Saving Francesca

By Melina Marchetta

Before there was Eleanor and Park, there was Francesca and Will.

A compelling story of romance, family, and friendship, with humor and heart, perfect for fans of If I Stay, The Spectacular Now, and Looking for Alaska.

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 an 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 of 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.

Melina Marchetta is the Printz-winning author of Jellicoe Road, as well as Looking for Alibrandi and Finnikin of the Rock.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 18, 2007
• ISBN: 9780307433718

Melina Marchetta

Melina Marchetta lives in Sydney. She is also the author of the award-winning novels Saving Francesca, Looking For Alibrandi, and Finnikin of the Rock. Looking For Alibrandi was released as a major Australian film.

Reviews for Saving Francesca

[strongpieces · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review also posted at The Wandering Fangirl.I very nearly passed this over without a second thought. On the surface, there doesn't seem to be too much to this book; Francesca is in one of the first girl classes at a formerly all-boys boarding school. Yawn, right?Saving Francesca turned out to be so much more beautiful and intricate than that.The boarding school and Francesca's struggles within are the supporting players to the turmoil, the loneliness, the sadness and occasional happiness she finds. I don't suffer from depression and I don't know anyone who has had a breakdown the way Francesca's mother has, but I found I could truly understand what she was going through. I could almost relate, I could sympathize, I was right there with her every step of the way, and it made the normal teenage things -- the crush, the new friends, finding out who she truly is -- feel so much more than the sum of their parts.And sad as it may be at times, it never drags you down into the depths, but instead shows you enough of a glimpse to understand what it's like.This is a gorgeous novel, one I would highly recommend to anyone. After reading On the Jellicoe Road last month and having finished Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta has become one of my favorite YA authors. I'll be reading everything of hers I can get my hands on.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good coming-of-age story, much better than "Looking for Alibrandi". Francesca was a great character and I loved her friends. The only character I really didn't like Frankie's love interest, Will, he was rather flat and boring.

[kerilynned · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first started reading this one I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Francesca just came off as annoying, spoiled and bratty, but as the story went on I came to really love and root for her. It's a beautiful coming of age story that touches on depression, friendships, mother daughter relationship and first love. I think every high school girl should read it! Francesca learns that its ok to be who you really want to be and that you will find people who love and care about you for who you are instead of conforming to what other people want you to become. Definitely better than I was expecting and I'm so glad I read it!

[nazgullie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read anything that depicts depression and how it affects the loved ones of the depressed quite this honestly. The story is touching, but not overwhelming, and having dealt with depression myself, and with relatives who have been depressed, I can say that when one person is affected, everyone who loves that person is affected. It's a well written story, without flowery language or metaphors that distort or soften the reality of the thing, and Marchetta's characters are a wonder, and so very easy to love, and identify with.

[fatmashahin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars

I love this book so much. Francesca and her friends feel like family (especially after reading The Piper's Son).

[fred_mouse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Coming of age as an Italian/Australian in Sydney, living with a family member with depression. Explores somewhat the way that families react to death. Irritates me slightly, because I've read a number of YA books now where the mother stops looking after her children after the death of a family member - believable yes, but not the only reaction.

[boppisces · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sixteen-year-old Francesca Spinelli is having a rough time. She is in her second term at a boy’s school that has just started accepting girls, and to make matters worse her dynamo of a mother, Mia, didn’t get out of bed this morning. Francesca’s vacuous old friends have gone to a different college leaving her along and repressed. Things don’t improve and her father decides to split up the family. He stays home to take care of Mia while Francesca and younger brother Luca go to different family members. Things at school seem to be deterioating and just when Francesca thinks she can't handle anymore she has a run in with smug House leader Will Trombal. He’s irritating but there is just something about him…This is the first of Marchetta’s books that I have read and I was extremely impressed. It’s painful, moving, funny and realistic. The author delves into the history behind Mia's clinical depression and the impact this illness has on family dynamics. The subject is a hard one to tackle but is addressed with sensitivity and understanding as the slow journey of recovery is undertaken. The support that Francesca finds from her eclectic bunch of misfit new friends and the blossoming romance with Will are explored by an author who obviously has a deep understanding of human interaction. An excellent read.

[emily_anne-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My emotions spun round

Round and
round and
round

I smiled

cried
laughed
weeped
grimaced
smirked
bawled
grinned

A Masterpiece
That's what Saving Francesca is.

