In Matt Coyne’s debut novel Frank & Red I may have found a contender for book of the year already. It will most definitely be on my Top Reads list this year. I actually had both a digital and audiobook copy of the book and decided to listen to the audio version. I’m so glad I did as the narrator, James Killeen, was superb. Like the characters of Frank and Marcie, he’s a Dubliner so really brought the characters to life. He was also so good at capturing the spirit of six year old Red. Having said that, I have also looked at the digital version and really like the way it was formatted, particularly some of Red’s chapters showing his childish way of thinking or writing.

Right from the beginning of the book when the exuberant Red met his new neighbour, curmudgeonly Frank, I took both these characters to heart and that’s somewhere they will stay. They are such memorable creations and Matt Coyne brought them to life on the page in a way that made them feel very real to me. Frank’s life has shrunk since the death of his beloved wife Marcie. Red has moved following the separation of his mum and dad and he’s finding it very difficult to adjust to his new circumstances, a new home and a new school. The unlikely friendship that developed between them was just beautiful to read about. It’s fair to say that Red considers himself Frank’s friend long before Frank reciprocated the feeling.

The book is so brilliantly written. Matt Coyne has managed to combine humour with emotion beautifully and it’s genuinely a book which could have you giggling one minute and with a tear in your eye the next. Red’s innocent and straightforward way of looking at the world chipped away at Frank’s resistance and they were both just what the other needed. I also liked the inclusion of Marcie, Frank’s wife. At times, we meet them in their younger years and at other times, Frank believes he sees and hears her around his house, offering advice and opinions on how he should be living his life. I felt like she was almost the voice of his conscience.

I can’t recommend Frank & Red highly enough. It’s such an uplifting and heart-warming read and with characters I won’t forget. If you don’t fall in love with Frank and Red then we can’t be friends any more! I unreservedly loved this book from start to end.

I absolutely loved this and would give ten stars if I could. I’m still in awe that it’s a debut as it captured and easily held my attention. Yes it’s funny, yes it’s poignant but sometimes you just want to read something that’s full of heart and this book has that in spades. I think the only slight issue some readers might have is the fact that it’s a very British story so perhaps occasionally references might be confusing. I’m English so fully understood such things as Nobbly Bobbly ice lollies etc but honestly I could easily see this on a bigger screen and not just my kindle. I laughed out loud several times and even felt emotional but that ending was perfect and I recommend this book to absolutely everyone !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I absolutely loved this book! Already I am looking forward to Matt Coyne's next! This is the story of Franklin or Frank as everyone calls him and his new neighbour Red (real name Leonard). Frank lives alone since becoming a widower and when Red and his Mum move in next door, Frank's quiet, ordered life begins to change. I love this story of two people, one old and one young, who have seen their worlds turned upside down. It is funny but also a beautiful engaging story of how we cope with change and the frustrations of our lives. This book is also about relationships (both of friends and family) and how fragile they are but also how they can be healed. I really couldn't put this book down but then again, I didn't really want to come to the end either. Many thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this beautiful and engaing book.

Sweet inter-generational friendship tale.

4.5 stars.

Red (don't call him Leonard) is six, and doing his best to cope with his mum and dad splitting up, his dad's new girlfriend, a new school with bullies, and not living near his old friends. He's oblivious to his new neighbour's resentment of his squeaky trampoline, constant chatter and questions.

Frank is annoyed. Why can't the boy next door leave him be? Still grieving his beloved wife (who he converses with), he not only can't make himself leave the house but is too proud to try and make peace with the son who he argued with when she died.

It's Red's need for a friend that leads to the situation where he's left in Frank's care for a week. Among multiple games of Guess Who and Roblox conversations, Red is inspired to try to help the lonely old man who he wants to befriend.

As a parent of a child exactly Red's age, this was always going to hit me right in the gut. It's a realistic portrayal of a bright and innocent young boy, with the preoccupations of his age and understanding of the world. He and Frank make a great 'odd couple', with each, the reader can see, able to offer something to the other.

The audiobook was nicely narrated, between the two viewpoints and with appropriate voices that fit. Loved the stubborn Frank and the slow thawing and begrudging changes and acceptance of Red.

