Every once in a blue moon, a book comes along that steals my heart. Frank And Red is one of those rare books that I urge everyone to read. It’s a wonderful, heartwarming book with a stunning insight into the most beautiful relationship between Frank And Red. This is a book that’s definitely going to be high on my list of top ten reads of 2024, a bold statement I know so early in the year, but one I’m going to stick by!

Frank is an ill-tempered “old man” struggling with life after the loss of his much-beloved wife, Marcie. Estranged from his son and his friends, he’s become something of a recluse, unable to leave the confines of his home. Until Red, aged six, moves in next door. He’s inquisitive, a chatterbox (that’s an understatement) with a vivid imagination. He has his own fair of childhood problem to deal with, his mum and dad’s separation, moving house, a new school and bullies. Despite Frank's attempts to keep Red at arm’s length, an unlikely relationship grows between the pair. They may be generations apart and yet unknowingly they will help each other navigate life’s problematic path.

The author gave each character a unique voice, and I came to love Frank for his grumpiness and one-liners, while my heart broke for his very obvious grief. Red also wormed his way into my heart with his constant chatter, questions, and his unwavering battle to make friends with Frank. Their conversations range from the hilarious to the ridiculous, which had me chuckling away. But there’s also tear jerking conversations which many readers will relate to, grief, mental health issues, and loss. Matt Coyne deals with these tough topics with immense empathy.

I absolutely adored this book, and the characters, it’s such a beautiful told story, and one that’s ultimately a story of hope, love and unlikely friendships. It left me with a warm fuzzy glow. I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone, yes it really was the perfect and the most exquisite read!

My review will be published on my blog next week https://thebookreviewcafe.wordpress.com/

A story of a man called Frank and his new neighbour a boy called Red.
This book had me hooked from the first page.
It is the most heart warming read ever! It's sad but at the same time it had me laughing out loud all the way through.
Definitely my favourite read of the year so far!

Oh my heart, this book was so much more than I expected. Frank and Red are both funny as fudge, Frank with his lack of tact and unfiltered grump and Red with the honest responses of a young child that also has no filter. These two fire blasted their way into my heart like an allosaurus on a condolence picture.

Leonard aka Red moves in with his mum next door to Frank who has shut himself away and now doesn’t leave his house. Red is a million questions a minute kind of kid and Frank is not a happy bunny with this new arrival upsetting his peace.

After some rather dodgy advice leads to an incident and a dead fish Frank is now in charge of looking after Red for a whole week while his mum is at work. What could possibly go wrong?

Marcie his dead wife regularly appears to tell Frank her opinions, is she a ghost or Frank’s brain trying to deal with the grief of losing her?

Both are struggling with the way their lives have taken a turn and begrudgingly Frank, with a little help from Marcie, starts to see Red as the smart little boy he is. While Red decides on a little adventure of his own.

This is funny, heartwarming, a little sad and features some of the best characters you will ever come across. It also has one of the most memorable meet cutes I have ever read.

This is a super debut novel from Matt Coyne.
It's a funny, heartwarming tale of friendship across the generations with a great cast of well drawn characters you can't help but love.
It will appeal to readers who enjoyed A Man Called Ove.
Highly recommended!

⭐️ 5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

When a book has the ability to make me laugh out loud one minute and then cry the next, I know I’ve found a belter. Frank and Red managed to do both of those within the first couple of chapters.

Matt Coyne’s writing is fluid, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining. He’s skilfully fleshed out beautifully drawn characters, brought them to life, and given Frank, Red, and the rest of the supporting cast heart and personality in abundance. Coyne has a brilliant, witty, dry sense of humour, which shines from the pages, giving perfect light to the shade. The observational humour really is snorty, laugh-out-loud funny.

I'm partial to a cantankerous, filterless, sweary, grumpy, miserable old get (only in the literary sense, not in real life), and Frank ticks every one of those boxes (and more). Frank and Red, together, make the perfect multigenerational double act; they complement each other and bring joy to every single page.

Frank and Red is a wonderful character-driven read. I slowed down towards the end to savour the final few chapters because I didn’t want to say goodbye to the characters. It's a heartwarming, uplifting story of hope, family, friendship, and love, and I (as you can probably tell) loved everything about it.

