Beautiful book, I laughed, I cried, I loved it!!

It's the sign of a great book when you stay up far too late reading, because I just wasn't ready to leave the world created in 'Frank and Red'. I've followed Man vs Baby since the post about his newborn went viral; I was pregnant at the time so it really hit home. Therefore I was excited to get an ARC of this book to review. Matt Coyne has a fantastic way with words and always makes me laugh, but he also nails emotional content so I was unsurprised when I found tears filling my eyes throughout.

Frank is in his late 60s and hasn't left his house since his wife died. She visits him often, but Frank wonders if she is a figment of his imagination, or if she is really visiting him from beyond. He is grumpy and antisocial.

Red is 6 and has just moved next door. His world has been turned upside down since his Dad left his Mum for 'Tits and Teeth' and now lives with her and her twin girls (who are the devil incarnate). He's moved house, moved school leaving all of his best friends behind, and now he is being bullied. I loved Red, and Matt nailed the voice of a 6 year old, perhaps proving that he is really an overgrown child himself (I'm sure he's said as much in his blogs).

The only niggle, if you can call it that, was that the timeline didn't match up for me. How was Frank "just short of [his] nineteenth birthday" in 1983 if his son is now nearly 40; and yet: "Marcie looked across at him for a longtime, and for a long time he looked back. At the eighteen-year-old girl he'd first met, the twenty year old woman he'd married, the thirty-year-old woman who'd carried their son..."

But that wasn't enough to knock a star off for me, so it's a 5/5 read, and one I'd read again. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Frank and Red - Matt Coyne

A lovely heart warming debut novel emotional and heart breaking but lifts you up at the end.

Red and his mum move next door after a marriage break up to Frank a widower who is estranged from his son. Frank is depressed miserable and grouchy and is annoyed to find Red is no slouch when he is determined to become friends with Frank however miserable he is.
How these two become friends and the lengths Red goes to reconcile Frank with his son. How Red copes with a new situation and a new school as well as a dad who has a new family make for an easy uncomplicated but pleasing story. The general theme of the book is familiar but it has depth and how this unlikely friendship develops is a joy. It is also a very funny read.

Thank you to Netgalley for a preview copy for an honest review.

Absolutely brilliant book which will have you in stitches one minute and then almost in tears the next.
Without giving too much of the plot away the story is about the relationship between a really young boy who is going through the personal trauma of parental divorce and a pensioner who is going through his own trauma as a cantankerous widower dealing with life without the love of his life to hold.
This book is extremely well written from both perspectives and I highly recommend it.

I loved this book and would thoroughly recommend. The relationship between the characters is so heart warming that it made me cry in parts. I would love to read another book by this very insightful author.

Easily one of the most enjoyable & memorable books I have read this year!

A story of a very unlikely friendship across generations.

Frank is a 'more than just miserable' surly man who is still reeling and raging at life after the loss of his beloved wife Marcie. No longer able to leave his own home past his front gate, he is not impressed when the new neighbours move in, especially when he hears the springs of a trampoline whilst he is trying to complete his daily crossword.

Red is the gorgeously curious 6 year old boy who has just moved in next door with his Mum Sarah after the break up of his parents marriage. Not only is it a new home it's a complete new start which includes a new school.

Like any small child, Red is hugely inquisitive and has questions... lots and lots of questions. Not put off by Frank's unfavourable manner, he decides they will be friends!

After an 'incident' that leaves Red in Frank's care for a few hours each day, a rather unlikely but timely friendship ensues. A friendship that made my heart happier, whilst reading, than any other book I'd read in a long time.

Matt Coyne's writing style is just spot on. Bringing humour and emotion together is such a way it felt like I knew the characters in real life. The whole way through I was smiling insanely, giggling away to myself and in the next heartbeat feeling myself well up.

I absolutely adored the characters, they were so well executed and the storyline just flowed perfectly. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

'Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything'

Huge thanks to netgalley and Headline, Wildfire for the ARC.

I didn’t publish my top reads of 2023 until the last day of the year and thank heavens I didn’t otherwise I’d have missed this one which is definitely going to go on my top 5 list despite the fact that it’s actually published in 2024.
The story looks the relationship between a grieving, older man and his new neighbour, a small boy. When we meet Frank, he is being visited by the ghost of his beloved wife,this is a great way for the author to allow us to see his inner thoughts and feelings.
The novel is witty and sharply observed , it is highly emotional at times and it had me in tears on several occasions. The story looks at grief, loneliness and divorce quite weighty topics, but despite this, the novel has and optimistic lightness and it’s a joyous read The characterisations were perfect.
The setting of the novel make it a a particularly British read , most of us would be easily able to visualise the houses that Frank and Red live in for example
The author has a lyrical flowing writing style, and the book was a pleasure to read.
I would recommend this novel to those who like a relationship and character based novel If you liked a man called Ove I Fredrik, Bachman, A quiet Life by Ethan Joella or Isaac and the egg by Bobby Palmer then you might like this book

I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley, UK the book is published in the UK on first of February 2024 by headline books.