Uplifting and warm story, a lovely listen and read.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading/listening copy.

As a fan of Matt Coyne’s Internet takedowns of parenting trolls and his (occasional) heartfelt posts, I knew he was funny, his non fiction work is hilarious. But would this translate into being able to write his first novel?

Well, yes. Yes it does. This is a very confident start - the writing is crisp and clear, and the humour while front and centre, is backed up by a real understanding of sadness, grief and the darker parts of life.

It’s not Breaking Bad meets the Odd Couple or anything. The novel fits comfortably into a cozy niche, you know the story beats that are coming, and it believes in the innate goodness and humanity of people. The skill here is the way the characters breathe on the page, and the way the jokes come out naturally. When some comedic figures write a novel they write around jokes and setups, but here the jokes come from who the people are. The book is never really cruel to make you laugh, and even unlikeable characters are not all bad!

Coyne captures the voice and logic of a child very charmingly, and the little details about Red and his likes and dislikes could only come from someone who has parented a six year old.

This was a warm and inviting read and the characters will really stay with me. I can’t wait to see what Coyne does next.

What a delightful, heartwarming book about the growing relationship between a bereaved and isolated older man and an effervescent young boy who is his new neighbour. It was like a hug in a book.

Really enjoyed this feel good book of widower Frank and his six year old neighbour Leonard, known as Red. The Pope joke will last in my memory for a long while. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

A funny and sad book. At times it was an emotional read a d other times I was laughing out loud. I did enjoy the relationship between Frank and Red it was interesting to see how they developed throughout the book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This book is SOOOO GOOD! From very early on I loved how well Frank and Red were written – they both felt incredibly ‘real’ and perfect embodiments of characters their age. The incessant wittering of a 6 year old versus the desperate need for quiet of the grumpy septuagenarian were just part of their personalities that were captured so well.

The supporting cast too, Sarah as a harassed single Mum, the classroom characters which you would recognise from every school – and ‘Marcie’ who was a loving – but forceful – ghost who was just wonderful, and you could really see the relationship that she and Frank had enjoyed.

The book follows the initial development of Frank and Red’s relationship living next door to each other – and was both funny and moving within paragraphs of each other. It builds towards a climax – where Red is on a ‘mission’- which had me desperate to read more to find out how it all ended.

It really was a fabulous read – and despite it only being January, I suspect will end up being one of my ‘books of the year’.

I had this on my Kindle – so hadn’t seen the cover until I just saved the photo for this blog post – and like the book’s content, it’s perfect. A massive thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my ARC. It’s out on 1 February 2024, so I would definitely recommend pre ordering it now. Your future self will be very grateful!

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc. 'Frank and Red' is an extremely delightful debut novel that will leave you with all the warm and fuzzy feelings needed for cold winter days. Frank is almost a recluse after the death of his beloved Marcie when 6 year old Red moves in next door. As the book continues we are treated to a beautiful story that will make you laugh,cry and everything else in-between. I loved it!

Although a little predictable to be honest - and very easy to work out the storyline and ending - it was still a lovely read. Very enjoyable, a feel good story.

If I could give this more than five stars I would.
Absolutely loved this wonderful story it left me with a contented smile on my face.
It was funny at times yet a very heartwarming moving story that touches your heart,
Well written with superb characters this touching story will make you laugh out loud yet bring a tear to your eye too.
Frank is a grumpy awkward old man since the death of his wife.
He had become a recluse & doesn’t interact with anyone.
He doesn’t even speak to his own son.
Red is a boy of six & has recently moved in next door.
Red is not adjusting well to his parents separation & also his new school.
Red is a bright lad & a very curious one at that.
He absolutely never stops talking.
He has a trampoline in the garden & the moment he spots the old man next door things will never be the same again.
This is a book I would definitely recommend I absolutely loved it .
Great story & well put together.

This was a great debut I loved reading about this unlikely friendship it was a sweet read with some really funny moments that had me laughing out loud I would definitely recommend

This is just so beautiful! It made me laugh out loud with Red’s misheard words, so true to the age of the boy. It made me cry for Frank’s pain and it made me feel for all the single mothers out there, doing their best under difficult circumstances. It isn’t often that you find a book that’s so tenderly written, so I’d advise everyone to read it.

