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Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn
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Expected 15 Apr 25Win a free print copy of this book!
11 days and 16:39:19
15 copies available
U.S. only
A heartwarming novel centered on Francine Stevenson’s accidental encounter with a peculiar ten-year-old boy who shows up at her doorstep after her mother's sudden death
Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn is a bighearted novel that will wiggle its way into the heart of every reader. It follows Francine Stevenson. whose life revolved around her anxious agoraphobic mother—her abrupt passing rocks Francine to her core and sends her into a tailspin of depression. She copes by rummaging through her mother’s assortment of pills, dancing manically at night to the disco she and her mother enjoyed while keeping up appearances at work during daylight hours.
On one such day Francine’s blissful high is interrupted by shouts outside her door. She pulls back her curtain only to catch sight of a few older kids picking on a much younger boy. She ushers ten-year-old Davie into her home for temporary refuge. After that moment, Francine’s life takes a surprising turn.
What appeared to be a one-off encounter evolves when Davie repeatedly shows up at Francine’s house. Despite herself, Francine begins to enjoy his unannounced visits. She finds herself wondering why a ten-year-old has so much autonomy. Francine realizes the proper thing to do is introduce herself to Davie’s foster parents and loop them in on the bullies she worries may still be giving Davie trouble, only to discover Jeanette, her high school crush, is Davie’s foster mother.
Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn introduces a voice readers won’t soon forget. The weighty topics of grief, loneliness, and depression are offset by Francine’s offbeat, bewitching humor. This novel is a multilayered tour-de-force nested into a heart-stirring coming-of-age.
Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn is a bighearted novel that will wiggle its way into the heart of every reader. It follows Francine Stevenson. whose life revolved around her anxious agoraphobic mother—her abrupt passing rocks Francine to her core and sends her into a tailspin of depression. She copes by rummaging through her mother’s assortment of pills, dancing manically at night to the disco she and her mother enjoyed while keeping up appearances at work during daylight hours.
On one such day Francine’s blissful high is interrupted by shouts outside her door. She pulls back her curtain only to catch sight of a few older kids picking on a much younger boy. She ushers ten-year-old Davie into her home for temporary refuge. After that moment, Francine’s life takes a surprising turn.
What appeared to be a one-off encounter evolves when Davie repeatedly shows up at Francine’s house. Despite herself, Francine begins to enjoy his unannounced visits. She finds herself wondering why a ten-year-old has so much autonomy. Francine realizes the proper thing to do is introduce herself to Davie’s foster parents and loop them in on the bullies she worries may still be giving Davie trouble, only to discover Jeanette, her high school crush, is Davie’s foster mother.
Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn introduces a voice readers won’t soon forget. The weighty topics of grief, loneliness, and depression are offset by Francine’s offbeat, bewitching humor. This novel is a multilayered tour-de-force nested into a heart-stirring coming-of-age.
320 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 15, 2025
3 people are currently reading
6,427 people want to read
About the author
Renee Swindle
6books95followersRenee Swindle is the author of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn, A Pinch Of Ooh La La, Shake Down The Stars, and Please Please Please.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 17, 2024
I loved this book!
Francine lives with her anxious agoraphobic mom. They have a close and dysfunctional relationship. Her mom suddenly dies and Francine goes into a depressive tailspin. She meets a kid on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self. I loved this book so much. The characters were interesting and real. A lot of important topics were addressed. This book is filled with so much love and warmth! I could not put it down. I now want to drop what I’m doing and read another book by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.
Francine lives with her anxious agoraphobic mom. They have a close and dysfunctional relationship. Her mom suddenly dies and Francine goes into a depressive tailspin. She meets a kid on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self. I loved this book so much. The characters were interesting and real. A lot of important topics were addressed. This book is filled with so much love and warmth! I could not put it down. I now want to drop what I’m doing and read another book by this author.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.
October 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Francine has a lot to learn about herself, her grief and her place in this world. A heartwarming journey of learning painful lessons while also learning interesting facts about Pixar and enslaved people. That sounds kind of random, but I promise it works. I fell in love with these characters.
This book isn’t easily put into a genre, I would call the ending a happy and hopeful one, but a journey of self discovery where Francine becomes a different person. She meets a young boy Davie who is fostered by her neighbors, and falls in love with his foster mother Jeannette. Davie is an extreme smart 11 year old in middle school who has been in 7 different foster homes. He knows everything about Pixar movies and American slavery. Interestingly I learned a lot about these topics just through his sweet dialogue.
Lots of trigger warnings: suicidal ideation, prescription drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, death of a parent, domestic abuse, infidelity, am I forgetting anything? After all that I have to say the book is very funny and sweet.
My only criticism is that I don’t love the current cover, which suggests a fun beach romance. Thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC. Book to be published 4/15/25.
#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #FrancinesSpectacularCrashAndBurn
This book isn’t easily put into a genre, I would call the ending a happy and hopeful one, but a journey of self discovery where Francine becomes a different person. She meets a young boy Davie who is fostered by her neighbors, and falls in love with his foster mother Jeannette. Davie is an extreme smart 11 year old in middle school who has been in 7 different foster homes. He knows everything about Pixar movies and American slavery. Interestingly I learned a lot about these topics just through his sweet dialogue.
