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Book Review of Saving Francesca

Saving Francesca
skywriter319 avatar reviewed on + 784 more book reviews


I LOVE this book.

Francesca Spinelli's proactive mother has forced her to attend St. Sebastian's School for Boys, recently made co-ed by giving the girls a toilet. Francesca would rather go to St. Pius with her friends, instead of being stuck at Sebastian's with an unusual group of people that includes Siobhan, her ex-best friend and infamous slut; Tara Finke, feminist and activist extraordinaire; Justine, an accordian player; Thomas Mackee, whose specialty is farting and teasing the girls; Jimmy, an over-friendly upperclassman who terrifies younger kids simply by asking them questions and who seems determined to make himself a fifth member of Francesca's family; and Will Trombal, their surly prefect who Francesca can't stop thinking about.

She thinks that's bad, but it gets worse when her mother succumbs to depression and lies in bed for months at a time. Too late, Francesca realizes that she is more like her mother than she realized, and that the family needs her energy to feel complete.

Australian author Melina Marchetta's second book is jam-packed with wit and poignancy. It will make you laugh over and over and tug at your heartstrings. SAVING FRANCESCA is nearly perfect; now it just needs a large fan base.