Frank and Red is one of those books that whilst you read it, you have a huge smile on your face. It’s a novel to warm your heart in such a way that you wish there was more to read. It’s premis is very simple, Frank is a curmudgeonly old widower whose grief has rendered him so low he’s become agoraphobic and bit by bit is isolating himself from his friends and the world beyond his front garden gate.Red is a typical 6 year old inquisitive boy who never stops talking and has a very charming way of just saying exactly what he thinks. Red’s newly separated parents mean he and his mum move into the empty house next door Frank. This book is both amusing and sad in equal measures and shares the joy children can bring even when they spend ages jumping up and down on a squeaky trampoline. This is most definitely a book not to miss.

A fabulous novel!

Frank and Red are neighbours; Frank in the house he's lived in all of his married life and Red, newly moved in next door. Frank is lonely having become house-bound since the death of his wife who appears to him still - they even have conversations. Red is lost at having left the family home; his parents split up and it's just him and his mum now. Dad doesn't seem to have any time for him now he has a new girlfriend who has kids of her own. Starting a new school is hard when you're six, and friendship eludes him but he's determined to talk to the man next door - even if the man next door doesn't want to talk to him!

Every so often, along comes a book which is just so readable that you want everyone else to read it too - this is one of those books. I loved everything about it, from the very beginning to the very last word. Frank and Red are such wonderfully created characters and the story is beautifully crafted. Such a feel good read - but not without a good helping of sadness too. I was so sorry to reach the end of this book, it ended too soon. A full five sparkling stars and my very highest recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

This is the sweetest story of an unlikely intergenerational friendship between Frank; a curmudgeonly elderly man, widowed following the death of his beloved wife, and Red; the six year old who moves in next door with his mum following his parents marriage breakdown. Each mourning the loss of their old life by withdrawing into their own worlds. But those worlds collide and both learn that there is life after loss. Yes it’s a little predictable but it’s also a gentle read, a homage to aging, to love and to the human need for company.

When Frank gets new neighbours, he is not impressed with the squeaky trampoline and over-friendly 6-year-old that came bouncing along with it. He is set in his ways and doesn't want his life disrupted. But Red is not going to be ignored, despite Frank's best attempts, and it might possibly be the most important friendship he will make yet.

This was a warm, funny, uplifting book that sheds a light on normal family situations and the ways we deal with them. Frank and Red and quite literally opposites, but as unlikely as it may seem, they may just be the only ones able to help each other overcome their problems. I have followed Matt for a while now and his humour and down-to- earth approach shines through making this a great fictional debut and I can't wait to see what he does next!

Such a fabulous book, I loved it!

After the sad death of his wife, Frank hasn’t left the house. Marcie’s spirit is still there with him, and he’s terrified that if he goes out, she may not be there when he gets back.

When six year old Red and his Mum move in next door, Frank is forced to be social - inquisitive six year olds don’t take no for an answer!

I LOVED the dry humour that spilled from Red, Sarah and Frank:

“Lying was bad. And lying when you have 12 Jesuses, 8 Marys and Kriss Akabusi watching you all day, well, that just seems doubly wrong.”

“Let’s just say, Red’s dad is a good father, in the same way that Fred West is a cracking landscaper.”

“Yeah, no shit! Thank you for that, officer fucking obvious”

There was a serious side as well and Frank and Red were so similar in how they masked their anxieties and coped with life.

And thus, a wonderful friendship is born.

Can I give more than five stars? No?
Ok then, 5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Matt Coyne and Headline, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

What a debut!

This is the story of an unlikely friendship across the decades, which quite literally changes lives.

Both Red and Frank are wonderful characters in their own ways. Red is an inquisitive and persistent child who refuses to give up on Frank no matter how surly he may seem, and whilst Frank comes across as grumpy he is actually mired by grief, but even through this his one liners are absolute crackers.

An absolute joy to read, and different to anything I have read before. Highly recommend.