Lots of trigger warnings: suicidal ideation, prescription drug abuse, child abuse and neglect, death of a parent, domestic abuse, infidelity, am I forgetting anything? After all that I have to say the book is very funny and sweet.
My only criticism is that I don’t love the current cover, which suggests a fun beach romance. Thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the ARC. Book to be published 4/15/25.
#booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booklover #arcreview #booktok #netgalley #bookrecommendations #FrancinesSpectacularCrashAndBurn
March 8, 2025
Francine is trying to figure out how to live her life in the aftermath of her mother’s death. When she rescues a 10 year old kid from some bullies she becomes a big part of his life. Determined to help him out, she meets his foster family and realizes that Davie’s foster mother was a girl that Francine had a crush on in high school.
While the book does have some lighthearted and fun moments, it’s definitely more serious than the cover design makes it seem. The story deals with grief, bullying, suicide, ableism, colorism, toxic relationships, past sexual assault, abusive parenting, and so much more. I don’t think anything in the book was poorly handled, but there were definitely a lot of times where I felt like things were just being glossed over instead of diving in deep. Like at a lot of points there were time jumps that made me feel like I was missing out on being able to see important developments happening. So often it felt like things were just occurring out of nowhere.
In the end I did enjoy seeing the journey that Francine went on with figuring out what she wants from her life and building up a community of people around her. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy coming of age stories about adult characters, found family, and complex queer characters.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
While the book does have some lighthearted and fun moments, it’s definitely more serious than the cover design makes it seem. The story deals with grief, bullying, suicide, ableism, colorism, toxic relationships, past sexual assault, abusive parenting, and so much more. I don’t think anything in the book was poorly handled, but there were definitely a lot of times where I felt like things were just being glossed over instead of diving in deep. Like at a lot of points there were time jumps that made me feel like I was missing out on being able to see important developments happening. So often it felt like things were just occurring out of nowhere.
In the end I did enjoy seeing the journey that Francine went on with figuring out what she wants from her life and building up a community of people around her. I’d recommend this for readers who enjoy coming of age stories about adult characters, found family, and complex queer characters.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 23, 2025
Thank you, Tiny Reparations for the e-arc!
This book is truly an emotional roller coaster. Francine is a character I will not be forgetting about any time soon.
The book takes place just moments before Francines mom's passing, this book is a journey of Francine coping with her mothers loss and trying to live in a world without her. Francine is a complex character, not many will agree with her actions or the situations she finds herself in but it's her own experience.
Francine's grief was written really well, we don't see Francine have a typical "healing" journey with grief. It's very raw and emotional, you can't help but want to give her a big hug.
Francine in her grief meets a young boy named Davie, who randomly starts showing up to her house and quickly they form a heartwarming friendship.
Davie is on the spectrum, the way that Francine understands this. Her friendship with Davie is one filled with love and recognition. Davie being part of the foster system and also having lost his mother, Francine sees herself and Davie and for that she creates an environment in which Davie feels safest in. Literally cried over how loving she was with Davie.
This would've been a full 5-star book but I felt like Francine's drug use was glossed over. I really wish that we got to see more about what steps she was taking to get sober. The book glossed over when it came to Francine taking meds that weren't hers so I really wish this was addressed as well.
I do want to make clear that this is not a love story. Francine's relationship with Jennette is one built off trauma. Francine is constantly getting used by Jennette and there are several boundaries that Jennette crosses. I think the book does a great job at highlighting the fact that Jennette isn't 100% a bad person. She is someone who needs help and was wronged by a system as well.
Francine also has Bell's Palsy that is triggered by stress, this is something that is important to understanding her character! We see her actively struggle with her views with her condition throughout the book, she learns to not be afraid of her condition, but she does receive a lot of bullying and harassment about her condition.
There are several heavy topics, such as;
- Death of a parent
- Grief
- Drug abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Mental abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Physical Abuse
- Depression
- Suicide ideation
- Suicide attempt
- Bullying
- Pedophilia
- Toxic relationship
- Panic Attacks
- Agoraphobia
This book can be heavy at times, but I really do encourage others to read it, please take care of yourselves, my friends.
This book is truly an emotional roller coaster. Francine is a character I will not be forgetting about any time soon.
The book takes place just moments before Francines mom's passing, this book is a journey of Francine coping with her mothers loss and trying to live in a world without her. Francine is a complex character, not many will agree with her actions or the situations she finds herself in but it's her own experience.
Francine's grief was written really well, we don't see Francine have a typical "healing" journey with grief. It's very raw and emotional, you can't help but want to give her a big hug.
Francine in her grief meets a young boy named Davie, who randomly starts showing up to her house and quickly they form a heartwarming friendship.
