Frank and Red - Matt Coyne - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Matt Coyne

NARRATOR: James Killeen

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: February 1, 2024

RATING: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A heartwarming story of the bond between an old man and a little boy. Loveable characters, a straightforward yet unusual plot, and some touching themes. A compelling debut to be read with the heart!

Plot Preview:

Frank is a curmudgeon who lives alone in his house, estranged from family and friends after the death of his wife Marcie two years back. He is a recluse and can’t stand anyone or anything tampering with his routine. Little does he know that his peaceful life is soon to be turned upside down by a new neighbour.

After his parents’ separation, six-year-old Red, along with his mother, has moved into the house next to Frank’s. He isn’t happy with the house nor with his new school. The only good thing about the house is that his mother has bought a new trampoline for the back garden.

Being a curious chatterbox, Red is eager to make friends. And who better than the old man next door who seems sad and lonely? As Red trampolines his way into Frank’s life, the old man tries his best to avoid the nuisance. But can a determined six-year-old be stopped?

The story comes to us in the alternate third-person perspectives of Frank and Red.

Bookish Yays:

🌷 Frank: Grumpy, adamant, obnoxious from the outside. But once you get to know him, you realise how that coconutty exterior hides a heart of gold. His love for his late wife shines through in almost every scene.

🌷 Red: Imaginative, mischievous, precocious, born with no filters in his mouth or mind. Red is an adorable child whose innocence and incessant talking turn this story into a winner.

🌷 The connection between Frank and Red is so beautiful! Usually, such books show how only the senior character needs help and how the child character brings light in their lives. But the bond between Frank and Red works on a mutually beneficial basis. Both of them have sadness in their past as well as their present. Their relationship is organic and it’s nice to see how each one helps the other.

🌷 While the basic plotline is straightforward and fairly guessable (as this genre is supposed to be!) I like how the author added the unexpected to the predictable. For instance, Red isn’t an introvert but he is still struggling to make friends in school – I found this so realistic! (It’s not only introverts or socially awkward children who struggle in new environments!) Frank’s wife has passes away but he still sees her around and has conversations with her – is that her ghost or just his imagination? There are many such plot elements that make this story special.

🌷 Some of the secondary characters are interesting as well. Chief among these are Marcie and Susan, Red’s mom. I love how the women in the story have strong roles despite the plot essentially belonging to Frank and Red.

🌷 There are some great themes tackled in the book, and none of these seem extraneous. (In other words, no “kitchen sink dumping” of themes in this debut!) I especially loved the portrayal of the impact of divorce/separation on children, the struggle to deal with the death of a loved one, and the difficulty of apologising to a loved one after a rift. The book also handles the found family trope well.

🌷 There are several humorous scenes that actually made me laugh. Most of these are thanks to Red, and the repartee between him and his “very old” friend Frank.

🌷 Most fictional “grumpy old men” cannot escape being compared to Ove. Frank will remind you of Ove, that’s for sure. With his churlish behaviour, his reclusiveness, his annoyance when neighbours come barging in, and his never-ending love for his late wife, Frank and Ove have a lot in common. So if you love Ove, you will certainly love Frank. That said, the two stories have enough of individuality, so this won’t feel like a déjà vu version of Backman’s work.

Bookish Mixed Bags:

🌹 The adults in Red’s life have no major qualms using bad language in front of him, and as a result, his vocabulary often breaks the age barrier, not necessarily in a good way. Frank also cusses too frequently, with some curses in God’s name. While the language simply depicts the characters’ tendencies and is true to life, I wish the cussing could have been a tad toned down. It is even more jarring to hear on audio, and might annoy some readers.

Bookish Nays:

🌵 The final resolution of the bullying issue faced by Red is too smooth to be believable. No real-life bully changes colours that quickly. This part was too simplistic.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 35 min, is narrated by James Killeen. I don’t know why, but it took me some time to get into his performance. He’s not bad, but something was missing in the initial chapters. As the book progressed, his narration grew on me. He was great at voicing Red and his exaggerated reactions. The narrative perspective alternates between the two characters all the way till the end, but this never gets confusing on audio. So, no regrets reading the audio, but a tiny part of me feels like I would have enjoyed this even better had I read it.

Overall, I enjoyed this lovely story with two endearing characters. Frank helps Red as much as Red helps Frank, and that makes this book extra special. 

This is author Matt Coyne’s first fictional novel. He is known for his parenting blog and social media profile 'Man vs Baby'. He has earlier penned two nonfiction books based on his parenting adventures. I hope he writes more fiction, because I’d definitely love to read more such stories.

Strongly recommended to all readers looking for a story with a heart, written for your heart.

My thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Frank and Red”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.