Okay, that was my first "review poem". I want to start doing these regularly. Something unique to go with Counting in Bookcases. How did you like it?

As indicated by the poem above, I really enjoyed this book. Only a truly good book can evoke so much emotion. Really, I felt the whole time I was either laughing or flat-out bawling.

Saving Francesca really pulls at your heartstrings. Ultimately, it is about a girl who loses the strong, leader-like mother she knows to acute depression. Francesca suddenly has no one to tell her who she is, or to give advice.

Francesca is on her own to find friends. And finding good friends at "a school that pretend's it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom" is kind of hard. Also, Francesca has family problems to figure out, including her aunt's wedding, her fathers guilt, and her grandmas stolen S biscuit recipe.

The characters, and Francesca's voice are what makes this such a good novel. You have the funny characters, who are deeper than they seem. You have the opinionated characters, who take great care of their friends. You have characters looking for their personality, when it is right there all along, just hidden. You have the shy characters, sweet characters, eccentric characters.

And, meanwhile, Francesca is telling the story, with her voice that is so real it cracks open your heart. You love her sarcastic comments, scattered thoughts, fragile outlook, growing opinions, angry moods, and "journey to self discovery".

You will grow to love Francesca, Mia, Thomas, Tara, Justine, Siobhan, Will, and Luca. I strongly recommend you read this. It is not exciting or action filled, but it is filled with things that happen to someone everyday but people fail to realize what they are feeling. Marchetta strikes truth in this amazing novel.