Davie is on the spectrum, the way that Francine understands this. Her friendship with Davie is one filled with love and recognition. Davie being part of the foster system and also having lost his mother, Francine sees herself and Davie and for that she creates an environment in which Davie feels safest in. Literally cried over how loving she was with Davie.
This would've been a full 5-star book but I felt like Francine's drug use was glossed over. I really wish that we got to see more about what steps she was taking to get sober. The book glossed over when it came to Francine taking meds that weren't hers so I really wish this was addressed as well.
I do want to make clear that this is not a love story. Francine's relationship with Jennette is one built off trauma. Francine is constantly getting used by Jennette and there are several boundaries that Jennette crosses. I think the book does a great job at highlighting the fact that Jennette isn't 100% a bad person. She is someone who needs help and was wronged by a system as well.
Francine also has Bell's Palsy that is triggered by stress, this is something that is important to understanding her character! We see her actively struggle with her views with her condition throughout the book, she learns to not be afraid of her condition, but she does receive a lot of bullying and harassment about her condition.
There are several heavy topics, such as;
- Death of a parent
- Grief
- Drug abuse
- Domestic abuse
- Mental abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Physical Abuse
- Depression
- Suicide ideation
- Suicide attempt
- Bullying
- Pedophilia
- Toxic relationship
- Panic Attacks
- Agoraphobia
This book can be heavy at times, but I really do encourage others to read it, please take care of yourselves, my friends.
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars
✨This book has humor, depth, a main character you can’t help but root for � and a little boy that wanders into her life that will absolutely steal your heart.
✨It’s not often that such a layered and nuanced story also makes me laugh out loud so often. I love it when an author can make me laugh and cry and feel such emotion.
✨The character development and dialogue in these pages are absolutely incredible. I really couldn’t put it down. I hope you’ll give it a read. I can’t wait to check out the author’s backlist and will be anxiously waiting to see what she writes next.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Neurodivergent rep
✨LGBTQ rep
✨Mental illness rep
✨Healing from grief narratives
✨Bighearted stories
✨Contemporary fiction
My thanks to @tinyrepbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.
✨This book has humor, depth, a main character you can’t help but root for � and a little boy that wanders into her life that will absolutely steal your heart.
✨It’s not often that such a layered and nuanced story also makes me laugh out loud so often. I love it when an author can make me laugh and cry and feel such emotion.
✨The character development and dialogue in these pages are absolutely incredible. I really couldn’t put it down. I hope you’ll give it a read. I can’t wait to check out the author’s backlist and will be anxiously waiting to see what she writes next.
🌿Read if you like:
✨Neurodivergent rep
✨LGBTQ rep
✨Mental illness rep
✨Healing from grief narratives
✨Bighearted stories
✨Contemporary fiction
My thanks to @tinyrepbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.
March 1, 2025
3.5 stars
This was not a light read. The ending is somewhat hopeful, but up until 99% of the book, you are pretty much worried this terrible time will somehow get worse. It discusses some heavy topics like grief, internalized homophobia, sexual assault, grooming, child abuse, intimate partner violence, colorism, poverty, and ableism. I think it's a story many could learn something from, but it really made for a unhappy reading experience. So, be warned about that.
The writing style is quite succinct and not super florid. While the story is quite angsty, it didn't feel melodramatic. Honestly, there were some scenes that went south quickly that were unexpected because the writing style was pretty matter of fact in its description of what was happening. There was only one point where the story buried a lead about one of Francine's bad experiences in high school that I found a tiny bit cheap in presentation, but the overall meaning of it was understood. It's a bit insane how many awful things she experienced before turning 30, but it created something for Jeannette to "bond" with her over.
I appreciated Kenji as a character a lot. Surprisingly, even in the first meeting where I'm sure the reader was meant to dislike her, I found her interesting. She exists to be one of the few people around Francine that didn't bully her when she didn't act as desired. I liked that her and partner were in the story to sort of serve as a baseline for normal relationships. I actually liked and felt sorry for Aunt Liane. I understood where she was coming from with Francine and her sister, but her way of trying to force them into being okay wasn't the answer. Uncle CJ was great, as well.
Davie is the real standout here. He's the catalyst for most of the events in this book and he becomes someone that makes Francine look outside herself. I find it a bit concerning she went from spending most of her life taking care of her mother to immediately signing on to take care of a child not long after her mother's passing. I'm a little surprised if her therapist thought that was a good idea. However, I did tear up at the end of the book.
Francine is a mess. I'm glad the book showed her seeing a therapist to try to unpack some of her issues. I also appreciated that I didn't feel the narrative wanted her to let sympathy for Jeannette's trauma incite unearned forgiveness. Jeannette suffered a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. The fact that her son is going down a very harmful, worrying path was also sad to read, but again, Francine wasn't the solution to all their problems. I truthfully didn't understand what Francine saw in Jeannette that was desirable, but I chalked it up to her having to learn that she deserved better treatment from people. That's a lesson I think a lot of people would appreciate.
Tentative recommend, but be mindful of the trigger warnings and that I wouldn't personally describe this as a hopeful book. Up to 99%, it's still quite heavy.