Frank and Red have both secured a place in my heart (and a permanent place on my bookshelf). It’s a book that, without a doubt, will be in my top reads of 2024.

In the words of Kriss Akabusi (or was it Tina Turner?), it’s simply The Best!

What a beautiful book. The story of a grieving old man and a little boy whose life has been turned upside down leads to a friendship they both need. Frank is wallowing in grief after the death of his wife and hasn't left his house in well over a year. 6 year old Red and his mum move in next door and Frank's world is quiet no more. All he wants is to be left in peace - but does he really? A six year old won't take no for an answer. Truly captivating. #netgalley #FrankAndRed

I loved this book!
Having just finished a dark and complex thriller it was just what I needed to read next.
The characters are so well drawn and believable. Red reminded me so much of my grandson with the longwinded descriptions of Pokemon and a zest for life.
I found myself becoming increasingly invested in the life of Frank and Red’s struggles at school. The humour shines through this book but there is a poignancy too. Highly recommended

Absolutely loved this book. The last couple of books I’ve read have been rather disappointing and left me feeling in a bit of a reading slump. This one lifted me back up . A little boy called Red and his mum move in next door (after a relationship breakdown) to a very grumpy man called Frank who is still mourning the loss of his wife.
Frank is a bit of a recluse apart from often seeing and speaking to his dead wife Marcie. He never goes further than his front gate because he “can’t”.
It was lovely to see the relationship between Red and Frank develop despite Red being a typical very boisterous and inquisitive six year old and Frank not really wanting to have anything to do with him. Red forces Frank to leave his comfort zone(literally) and along the way reunites him with his estranged son and his family.
This lovely feel-good story was just what I needed and made a nice change from my usual crime fiction genre.

Frank, a grumpy widower haunted by the ghost of his late wife Marnie, desires solitude. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when Red, a lively 6-year-old, moves in next door with his mother.

Initially resistant to any companionship, especially from an inquisitive youngster, Frank finds himself drawn into Red’s persistent and optimistic world. As Red extends invitations and shares his vibrant drawings,

Frank must confront the loss of Marnie and the ensuing repercussions in his wider circle. Simultaneously, Red navigates new friendships and contends with bullies at his new primary school.

The blossoming friendship between Frank and Red unfolds with tenderness and humour, offering mutual lessons that transcend generational gaps. Marnie’s character adds depth to the narrative, providing love and guidance to Frank while nudging him toward a more open and connected life.

The story is funny, poignant and well-observed. The writing evokes both tears and laughter authentically and believably and gives me reminders of the Pixar film Up.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A delightful first book from Matt Coyne. I loved Frank and Red. Frank is a real grump trying to get through each day after the death of his wife and is quite put out when 6 year old Red moves next door. Matt captures the 6 year old mind perfectly, constantly asking questions and eating disgusting sandwiches. It is funny and poignant and not in the least sickly. A great read

Stunning. I think this will be my favourite book of 2024 and it’s only February. Frank and Red is a story of an unlikely friendship and had me laughing and crying before even 20% of the way in. Superb.

I adored everything about this book and one I knew from the very moment I started would become a new all time favourite. Matt Coyne is an amazing author whose words just completely captivated me and had me loving these characters with all my heart.

Told in dual POVs we really get to know Frank and Red, who are incredibly realistic and relatable characters. Red was absolutely adorable and my heart broke when he started to get bullied. I just wanted to protect him with my life. Frank's story was heartbreaking and I struggled throughout not to sob, especially considering I had just lost a family member days before picking it up. The grief he feels and the fear of losing her ghost was just so well written and was dealt with in such a sensitive and perfect manner. I really loved seeing how these two characters come together and learn from each other despite their differences.