5/5 bookcases

[the_airtwit · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t remember the last time anyone looked me in the eye to speak to me. I’m frightened to look at myself in the mirror because maybe nothing’s there.I miss the Stella girls telling me what I am. That I’m sweet and placid and accommodating and loyal and nonthreatening and good to have around. And Mia. I want her to say, “Frankie, you’re silly, you’re lazy, you’re talented, you’re passionate, you’re restrained, you’re blossoming, you’re contrary.”I want to be an adjective again.But I’m a noun.A nothing. A nobody. A no one.If I could admit to having read a shelf full of Melina Marchetta books, then I would happily name her as my new favorite author. That’s how confident I am in her writing, because after reading her second published novel, Saving Francesca, it’s nearly impossible to imagine any one of her books disappointing me. Saving Francesca is a charmer, and an addicting one at that. Not since my love affair with Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina, and books like Between Shades of Gray, have I felt so drawn to a character that I sacrifice an entire night of sleep. With Marchetta’s novel, however, it’s not merely the main character that hooks me into the story. Just like the aforementioned titles, it’s everything these pages offer. It’s the characters, their relationships and stories, and the palpable world they live in. Lucky Francesca Spinelli, for she is one of thirty girls attending St. Sebastian’s—only Francesca and her fellow female peers aren’t so lucky. Formerly an all-boys school, St. Sebastian’s has only recently opened as co-ed. What might appear as a paradise for teenage girls is anything but, as Sebastian’s becomes a breeding ground for sexism. The girls, if not ignored, are treated like inferiors and often seen as dolled-up eye-candy. The boys are far from suave, romanticized sex gods, but rather offensive with only a few male students who show redeeming qualities. A lonely, cruel place, Francesca must feel that Sebastian’s is a punishing institution worthy to be deemed a nightmare.As Francesca’s old St. Stella’s clique attend a different school, she feels her closest friends slipping away. But were they ever her friends when they discourage the very essence that makes Francesca likeable? If they never call or invite her out? Hanging around such a scrutinizing bunch didn’t exactly ring Francesca dry of her buoyant personality, but she did bury it beneath an instinct to blend in. It’s a misfortunate characteristic to learn, and feeling friendless and miserable and confused over her mother’s sudden depression doesn’t make life at Sebastian’s easier.“Tell me the story about when I almost drowned?” I ask her, so then she can be the hero and it’ll make her feel better. But she says nothing and I switch on the television and I pretend that what we’re watching is funny. It’s a sitcom about a family, two kids, a mum, and a dad. Their idea of tension is an argument about who gets the cottage out back. At the end, everyone’s happy because that’s what happens in television land. Things get solved in thirty minutes.God, I want to live there.But splitting up with “the Stella girls” is one of the best things that can happen to Francesca, because who needs judgmental “friends”? Slowly and surely, Francesca’s old friends are replaced by new ones: Tara Finke, the feminist, or simply the ‘Speak Your Mind About Anything-ist’; Justine Kalinsky, the solid and dependable accordion geek; and Siobhan Sullivan, reportedly “the Slut of St. Stella’s” and Francesca’s long-time-ago best friend. Then, by some shock and surprise, even a few boys turn up: Jimmy Hailler, who wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than at a Spinelli dinner; Thomas Mackee, always plugged into his Discman; and finally Will Trombal, Francesca’s giant crush.“Forget it,” he says, walking away angrily. “And what’s the name for people who kiss other people when they’ve got a girlfriend?”He stops and turns around, looking me straight in the eye. “A weak, spineless prick.”Oh great, I think. Take the right to call you names right off me, you… weak, spineless prick.Marchetta’s strength resides in her characters and her ability to write life. Her characters are perfect in the ways they are imperfect, not only likeable but relatable. They feel as real as you or me, because I believe—without a moment’s hesitation—that somewhere out there in the world is a Francesca Spinelli, a Will Trombal, and a Tara Finke and Thomas Mackee. Marchetta writes with depth, lighting up every crevice of their personalities. These are fully rounded characters, each and every one. Not even secondary characters can avoid this writer’s prowess—even if they are mentioned once never to be heard from again. As real as I believe these characters to be, however, I also recognize their own strengths.I know from experience that high school isn’t easy, and it can be a challenging place to tackle. Feeling alone and unattached, having no group to belong to, doesn’t make it any more inspiring. Throw depression into the mix, and it all as well might seem hopeless. Depression itself is a bleak situation of its own, affecting not only the person who suffers from it, but those around the depressed individual. When depression strikes Francesca’s mother, it nearly rips the Spinelli family apart, but Francesca is stronger than she thinks—and so is her mother.Saving Francesca isn’t a book about ideals, as the characters and their problems are far from that. What this book does have is sensibility and a resounding support system that fills me with envy. As Francesca’s mismatched group comes to accept each other, they display resourcefulness to help themselves and support their friends. They accept each other, flaws and all, with such genuine care and love that I find it difficult not to feel affected. “I was born seventeen years ago,” I tell him. “Do you think people have noticed that I'm around?”“I notice when you're not. Does that count?”Saving Francesca has more to it than the typical young adult contemporary novel, and I believe this has much to do with how realistically Marchetta writes from the teenage perspective. This is a book about moms and daughters, platonic love, and finding your spot among a crazy, intimidating herd. This is Francesca Spinelli’s story toward finding her own strength—strength to save and free herself, to let go of inhibitions—just as much as it is about personal growth. Equally heart-wrenching as it is heart-warming, Saving Francesca is peppered in pure, sincere emotion with delightful humor. It’s a book that will make you laugh and spill tears, and I am betting that it will be a book you’ll want to read all over again.A great feeling comes over me. Because for a moment, I kind of like who I am.This review and more can be found at midnight coffee monster.

[dairyqueen84 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of my new favorite books. It is laugh out loud funny and heartbreakingly sad. I went from weeping to laughing to laughing and weeping at the same time. Francesca is going to a new school that was formerly all boys, St. Sebastian's. She is finding her way in the new school with her 10-year-old brother as well as dealing with her mother's acute depression. She misses her friends from her old school, St. Stella's, but wonders if they miss her and begins to discover things about herself as she makes new friends and rediscovers some old acquaintances. Her new friends include some of the Sebastian boys who resent the girls' presence at first. The resolution is a little too neat, but the book is a page turner nevertheless.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Starts out with a whiny teen in a 'Hallmark Hall of Fame' situation but quickly reveals itself to be real. Deft - we don't get to know Francesca for a long time, but that's because she doesn't know herself. We don't know much about Dad or brother, but that's because F. is wrapped up in her own coming-of-age challenges and being distracted by worries about Mummy. Good lessons for teens and for parents, told smoothly, almost lightly, with wit, insight, and heart.

[ash600-888477 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is beautiful.

I don't ever recall myself describing a book as beautiful, but this one surely fits the adjective to a T.

A wonderful coming-of-age story casting the realest characters I've ever read about. It was very hard to be part of that group of people so flawed, so different from one another with nothing in common but they came together forming a strange bond and the strongest friendship.

