I had no idea where the book was set so the dialect was confusing to me. I didn't find it believable that an elementary aged student would have dreadlocks and a nose piercing and that these very young children were running around their unknown city taking care of their parents in a way that might only have been believable if they were 16. I hate to slam books, because I know that someone out there probably liked and connected to this one, but I would never recommend it to the young adults it was apparently written for.

[Ceridwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this is gorgeous! Finely observed, laugh out loud funny, and very kiwi while being universal in it's detail. It's the best portrayal of panic attacks and their impact I've ever read because the understanding and empathy for the characters is right there, but not overwhelmingly told. It's delicate and real - and also very helpful.

This keeps being shelved as YA fiction, but I would really question that, although it certainly doesn't seem to be keeping people from reading it thank goodness.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was quite hard for me to read this book and follow the story, cause I didn't have the chance to read it regularly and quickly (= most of the time I was a bit lost and I had to re-read some bits of the book)
But I've enjoyed this book especially cause it's dealing with mental health issues and sometimes I could picture myself in Frankie. I'm a bit disappointed by the ending though.

[Ninitha (Niko) · Rating 1 out of 5]

The reason I picked this book up was because it was written by a Kiwi author, yet strangely, there was nothing Kiwi about it except for a few mentions of Pak n Save. I wish the author had explored what it is to grow up a Kiwi and included more elements of life here in the story.

This just did not work for me.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of a young boy in New Zealand, his quirky family, curious friends and his many worries. This had lots of interesting characters, particularly the fat aunts, but took a long time to get anywhere. And the narrator's voice was just too wordy and implausible.

[MsHunt Hunt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just didn't get this. Gave up after 60 pages because it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Well-written but too much detail.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable book club read. How gorgeous is Frankie?!?!! Some lovely juxtapositions with parenting. I loved the writing style, no battle to read.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

While parts of it were enjoyable, the plot was not deep enough to sustain my interest. Abandoned at 60% of the audiobook