Honestly I could talk about this book for days and I definitely think everyone should pick this up, just to experience this story which is one that will stay with me forever. I am so grateful that Matt Coyne has written this book because it will forever hold a place in my heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne is a marvellous debut novel that I read in just one sitting. It was positively charming.
The main characters were sixty seven year old Frank and six year old Red. They are an unlikely pairing – a curmudgeonly old man and a very bouncy and young boy. They bring out the best in each other even though Frank is reluctant to engage with his new neighbour, Red, at first.
Both characters are sad. Frank lost his wife prematurely and suddenly. He is drowning in grief. His whole world has collapsed. “The days that followed Marcie’s death were painfully ordinary… People continued to catch buses … do all the things that alive people do.” The world keeps turning. The sun keeps shining. But for Frank, his world has ended. He views life through the bottom of a glass until a rather unusual encounter.
True love does not die. True love remains. Even death cannot break the ties. We see that in loss, the veil between life and death is thin.
Red has been uprooted from his life, following his parents split. He has a new house in a new neighbourhood, and a new school to go to. He struggles as the new boy as the bullies pick on him. The scenes of loneliness in the playground were extremely well written and evoked memories of my own lonely break times when I first started school.
Matt Coyne has perfectly captured the mannerisms and speech of a six year old. Red is a charming little boy who brought out the mothering instincts in me.
Frank and Red bounce off each other with their dialogue. There are some hilarious scenes with Red as he mishears and mispronounces words. It is most delightful to witness Frank and Red’s blossoming, unlikely friendship.
Red has a huge heart and a huge personality. I loved him.
Frank And Red is positively charming. A real feel-good read. I think it would make a wonderful movie. I can picture Michael Cain in the role of Frank.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

What a pair Frank and Red are!

Frank is a grumpy old man who is so deep in his grief that he's shut out all of the world and everyone in it. Until Red comes along, who's childhood innocence and inquisitiveness break through those walls. Red is a sheer delight and the perfect remedy to bat away all the grumpiness that Frank is throwing out there.

Their interactions are hilarious and wholesome to watch while their friendship develops and they both deal with complicated family dynamics.

I had to dispense a little belief when Red goes on his adventure, I really don't think a 6 year old would be capable of what he tackled.

Despite that, this book was a joy to read. It's funny, moving, emotional, and heartfelt. A story that puts a smile on my face every time I think about it.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher / author for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review.</i>

Frank and Red
Matt Coyne

I was very impressed with this debut! Funny, heartwarming & emotional, Frank and Red is a lovely little book with huge potential for being a lovely little movie too!
(Brendan Gleason would be perfect as Frank!)
Really nice light-touched writing that Matt manages to make look easy.
Frank and Red is of those stories that leave you reminded of what’s really important in this life.


Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was such a sweet, funny book. Frank and Red make the perfect pair and I thoroughly enjoyed all their interactions. I laughed every time Kris Akabusi got mentioned too!

I’ve been following Matt Coyne on Instagram for a few years and I know how funny he can be, but I was wary when he said he had written a book. Could his humour translate well into fiction? The short answer is yes.

Frank & Red starts off a little slow but builds into a funny, heartwarming story with two great characters in Red (a fantastically well-observed endlessly chatty six year old) and Frank (a grieving pensioner whose wife’s death has made him agoraphobic and just plain rude).

I snorted with laughter at many points in the book, especially the second mention of Kriss Akabusi!

A really lovely read all round.

Thanks to Net Galley for sharing this book with me in return for an honest review
#NetGalley

I loved this book. The interaction between Red and Frank was heartwarming. An unlikely pairing of a young boy and a retired man make for an interesting read. The book had me laughing and crying in equal measures. It was lovely to see how each age group could still understand the others problems and thought they knew best on how to fix them. Highly recommend this book.

This novel recounts the unlikely friendship that develops between Frank, a miserable lonely widower, and the 6 year old boy who moves in next door. Matt Coyne injects just the right amounts of humour and pathos into this familiar plot outline to give it a new lease of life. The characterisation is well handled and we’re given great insight into how a bright 6 year old makes sense of the difficulties that ensue from his parents’ divorce. I do think Matt should have got someone to check his Maths though - if Frank was a 19 year old in 1983, that wouldn’t make him 67 now!

What a beautifully observed and written book. All of the characters are so well drawn and their viewpoints feel so genuine. I loved the gentle humour throughout and was surprised by how quickly my emotions could be switched from laughter to sadness. Frank and Red have their own reasons for sadness and the development of their understanding of each other and their growing friendship is just perfectly described. Really a rather magical book. Congratulations and thanks to the author for writing such an enjoyable and well crafted novel.