This review will appear on NetGalley, UK, Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.Wordpress.com
After publication the review will also appear on Amazon, UK

This is the story of a friendship. Frank who is an old man who has been widowed but still speaks to his wife. He has not been able to leave his house since she died. Red is 6 years old and has just moved in next door to Frank as his parents have recently split up. Red is having a hard time readjusting to his new living conditions. Red befriends Frank although Frank being a grumpy old man is not very receptive to Red at first their friendship grows.

This was a very sweet story about of a man and a boy dealing with their own struggles and forming a friendship. Although I enjoyed it it was very predictable and not very realistic but a lovely sweet story. I would highly recommend it.

I highly recommend this book for both the young & the old as it's a poignant story that spans the generations & even has a Ghost. It's about over coming adversities both large & small no matter what age you are , it's about over coming other peoples perceptions about who you are & what you do , it will make you chuckle with laughter & also reach for the tissues as you shed a tear or two. I adored every chapter of this book along with it's colourful relatable characters #NetGalley, GoodReads, #FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

Frank is a grumpy old man. He barely leaves the sanctuary of his home speaking only to the ghost of his wife Marcie. When his elderly neighbour is taken ill her family takes her to live in a seaside town the house is empty for months. Then Red and his mom move in next door.

Red is six and is trying to come to deal with his parents splitting up and moving to the other side of the city and a new school. Red is smart, very curious and has a trampoline that makes a noise that is the bane of Franks life. Red spots Frank in the garden and never stops talking to him. Despite Franks gruff demeanour an unlikely friendship is born and it will change both Frank and Reds lives forever.

This book had me chuckling from the off. Despite Frank being a grump you can’t help but love his character. Red is such an annoying little one, but in a good way as we have all probably experienced a six year old that wants to know everything and more. The way he calls Frank “Mister” is so cute. This is so well written that you cannot help but fall in love with the characters and their friendship. I have loved reading this book and the ending was just perfect.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the Arc of Frank and Red by Matt Coyne in return for my honest review.
This is a beautifully written story of the friendship between six year old Red and elderly widower Frank who desperately misses his wife Marcie.
The story covers the issues of grief, loneliness and bullying beautifully.
With its laugh out loud moments and a few tearful ones I will defiantly be recommending this book to everyone.

What a wonderful warm hug of a book. Six year old Red has moved into a new house after the break down of his parent’s marriage so he has a lot to contend with…new house, new school, new friends. Frank lives next door - an elderly slightly grumpy man whose world has shrunk after the death of his wife. An unlikely friendship blossoms between them in this novel which has you both laughing and crying. Not scared to handle some big issues the characterisation within the story is pitched just right. A book that I will remember for a long time and will be recommending to all my friends. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

This book is an absolute delight. The relationship between Frank and Red is just lovely and I didn’t want it to end. Highly recommended.

Widower Frank leads a quiet life. Estranged from his only son and unable to leave his home life is a set of routines including the ghost of his late wife Marcie.

When 6 year old Red and his Mum move in next door Frank’s quiet life gets pulled apart and an unlikely friendship between Frank and Red helps to heal both of them and the troubles they are facing.

With vibes of Ove Frank and Red will have you laughing and crying and learning that it’s never too late to let new people in.

This was a wonderful, emotional read. Funny and moving, this story of a grieving widowers relationship with a young boy is beautifully done, the humour offsetting the sadness in a way that makes it a joyful experience.

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, I was dubious at first, I love ManversusBaby on Instagram, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But Frank and Red is a great read, both characters are loveable and I didn't want the book to end.

I enjoyed every page of this book. I fell in love with both the main characters. Frank the grumpy old man afraid to leave his house and his dead wife’s ghost. Red the six year old who’s life has suddenly changed and is trying to be brave. It was funny and poignant. I’m sure these two character could have adventures together in the future. I look forward to reading more by this author Matt Coyne.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Frank is an old man and Red is a 6 year old boy, who live next door to each other. Frank is miserable and Red is not. How does Read manage to get this friendship going? And why is Frank so miserable?

This was a really heartwarming story. It’s not something I’d usually go for, but I was so thankful I did. It was such a lovely read, that dealt with some current topics. I loved both the two main characters, and it made the book what it was. A lovely story about friendship and fighting your way back to the light after living in the dark for so long. Loved it!!

A charming, sweetly funny book about what happens when a recently-widowed cantankerous old git meets a six-year-old boy who has not a gram of guile about him.

If you loved ManvsBaby, you will love this too.

This is a really lovely if well worn story line. The curmudgeonly elderly recluse (Frank) has his life disturbed by a young person moving into the area (Red). It is made a little more unusual by the prescenceof the curmudgeon's dead wife's ghost - and a very interesting ghost she is too. I loved both characters and Red's desire to fix Frank by undertaking his difficult mission. Of course everything turns out well in the end

It is well worn but also well told and I really enjoyed it . The pace was excellent and the novel had a great cast of characters

This has been one of my favourite books this year. Matt Coyne has created 2 brilliant characters in Frank and Red who could easily be people who live in your street. He has captured the workings of an imaginative 6 year old and an elderly, grumpy, widowed man really well . Amusing following the logic(!) of Red and sad seeing how losing your soul mate can leave you feeling bereft. Well written, good story line. A thoroughly good read.