This was not a light read. The ending is somewhat hopeful, but up until 99% of the book, you are pretty much worried this terrible time will somehow get worse. It discusses some heavy topics like grief, internalized homophobia, sexual assault, grooming, child abuse, intimate partner violence, colorism, poverty, and ableism. I think it's a story many could learn something from, but it really made for a unhappy reading experience. So, be warned about that.
The writing style is quite succinct and not super florid. While the story is quite angsty, it didn't feel melodramatic. Honestly, there were some scenes that went south quickly that were unexpected because the writing style was pretty matter of fact in its description of what was happening. There was only one point where the story buried a lead about one of Francine's bad experiences in high school that I found a tiny bit cheap in presentation, but the overall meaning of it was understood. It's a bit insane how many awful things she experienced before turning 30, but it created something for Jeannette to "bond" with her over.
I appreciated Kenji as a character a lot. Surprisingly, even in the first meeting where I'm sure the reader was meant to dislike her, I found her interesting. She exists to be one of the few people around Francine that didn't bully her when she didn't act as desired. I liked that her and partner were in the story to sort of serve as a baseline for normal relationships. I actually liked and felt sorry for Aunt Liane. I understood where she was coming from with Francine and her sister, but her way of trying to force them into being okay wasn't the answer. Uncle CJ was great, as well.
Davie is the real standout here. He's the catalyst for most of the events in this book and he becomes someone that makes Francine look outside herself. I find it a bit concerning she went from spending most of her life taking care of her mother to immediately signing on to take care of a child not long after her mother's passing. I'm a little surprised if her therapist thought that was a good idea. However, I did tear up at the end of the book.
Francine is a mess. I'm glad the book showed her seeing a therapist to try to unpack some of her issues. I also appreciated that I didn't feel the narrative wanted her to let sympathy for Jeannette's trauma incite unearned forgiveness. Jeannette suffered a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. The fact that her son is going down a very harmful, worrying path was also sad to read, but again, Francine wasn't the solution to all their problems. I truthfully didn't understand what Francine saw in Jeannette that was desirable, but I chalked it up to her having to learn that she deserved better treatment from people. That's a lesson I think a lot of people would appreciate.
Tentative recommend, but be mindful of the trigger warnings and that I wouldn't personally describe this as a hopeful book. Up to 99%, it's still quite heavy.
March 31, 2025
Francine lives with her agoraphobic mother who records psychic and astrology videos. Their codependent relationship abruptly ends when Francine's mother dies and Francine feels lost. Preparing to end her own life, she instead meets 10 year old, Davie, a boy on the autism spectrum, when she saves him from a bully. Davie lives with his foster parents in a poor section of Oakland, and when Francine takes him home one day, she realizes she went to high school with Jeannette, the foster mother, and her former crush.
This intense, well written book deals with issues of mental illness, substance abuse, codependency, racism (most of the characters are Black), classism, and neurodiversity. Yet, despite all of that, the book does not feel cluttered or preachy. Instead, it's incredibly well written and engaging, with three-dimensional portraits of all of the main characters.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
This intense, well written book deals with issues of mental illness, substance abuse, codependency, racism (most of the characters are Black), classism, and neurodiversity. Yet, despite all of that, the book does not feel cluttered or preachy. Instead, it's incredibly well written and engaging, with three-dimensional portraits of all of the main characters.
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
February 24, 2025
This story is an unexpected combination of healing, love, and grief with a plot that keeps you rooting for the main character!
January 30, 2025
Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn reads as if it was intended to be a film script, not a novel. That’s both a compliment and a criticism. The dialogue is sharp and quick, but the prose is paper thin. An individual conversation between two characters has more rhythmic back and forth and forward momentum than the novel’s entire narrative. But while the pacing lags—the descriptors too threadbare—the characters themselves always come to the page fully-formed through their dialogue. It’s that nagging suspicion, that the cast haven’t been placed in the correct medium, one where they could thrive to their absolute fullest, that holds Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn back.
An important heads-up for potential readers: the novel’s cover isn’t entirely representative of the content. It invokes the feeling of a light-hearted romantic comedy and, while there’s certainly humor present and some familiar tropes, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is a drama first and foremost. The narrative tightly centers on generational/familial cycles, mental-health, and abuse. There is one particular scene, where a character recounts a sexual assault, that I had to take a pause while reading. The subject matter is well handled, but I don’t think the cover adequately illustrates what Renee Swindle is trying to accomplish.
The strongest elements that stand out here, head and shoulders above the rest, are the ways in which Swindle approaches the subjects of chosen family, particularly parenting, and narcissistic abuse. The latter is handled with such unflinching realism and grace, tracking how a narcissist—whether consciously or not—gloms instinctually on to those with low self-esteem; constantly pushing the boundaries as to what they can get away with� and what they can take. The dynamic between Francine and Jeanette presents how this escalates and metastasizes so clearly.
While the relationship between Francine and Davie, a chance encounter that blossoms into an endearing relationship between a surrogate mother and son, runs through the heart of the entire book; encapsulating parenting and the immense responsibility it holds, and how one’s choices aren’t simply dictated by their singular wants or needs anymore. This relationship forces Francine to grow, to rethink her usual self-destructive tendencies, in order to put Davie first.
The character work and dialogue in Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is the best part about it. I just can’t help but think the story would be better served as a miniseries—perhaps a long-form six to eight episodes.
(Thank you to Penguin Random House/Dutton for allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)
An important heads-up for potential readers: the novel’s cover isn’t entirely representative of the content. It invokes the feeling of a light-hearted romantic comedy and, while there’s certainly humor present and some familiar tropes, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is a drama first and foremost. The narrative tightly centers on generational/familial cycles, mental-health, and abuse. There is one particular scene, where a character recounts a sexual assault, that I had to take a pause while reading. The subject matter is well handled, but I don’t think the cover adequately illustrates what Renee Swindle is trying to accomplish.
The strongest elements that stand out here, head and shoulders above the rest, are the ways in which Swindle approaches the subjects of chosen family, particularly parenting, and narcissistic abuse. The latter is handled with such unflinching realism and grace, tracking how a narcissist—whether consciously or not—gloms instinctually on to those with low self-esteem; constantly pushing the boundaries as to what they can get away with� and what they can take. The dynamic between Francine and Jeanette presents how this escalates and metastasizes so clearly.
While the relationship between Francine and Davie, a chance encounter that blossoms into an endearing relationship between a surrogate mother and son, runs through the heart of the entire book; encapsulating parenting and the immense responsibility it holds, and how one’s choices aren’t simply dictated by their singular wants or needs anymore. This relationship forces Francine to grow, to rethink her usual self-destructive tendencies, in order to put Davie first.
The character work and dialogue in Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is the best part about it. I just can’t help but think the story would be better served as a miniseries—perhaps a long-form six to eight episodes.
(Thank you to Penguin Random House/Dutton for allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)
March 20, 2025
𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖�
𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚’� 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙝 & 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣
by Renee Swindle
320 pages
Out soon! 4/15/25
Thank you @reneewritesnovels and @tinyrepbooks for allowing me to read this hidden gem before it was published.
I love a character who doesn’t have it all together, perfectly imperfect, feeling self conscious- because frankly, who hasn’t felt that way in life?
This story had all the chaos of real life.
Francine has had to deal with many obstacles as she cared for her agoraphobic mother, and longed to fulfill her own dreams. Francine’s mom was quite eccentric, and Francine has had a really unorthodox home life, but had persevered and had a decent job at Peeps- a social media company. Still, she longed for more for herself.
The strongest part of this story for me was Francine and her relationship with Davie, the 10 year old boy she serendipitously saved from bullies one day. Her empathy for him came from her own experiences.
She faced a domino effect of setbacks, but she always continued to do her best to be a good person, awkwardly attempting to be the best version of herself to achieve her goals and a great friend to others (often at great expense to herself). I should also say as a fellow neurodivergent person that I empathized with her reactions and social miscues. I’ve had those moments myself.
Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and even though there were some characters I truly disliked, I loved loved how this one ended. I was rooting for Francine through the entire book.
I read this in one day. If you like something different, check it out.
QOTD: Davie loved Steve Jobs and Pixar movies - what’s your favorite Pixar movie?
A: Mine is Monsters, Inc.
This reminded me in some ways of Maame by Jessica George (2023) as far as similar life obstacles. I loved both of the MCs as they faced similar struggles.
#arcreading #newbooks #francinesspectacularcrashandburn #currentlyreading #amreading #hiddengembooks #contemporaryfiction #realisticfiction #lgbtqbooks #neurodivergentcharacters
𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚’� 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙝 & 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣
by Renee Swindle
320 pages
Out soon! 4/15/25
Thank you @reneewritesnovels and @tinyrepbooks for allowing me to read this hidden gem before it was published.
I love a character who doesn’t have it all together, perfectly imperfect, feeling self conscious- because frankly, who hasn’t felt that way in life?
This story had all the chaos of real life.
Francine has had to deal with many obstacles as she cared for her agoraphobic mother, and longed to fulfill her own dreams. Francine’s mom was quite eccentric, and Francine has had a really unorthodox home life, but had persevered and had a decent job at Peeps- a social media company. Still, she longed for more for herself.
The strongest part of this story for me was Francine and her relationship with Davie, the 10 year old boy she serendipitously saved from bullies one day. Her empathy for him came from her own experiences.
She faced a domino effect of setbacks, but she always continued to do her best to be a good person, awkwardly attempting to be the best version of herself to achieve her goals and a great friend to others (often at great expense to herself). I should also say as a fellow neurodivergent person that I empathized with her reactions and social miscues. I’ve had those moments myself.
Found family is one of my favorite tropes, and even though there were some characters I truly disliked, I loved loved how this one ended. I was rooting for Francine through the entire book.
I read this in one day. If you like something different, check it out.
QOTD: Davie loved Steve Jobs and Pixar movies - what’s your favorite Pixar movie?