I advise you to listen to the audiobook. It transforms completely the reading experience with the amazing voice and the aussie accent. Unforgettable.

[devafagan-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic characterizations and relationships, excellent voice, satisfying ending. Really enjoyed this!

[a9shelf9apart · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book DESTROYS ME, every time. And I love it so much.

I love Francesca. I love Justine. I love Tara and Siobhan and Will and Thomas and Jimmy. I love Mia and Luca and Rob.

I love the conversations that sound like real people talking, like me and my high school friends. Like the schoolkids I overhear in the street now.

This book deserves ALL OF THE LOVE.

[tina_thebookworm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I do a monthly buddy reading with two of my Instagram buddies Aria and Melissa. We choose a monthly book based on the color of the rainbow. This month our color was orange and our book of the month was Saving Francesca.

When I first saw the title I was left wondering what would Francesca need saving from?

Francesca is our main character (obviously). She’s in year eleven at St. Sebastian’s an all boy school that just recently opened its doors to girls. She hates school because her friends attend another school leaving her alone at St. Sebastian’s with girls she hardly spoke to because she’d become a social outcast if she did.

When we first meet Francesca we find out something is wrong with her mom. Her mom is upbeat, wants Francesca to be true to herself instead of her following the crowd. Her mom rarely relaxes nor does she take a break…then one day she just won’t get our of bed and life as Francesca knows it no longer exists. She has no idea what is going on and no one will explain. Her father tries to help but he’s struggling with things too.

I won’t lie there were times I wanted to put the book down because I hated Francesca. She literally only cared about herself and I hated her so much. But she evolves she starts speaking her mind, finding herself, and making friends – real friends. Deep down she’s confused because she doesn’t know why her mom won’t get out of bed and isn’t herself. She doesn’t want to tell anyone in fear they’ll make fun of her like her old friends from school would have. Instead her friends Tara, Justine, Siobhan, Thomas, and Jimmy are non-judgmental and help her through the worst times. Then there’s will who she has a crush on, he has a crush on her but it’s complicated. TEENAGE BOYS of course.

The book shows depression does not only affect just the person but those around them. I personally don’t know what I would have done if I was in the same position as Francesca, I probably would’ve snapped. It was so good to see evolve throughout the book she went from self-centered and caring what others thought to a young lady who cared about others and shared what bothered her. There were times when the book made me angry, for instance Francesca’s family not explain to her nor her brother what is happening with their mother. Her dad picking and choosing when Francesca was old enough to handle stuff for example she was old enough to call the university her mom worked at and explain she wouldn’t be returning due to her mental breakdown but when she asked questions about her mother’s health she was a child who wouldn’t understand. Then I would laugh or catch myself smiling at my kindle because some of the situations were funny.
“That’s not true. Because teenage girls who steal boyfriends today will be stealing husbands in ten years time. I’m a home wrecker in training!”

Then there were times, my heart would break:
“Tutto a posto; everything in its place. But my family is split into three and no one is in their place.”

Despite the rocky star to the book, I loved seeing the character development. I really loved how the story focused on the family issues instead of the romance. The romance was a very small part of the story but the whole idea of the story was dealing with the family issues. It showed how by not talking about them could hurt you much more then talking about them. Overall, I would recommend this book.

[summer_missfictional · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really, could I expect anything less?

[calisoleil · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three and a half stars.

[joanasimao-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 -ish

I absolutely LOVE Marchetta's writing. I love the characters she comes up with and Francesca was no surprise in that department.I think every teenager can relate to being caught up in peer-pressure and trying to act ~cooler, quieter, dumber, etc for the sake of their own social status. I think this point comes across really well in Franscesca and her various issues.

The secondary characters were my absolute favourite thing about this book, especially Jimmy and Thomas! The friendship the unlikely group of girls was able to forge really warmed my heart.

So where were my issues with this book?

The depression thing. I just don't get the way it is approached. As someone who has experienced these kind of issues first hand, I really,have an issue with the fact that she "doesn't want to take pills"...erm. OK. I guess that's ultimately a personal choice, but to not go to a doctor at all? To no actively seak help, especially when you're a mom, responsible for two kids and the well-being of a whole family? Sorry, don't get that.

[creativejunkie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was actually more like a 2...2.5 for me, but I was won over by the last 5% or so of this book, so I'm rounding up.

I've heard so many good things about Marchetta's writing that I went into this with high hopes. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed quite early on. I don't know if it was my particular copy of the ebook I had or what, but I felt like I was missing huge chunks of the story. The editing and flow was really quite bad. I saw someone else mention this in their review of an ebook, so I don't know if there's just a bum copy out there or what. But I will say that it greatly affected my enjoyment, and subsequently, my rating.

We meet Francesca and she's likable enough. It's told in first person narration, and I actually generally really enjoy books like that. However, I just could not connect with her. This book is incredibly melancholy. It deals with a delicate subject (depression in both her and her mother) and while I think that's great that the author tackled that, I just couldn't connect with any of the characters.

The story itself was slow moving and choppy. At one point I wondered where I'd been when Francesca had fallen in love, because God knows I never read about much more than a very small handful of stilted encounters with her and The Boy (again - maybe passages missing in the ebook? idk idk idk).

The secondary characters actually stole the show for me. I really loved her new friends at the school, and the makeshift family they created.

The tiny glimpse I got in the end of this book left me happy with it. I enjoyed the last 20ish pages, but I can honestly say those were the only 20 of the entire book that I did.

Also, for the love of God, can someone please tell me why she referred to the boys by their first and last names??? It drove me batty.

I'm going to try The Piper's Son, as well as Jellicoe Road because I've heard such praise for both. As of right now, though, Marchetta hasn't wowed me.

[cheriereads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This should be required reading for parents of teenage girls. The author really does a great job of showing the angst that is the teenage girl's life at 16. It's written honestly without being over-the-top like many other YA novels. It's also a window into the lives of a family dealing with depression and how it can affect each member of a family so profoundly.

The author evokes emotion well and the cast of characters is fleshed out well. I really ached for this girl.

Super read. Highly recommended.

[capnrandm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Starting this book late at night would be a mistake (and finishing it at 1:30 a.m. means I can't do it full justice). There were so many quotes that I wish I had shared, and so much that I could put in a review, but I'll leave that for my second read through. This is my second book by Melina Marchetta, and I'm beginning to hope that everyone of hers that I read I will set down with a smile and a full heart and the realization that I will most definitely want to come back to it again.

8/20/12 - It's frustrating waiting for Francesca to emergy, but still love reading this book. Marchetta is as enjoyable the second time around as she was the first.

[akmargie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Damn you Marchetta for knowing how to work a good swoon and a good cry into a book. What sets this apart from her other work I've read is her very authentic teen voice for Francesca. So much that at the beginning I was rolling my eyes at all the emoing going on. (Yes, I turned emo into a verb.) It read/listened to quickly and had a fun yet serious tone. She's also amazing with her male characters. So much that I demand she write more about Jimmy Hayler since she already did for Tom Mackee.

[kszym-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Though the book's cover is terrible, the contents are those of the great sort of YA book - figuring out that things are rough for everyone, getting to know yourself and coming to appreciate your own agency (while recognizing the limitations of it), the importance of love and forgiveness (yourself and others), and so on.

[flanneryac · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book tells the story of Francesca, an Australian girl who is one of a small number of girls enrolled at a formerly all-boys school. I didn't know too much about the book going into it so I thought it was going to be a fun jaunt into Australian high school life and basically fluff. I was so far off base it is laughable. Contrary to the idea you get from the cover art,this book deals with serious issues, namely Francesca's transition into the school while her mother is suffering from debilitating depression, her father is trying to keep the family together, and she is evaluating her friendship and personality situations--does she have any true friends, what actually matters to her, etc.

I felt emotionally invested in the book and I thought the writing was fabulous. The characters each had their own feel and I loved some of the side characters as much as I did those in the forefront of the storyline. Though Will was not as nice to Francesca as he could've been at some points, I felt like their relationship seemed real when compared to other young adult books. This author seems to actually "get" teenagers, and writing, when it comes down to it.

I laughed out loud and teared up and I loved it every minute of it.

[zabetreading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was surprising how much I enjoyed this book. It was not fast-paced, nor exciting and the first few pages had me doubting if I could come to like the author's style. The characters, however, are what made it. I very much disliked Francesca at the beginning. She chose horrible friends, was unwilling to take any risks and was complacent whenever anyone else was being treated terribly. I understand now, that Francesca had to start from a place this low in order to show the growth she did by the end of the novel. Once the others worm their way into Francesca's life, the story is much more enjoyable. I often lament that authors attempt to write about teenagers without having spent any time with them. They could learn a thing or two from Marchetta (I'm talking to you Maggie Stiefvater). The dialogue and interactions between the characters feels real and has an appropriate amount of poor language for the age group. I found myself wanting to hang out with the girls on Alanis night and I cracked up at the boys antics. This was my first foray into the world of Melina Marchetta and I couldn't quite come up for air yet, so I immediately started The Piper's Son.

Side Notes:
- Literally laughed out loud at several points, including rosary night and the S biscuits (These tidbits are what makes for good reading - take note authors).
- Literally "Yes"d (imagine fist pump in the air a la Bender in the last scene of The Breakfast Club) when Francesca got up to dance with Thomas
- Love Thomas "For a moment I can't help thinking how decent he is - that there's some hope for him beyond the obnoxious image he displays. Maybe deep down he is a sensitive guy, who sees us as real people with real issues. I want to say something nice. Some kind of thanks. I stand there, rehearsing it in my mind. 'Oh my God,' he says, 'did you see that girl's tits?' Maybe not today.
- Love Jimmy, especially how he follows Francesca home despite being told "You're not coming home with me, Jimmy", and how he calls her father Rob, despite the fact that he clearly hates it.

Some Weirdness...

- "My grandmother's disapproval of the way Mia runs the household is very vocal. I shouldn't walk around naked in front of my brother, for example, and nor should my mother." WTF? I'm going to wholeheartedly agree with Nonna on this one!"
- "I loved those times on the beach at the end of the day, when the sun was gone and our sunburn would make us shiver in the cool breeze. Luca and I would lie against my parents, licking the salt off their arms ..." Seriously???

I realize the book is written by an Australian and takes place there, is this some type of cultural barrier between Australia and Canada? Or is it just that Francesca's family is a little strange, because seriously, I'm an adult and seeing my parents walking around naked would still scar me for life and I can't, even in a post-apocalyptic world, imagine a circumstance in which I would be tempted to lick salt off of them - *shiver*.

[themadhatters_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Francesca thinks that transferring to an all boys school that just started allowing girls is the worst thing that could happen. Then one day, her strong, loud, supportive mom doesn't get out of bed. At all. She isn't physically sick, she just can't deal anymore. Suddenly, Francesca has to navigate a new school and at the same time learn to deal with a broken family. There are some laughs along the way, but this book is a lot heavier than it seems. This was an amazingly well-written book. I didn't always like Francesca's choices, but I understood why they had to happen. I will be looking for more books written by Ms. Marchetta in the near future.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Francesca Spinelli, 16, has just transferred to St. Sebastian’s from St. Stella's at the start of her Year Eleven, because her previous school only went through Year Ten. St. Sebastian’s is a formerly all-boys school that is newly co-ed, so there are 750 boys and just 30 girls. Only four including Francesca are from St. Stella's, so they begin to hang around together, even though they weren't really friends before. The St. Stella girls who were in Francesca's group have moved on, and weren’t such great friends in the first place. The new school is a lonely and alienating experience for quite a while.Meanwhile, at home, Francesca’s world has also turned upside down. Her upbeat, manic mother Mia has gone into a depression and won’t leave her room. Her family starts to fall apart. Francesca tries to provide comfort for her ten-year-old and much loved brother Luca, but she is no substitute for her mother. She blames her father for her mother’s state, and relationships at home rapidly deteriorate.For a long time, Francesca is totally at sea. Always a good student, she begins to get detention a lot, and it is in detention that she bonds with a group of kids, besides the former Stella’s girls, that will become her closest friends. She also finds herself attracted to one of the House leaders, Will Trombal, with whom she has sparred since she started at St. Sebastian’s.Still, Marchetta is too good to give us insta-change. Francesca continues to struggle with who she is and the changes in her family. Her fear and anger lead her to take a radical step that causes everyone in her life to reevaluate their priorities.Discussion: The characters in this book, especially Francesca’s new friends, are absolutely wonderful and so uniquely different from the usual “friends of the protagonist” fare. Francesca is a great character as well: she is basically a good person, but never had so many challenges before. She is forced to grow up in several different directions at once, and the author does an excellent job with it. Francesca changes slowly, with some steps backward along the way, but finally comes to figure out how to take charge of her life, instead of just reacting to whatever comes along. Evaluation: This author creates some of the best characters I’ve “met” in a long time. And not one is static – not even the bit players; they all grow in some way. It may sound from my summary like this is a depressing, issue-oriented book, but it’s not that at all. This is a happy, character-driven story, and this reader was happy in addition for having another book to read by this excellent author.

