Blog Tour & Review: Frankie & Bug

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the FRANKIE & BUG by Gayle Forman Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my
post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: FRANKIE & BUG

Author: Gayle Forman

Pub. Date: October 12, 2021

Publisher:  Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 288

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

 

In the debut middle grade novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman comes a poignant and powerful coming-of-age story that follows a young girl and her new friend as they learn about family, friendship, allyship, and finding your way in a complicated world.

 

It’s the summer of 1987, and all ten-year-old Bug wants to do is go to the beach with her older brother and hang out with the locals on the boardwalk. But Danny wants to be with his own friends, and Bug’s mom is too busy, so Bug is stuck with their neighbor Philip’s nephew, Frankie.

Bug’s not too excited about hanging out with a kid she’s never met, but they soon find some common ground. And as the summer unfolds, they find themselves learning some important lessons about each other, and the world.

Like what it means to be your true self and how to be a good ally for others. That family can be the people you’re related to, but also the people you choose to have around you. And that even though life isn’t always fair, we can all do our part to make it more just.

Praise
for The FRANKIE & BUG:
“I knew I would like Frankie and Bug from the moment I started reading it. What I didn’t know is how much I would end up loving it (a realization that hit me about halfway through the book, when it took a turn I didn’t see coming). This joyful, occasionally heartbreaking, deeply moving thrill ride through the 80s has it all: a mystery to solve, boy bands, and the tender surprise of new
friendships. I didn’t want it to end.” (R. J. Palacio, bestselling author of WONDER )

“This wonderful, bighearted book has everything a bored eleven-year-old could ask for: from ice cream and roller-skating to tabloid murders and family
secrets. After you spend the summer with Frankie and Bug and their colorful costars, you’ll want to go back to Venice Beach every year. Gayle Forman,
please make me another!” (Raphael Simon, a/k/a NYT Bestelling author Pseudonymous Bosch )

“A beautiful and tender story about the discovery of a powerful friendship, starring two fantastic kids and one extraordinary family.”
(Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead)

* “Through Bug’s innocent perspective, Forman illuminates the pains and injustices suffered by so many, and readers will avidly watch this young girl
stand up to skinheads and relatives, discovering that “family” are those who have your back, loving you without conditions, and allowing you to be who you are. The characterizations, setting, and messaging are genuine and heart-tugging, making this a must-read.” (BOOKLIST, starred review)

“During a summer of change and big realizations, Bug learns vital and sometimes painful lessons about the power of embracing her true self and
meeting people where they are. Forman (We Are Inevitable) tenderly depicts a girl whose understanding—of identity, sexuality, and prejudice—is
rapidly expanding, and whose chosen family provides a safe, loving space in which to navigate her experiences and learn to show up as an ally.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Readers interested in complex emotional development and relationships will appreciate each character’s subtle nuances. Superb storytelling.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 

Before I get into my review I quickly want to thank Rockstar Book Tour for allowing me to be a part of this tour and for graciously sending a egalley of Frankie & Bug to read and review for my stop today.

I am a little embarrassed to admit that this is the first-ever book I have read of Gayle Forman and I do have her books sitting on my tbr shelf. Have to make it a plan to read those very soon.

If you know Gayle’s previous books you will know that she writes young adult and this is her debut middle-grade novel. I am excited to continue reading her middle-grade books in the future and this is definitely one I plan I ordering to add to my collection.

Our main character is Bug (Beatrice) and she is a 10-year-old  girl who lives in Venice Beach. She lives with her mother and her brother, Danny. Previously every summer she loves going to the beach with her brother but this year things are about to change. Danny (Daniel) wants his space and to be with his friends. Seeing her brother grow up Bug is a little heartbroken that he no longer wants to spend time with her.

Thankfully for Bug she discovers a new friend although, to begin with, she isn’t very keen on hanging out with a kid she has never met before. Her neighbor upstairs, Phillipe has his nephew, Frankie coming to stay with him for the summer. One thing about Frankie is that he is obsessed with the news about a serial killer in the area. Frankie and Bug want to figure out who this serial killer is but then something happens to Phillipe that lands him in the hospital the two want to find out what is going on because nothing is adding up. Are Frankie and Bug ready to uncover the truth?

I thoroughly loved reading this even though I am not the targeted audience for this.  It was the perfect middle-grade book to read and one that I highly recommend you pick up to read yourself. The characters and the storyline were so realistic. you can truly see the bond that Bug has with Danny through the book. 

 

About Gayle Forman:

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in
numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and Elle in the US. Gayle Forman’s novel, If I Stay, was released as a blockbuster movie starring Chloë Grace Moretz in 2014. Her most recent YA novel is We Are Inevitable. Gayle lives in Brooklyn, New York with her family.

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of FRANKIE & BUG, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway