Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta       

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian's, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom.  Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and a impossibly dorky accordion player.  The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is.  Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

Review:

After Reading great reviews about Saving Francesca, I finally went and got myself a copy from the library and I am glad I did.

When I first opened to page one, I was instantly welcomed by the preceding storyline. Melina Machetta wastes no time and jumps straight in.  I love the opening, it’s inviting and straight up introduces you to the star of the story, Francesca Spinelli. Who wakes expecting a daily prep talk and a 70s or 80s retro crap song. But this morning, there is no song or advice and her mother is still in bed. And so the story begins...

When Francesa’s mother is struck with acute depression, it affects the whole family. But luckily, Francesca has some great friends who help her through it. Her friends seem like reliable buddies, who would be there when you need them to help out.

Whilst reading this book, I found myself smiling, and nodding in agreement, and couldn’t agree more with what was going on in the story. Melina Marchetta, certainly has a gift which makes the characters, setting, and story feel very realistic. I definitely like her prose of writing and her style, there is no underlying question about it, it’s simple, yet captivating and connects with reader. I think this author could write about the boringness subject, but somehow still make it enjoyable to read.

I loved Francesca, she was real and just a great main character. I also liked Luca, he seemed like such a sweet, caring younger brother. I also liked all the other characters, they were real, funny and original. The only thing that was a bit negative concerning this book was the number of characters. Whilst they were all well written and I enjoyed reading about them, occasionally I got confused with who was who, but that only happened once or twice.

Saving Francesca, is my first Melina Marchetta book and I know it won’t be my last. Can’t wait to check out some of her other titles and the Pipers Son, which takes place a few years after Saving Francesa.

A great Aussie classic about life, love, family, depression, hope and friends, that every fan of realistic YA fiction should read.

Rating: 4.5/5

Have you read Saving Francesca yet?