[peptastic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had read Saving Francesca’s predecessor, The Piper’s Son, a year and a half before I read this book. I knew some of what ultimately happened to the characters and who ended up with whom. That did not ruin the book at all for me. I was instantly in love with it and had to stop myself from crying since I read it at work. That would have been embarrassing to have and explain why I was crying over a book.Saving Francesca is a sad, touching and exceedingly moving book about a teenage girl, named Francesca, whose mother Mia does not get out of bed one morning. This book reached close to home for me as I dealt with my own mother going through something remarkably similar to Mia. I also called her by her first name, I never grew out of that habit, as to distance my relationship towards her. The difference is while Francesca’s relatives gave advice ad nauseam about what was wrong with her Mother; no one blamed her for what was happening. I had to deal with criticisms for causing my mother to go through this by relatives who did not want to have to fix “it” themselves. I was painfully anticipating that confrontation that her mom would blame Francesca for her depression. She kept urging Francesca to live and take chances. I was quite worried because my own mother gave me several rants about letting life pass me by at that age. Thankfully, that did not happen. Her father was the one to avoid confronting Mia as he was worried it was his fault. Her coworkers did blame him because he was not on her intellectual level. Their father Robert's experiences are how people close to my mother looked on her children. As a dead weight dragging her down and "causing" the depression.Francesca was rightfully frustrated with her dad. He did not want to talk to his children about what was happening, but it was not cruel. For people unfamiliar with this situation, all I can say is, this book got it. It got how if you do not talk the feelings out they will fester and grow. It also expressed how just small things can get you through the day and when they can not. I can’t say enough how much this book affected me. I wish it had been written when I was a teenager. I just wish I’d known about it back when it was released as I was going through quite a tough time with my mother. This book has a much sweeter relationship and deeper bond than my own. My own family are more like the Mackee’s. Francesca's friends are hilarious. Even when she won't admit they are her friends they were described with humour and warmth. Even when Tom is burping songs or Will is annoying her.Each character is vivid and alive in these pages.I am praying that Marchetta writes Jimmy his own novel. He needs one. What happened to him? I gather something pretty serious was troubling him from both this and The Piper’s Son.

[abigailyow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My second book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The novel is basically a concoction of the usual contemporary issues - love, friendship and family. But in the hands of Melina Marchetta, it becomes a highly engaging read!Meet Francesca. An ordinary girl who has recently transferred to St. Sebastian - a former boys school but now a co-ed. It is a place where every girl wish to be. Everyone except for Francesca. The guys there are not what they seem to be. They are not portrayed as macho, or easy on the eyes but as disgusting slobs. There, she unexpectedly finds a sense of belonging, first love, her identity and most importantly, the strength to save her family from tearing apart. After reading this, I can't wait to pick up the author's next book: The piper's son - following Thomas Mackee's story.

[skaohee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You know that feeling that you get when you have something savory, like say a chocolate chip cookie or a piece of chocolate cake, and you want to just enjoy it slowly and appreciate every little morsel and bask in that greatness as long as you can? Yeah, that's what this book is like. I found myself reading the pages slowly and enjoying not only the story of Francesca and her (depressed) family but also the incredible writing style of Melina Marchetta. This novel is about a girl whose mother, for some reason or another, has become depressed. It's about how Francesca comes to deal with this in her life and how it affects her life and the lives of her entire family. There are lots of things that have changed in her life other than her mother's depression - she now attends what used to be an all-male boarding school (and the boys aren't too happy about the girls being there). And here is where we find something that every teenager goes through - and that is wanting to be accepted. Francesca often conformed to what her friends (and mother) told her that she should be instead of being her own person. And now in this new place, she doesn't know who she is (especially without her mother telling her who to be). Throughout the novel though, Francesca finds her own voice (even if it is yelling at her father). And the ending, well, it broke my heart.