A: Mine is Monsters, Inc.
This reminded me in some ways of Maame by Jessica George (2023) as far as similar life obstacles. I loved both of the MCs as they faced similar struggles.
#arcreading #newbooks #francinesspectacularcrashandburn #currentlyreading #amreading #hiddengembooks #contemporaryfiction #realisticfiction #lgbtqbooks #neurodivergentcharacters
October 7, 2024
This was really great. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started - the title drew me in. the author does a great job of balancing different topics in personalities in this book about trauma, mental illness, personal growth, and hope. There is a lot going on - you've got a big focus on neuro-divergent personalities (from obvious to subtle) and on being bullied because of your differences. Queerness is part of the plot too, but in an every day matter of fact way. It's not some big revelation, just part of who they are. I just loved how Francine worked through (and is still working through) all the things in her life leading up to that point in time. She learns that she is not responsible for other people's reactions. She learns to identify what is most important to her. Everything mostly flowed well all together even with all the different subplots going on. The only thing the author didn't blend in well was Francine's starting therapy. About halfway through the book she started having Francine refer to her therapist Pamela and how she was learning to process what was going on using tools that Pamela gave her. My reaction was, wait, what? She's in therapy? I think it could have been written to be more obvious that she made the decision to go into therapy and what led up to that. From what you learn about Francine in the start of the book it doesn't seem like it would be an easy decision for her to start seeing a therapist but the author just kind of slipped it in. It was like the point of view changed halfway through - suddenly her choices and reactions related to what she was learning wtih Pamela. Which is great but it happened so suddenly.
Other than that disjointness, this was an excellent book! Loved how it represented neurodivergent folks and how the author handled trauma and queerness. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Net Galley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Other than that disjointness, this was an excellent book! Loved how it represented neurodivergent folks and how the author handled trauma and queerness. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Net Galley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Tiny Reparations Books for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2025
What a complicated cast of characters! This story grabbed me right from the beginning and I could not put the book down. It's one of those rare books where you become completely immersed with everybody's drama and do not want the book to end. I could read about these people all day (and I did!).
I loved Davie! Davie is a 10 year on the autism spectrum, so maybe this hit close to home. Certainly, the book focuses on the "fun" nuances of parenting a child with ASD. What the book does not really focus on is how absolutely hard and impossible doing this is on the daily. It seems easy for Francine to swoop in with money and fresh energy because she did not have to do it every single day like Tucker and Jeannette. I think that's why I struggled with the ending because it ends so positively and unrealistically. Yes, it is all solved now. Francine becomes an expert within a couple of weeks and it's all pretty easy as long as you just love your child. I want an epilogue showing Francine at a bar with her spirit in the toilet after one year's worth of rejection of physical touch and emotional connection to someone with this disability and doing it as a single parent. But it is beautiful to see Francine meeting Davie where is he and loving him completely.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Davie! Davie is a 10 year on the autism spectrum, so maybe this hit close to home. Certainly, the book focuses on the "fun" nuances of parenting a child with ASD. What the book does not really focus on is how absolutely hard and impossible doing this is on the daily. It seems easy for Francine to swoop in with money and fresh energy because she did not have to do it every single day like Tucker and Jeannette. I think that's why I struggled with the ending because it ends so positively and unrealistically. Yes, it is all solved now. Francine becomes an expert within a couple of weeks and it's all pretty easy as long as you just love your child. I want an epilogue showing Francine at a bar with her spirit in the toilet after one year's worth of rejection of physical touch and emotional connection to someone with this disability and doing it as a single parent. But it is beautiful to see Francine meeting Davie where is he and loving him completely.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2024
I’ve learned that I’m loving the first person perspective in books. Swindle gives insight to her characters as if I’m reading Francine’s journal. The book follows Francine and with a recent loss of her mother she flounders with life until she sees a little boy being bullied and goes out of her way to help. The little boy turns out to be Davie. While helping Davie, she reunites with her high school crush and a relationship of sorts begins. Francine is pushed and pulled in all directions trying to find her own true north. Davie is a character I loved reading about and want to read more of. Francine and Davie’s relationship is one where it created an unexpected love that really centers the whole book. A high school crush is great to reflect back on but in a lot of ways it can be a mirror. It gives you the opportunity to see who you were then and why you might fall for this person. Most of the time it’s not for the right reasons and Jeannette is a perfect example of that. I enjoyed the book more than I expected and that’s always a fun surprise. Triggering warning for some readers it does talk about assault and domestic abuse. Thank you to Renee Swindle, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2025
I started this on the plane back from Kauai, and it was just interesting enough to keep my attention. Francine loses her mother suddenly after trying to force her out of the house which she hasn't left in a while due to a combination of depression and agoraphobia. Francine has been in an unhealthy co-dependent relationship with her mother her whole life, and when her mother dies Francine contemplates dying too. However, a young boy finds his way into her life, and bring with him his foster mother who just so happens to be the queen bee of Francine's old high school.
Francine is such a mess that everything she does is bound to blow up in her face, and the book deals very well with her clear issues, and how they cause her to make the very worst decisions. Davie is the saving grace of this story, with his macabre slave facts (which he spouts when he is upset) and his obsession with Steve Jobs ("Steve and Steve! Ha!" became my favorite line of the book). How he gives Francine a strange little community and ultimately a family makes this a very sweet read. It took a little bit of work to get into this (the beginning is pretty sad and messed up as we take stock of Francine's life so far) but once Davie makes an appearance you know things are on the upswing.
Francine is such a mess that everything she does is bound to blow up in her face, and the book deals very well with her clear issues, and how they cause her to make the very worst decisions. Davie is the saving grace of this story, with his macabre slave facts (which he spouts when he is upset) and his obsession with Steve Jobs ("Steve and Steve! Ha!" became my favorite line of the book). How he gives Francine a strange little community and ultimately a family makes this a very sweet read. It took a little bit of work to get into this (the beginning is pretty sad and messed up as we take stock of Francine's life so far) but once Davie makes an appearance you know things are on the upswing.
March 21, 2025
I wasn’t sure about this book initially, but I enjoyed it in the end! I’m still curious about the autism representation (at times I wondered if it was relying too heavily on stereotypes and if she had a sensitivity reader. She doesn’t mention one in the acknowledgements).
Francine was a frustrating protagonist at times, but by the end I wanted to root for her. Her affair with Jeanette seemed doomed from the start. I was glad she was able to finally wake up to the manipulative behavior and abuse before things escalated any further.
At times, it seemed like the author dropped certain characters or plots until they were useful again (like Davie). But ultimately, it was a nice story about finding yourself, healing, finding connection, and discovering neurodivergence. Definitely wayyyyy heavier and more intense than the cover would lead you to believe, though 😬
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Francine was a frustrating protagonist at times, but by the end I wanted to root for her. Her affair with Jeanette seemed doomed from the start. I was glad she was able to finally wake up to the manipulative behavior and abuse before things escalated any further.
At times, it seemed like the author dropped certain characters or plots until they were useful again (like Davie). But ultimately, it was a nice story about finding yourself, healing, finding connection, and discovering neurodivergence. Definitely wayyyyy heavier and more intense than the cover would lead you to believe, though 😬
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2024
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but I fell in love with it. This was a beautiful story centered around Francine at an inflection point in her life. It wasn’t the kind of ‘love story� I’d anticipated, but the love story at the heart of the book ended up being even more meaningful to read. The bond between Francine and Davie is SO special, and we need more people like Francine in the world who really see those who are different and don’t try to change who they are. The character development of Francine throughout the book was so well-done, I loved seeing her start to take control of her own life. Thank you to Tiny Reparations Books, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 23, 2024
I won an ARC of Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn in a ŷ Giveaway. Thank you to the author and publisher; it’s much appreciated.
First of all, this is not a Romcom, despite the cheesy cover. I hate covers like this anyway because they make the book look frivolous, even if it contains serious material.
While I really like about the book is Francine’s and Davie’s character development. Davie is a foster child whose foster Mom doesn’t seem to care or notice just how much time Davie isn’t at home. Francine actually makes the idiot decision to have an affair with the foster Mom, which has half assed written all over it. The character development helps, but even that couldn’t change my mind about this disorganized ickiness.
First of all, this is not a Romcom, despite the cheesy cover. I hate covers like this anyway because they make the book look frivolous, even if it contains serious material.
While I really like about the book is Francine’s and Davie’s character development. Davie is a foster child whose foster Mom doesn’t seem to care or notice just how much time Davie isn’t at home. Francine actually makes the idiot decision to have an affair with the foster Mom, which has half assed written all over it. The character development helps, but even that couldn’t change my mind about this disorganized ickiness.
December 19, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Hmmm. First off, the cover doesn't reflect the book at all. The cover hints at a rom-com story, when this isn't that. The book is much more serious than the cover leads on. I liked this; I didn't love it. Francine was pretty naive, made a whole bunch of bad choices, and was far from mature. I did enjoy her relationship with Davie, who provided the book's few humorous touches. There was a little character growth, but no real plot surprises or unexpected happenings.
This was moderately entertaining, covered numerous serious issues (including child abuse) and showed some positive writing. There certainly is a market for it.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.
Hmmm. First off, the cover doesn't reflect the book at all. The cover hints at a rom-com story, when this isn't that. The book is much more serious than the cover leads on. I liked this; I didn't love it. Francine was pretty naive, made a whole bunch of bad choices, and was far from mature. I did enjoy her relationship with Davie, who provided the book's few humorous touches. There was a little character growth, but no real plot surprises or unexpected happenings.
This was moderately entertaining, covered numerous serious issues (including child abuse) and showed some positive writing. There certainly is a market for it.
I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being given freely.
February 11, 2025
3.5 stars.
About a Boy, renewed. Francine is lonely and directionless after her mother's sudden death. With no friends and little family, she doesn't what to do or where to start. What she does know is that the talkative, odd boy she saved from neighbors bullies won't leave her alone. And maybe she doesn't want him to.
I was really on board for the first half or so. The writing was present (though past-tense, it really told the story). The second half, though, felt like it was just telling the highlights. And while I understand why Francine would make some of the choices she did, I was getting really annoyed at her. Her "crash and burn" was mostly of her own doing.
I received this book as a digital advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
About a Boy, renewed. Francine is lonely and directionless after her mother's sudden death. With no friends and little family, she doesn't what to do or where to start. What she does know is that the talkative, odd boy she saved from neighbors bullies won't leave her alone. And maybe she doesn't want him to.
I was really on board for the first half or so. The writing was present (though past-tense, it really told the story). The second half, though, felt like it was just telling the highlights. And while I understand why Francine would make some of the choices she did, I was getting really annoyed at her. Her "crash and burn" was mostly of her own doing.
I received this book as a digital advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2025
I was offered advance access to this novel. I am not sure I would have requested on my own accord as the description sounded heavy. However, I gave it a chance and I am so glad I did.
Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is wonderful. I haven’t read anything like it. Francine is an endearing and compelling character and it was riveting to follow her thought process and decision-making. I was very invested in her wellbeing! Davie Is amazing as well. This story is full of tragedies but also full of self-discovery, resilience, and hope. A perfect read for these tough times.
Thank you very much to Penguin Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books, Diamond, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn is wonderful. I haven’t read anything like it. Francine is an endearing and compelling character and it was riveting to follow her thought process and decision-making. I was very invested in her wellbeing! Davie Is amazing as well. This story is full of tragedies but also full of self-discovery, resilience, and hope. A perfect read for these tough times.
Thank you very much to Penguin Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books, Diamond, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.
November 4, 2024
I have to say I couldn’t put this book down! The characters were so unique and layered, I was instantly captivated with their stories. Francine and Davie finding each other made my heart so happy, and watching the ebb and flow of their relationship was dramatic. I felt like I was on a roller coaster, and didn’t know where we would end up next. The complexities of what each of the characters were dealing, or had dealt with in their pasts, were so layered and really opened up a world I personally had no experience with. This book was both heartbreaking, and heartwarming and I highly recommend it!
November 18, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton/Tiny Reparations Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I absolutely loved this book. It was messy but very honest, I found myself rooting for the main character, through all her successes and failures. At times the writing felt slightly juvenile, but that was easily forgotten since the book was so engaging, From race, colorism, class, SA, neurodivergence, etc. this book touched on and delved into a variety of issues, but all were handled in ways that felt true to the book and its characters.
I would and will highly recommend this book.
I absolutely loved this book. It was messy but very honest, I found myself rooting for the main character, through all her successes and failures. At times the writing felt slightly juvenile, but that was easily forgotten since the book was so engaging, From race, colorism, class, SA, neurodivergence, etc. this book touched on and delved into a variety of issues, but all were handled in ways that felt true to the book and its characters.
I would and will highly recommend this book.
January 4, 2025
The book opens when Francine is 25 years old, she lived at home with her mother in a dysfunctional relationship. Her mother dies suddenly and Francine goes into a tailspin. Enter Davie, a 10 year old boy who Francine rescues from bullies. Davie is autistic and in short order Francine develops a relationship with him and gets involved with his foster family. Davie's constant repetitiveness of facts go on throughout and you can learn things from what he talks about. In time Francine sorts out many of her issues and the book has a heartwarming ending.
I received this book for free through ŷ First Reads.
I received this book for free through ŷ First Reads.
January 13, 2025
Francine, who lives with her agoraphobic spiritualist mother, is sent into a tailspin after her mother suddenly passes away. She meets a child on the spectrum who reminds her of her childhood self and is forced to go through the states of grief in an especially messy way. I enjoyed greatly how queerness was represented in this book - a factor of the story, but also just an aspect of every day life. The character development was amazing and made me like the characters even after questionable actions.
Thank you to Renee Swindle, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Renee Swindle, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2025
I was so surprised by this! I feel like Francine’s journey with grief, not just for the loss she experienced but for everything she went through � was so deeply understandable and devastating. I was rooting for her to find her footing in life, and I really enjoyed seeing her journey with photography (as a photo girlie myself I was so inspired by her). I also found the side characters intriguing and really added to the story. And DAVIE!!! I loved him so much 😭 I need a sequel to see how they’re doing I swear
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publishers who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publishers who sent me this ARC to read & review! <3
February 18, 2025
Francine is a young woman dealing with low self-esteem, a very needy and agoraphobic mom and no family other than a distant aunt and uncle. When tragedy strikes she starts to fall apart and consider suicide until she witnesses a young boy being bullied by bigger kids. Meeting Davie will change her life forever but not without a lot of drama and self-doubt that she'll need to overcome.
February 20, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book! It was just the pick me up I needed as I found myself chuckling throughout the book and relating to the main character and her relationship with her mother. Love the disability representation and the multifaceted relationships shown between Black people and other POCs in the book.
March 12, 2025
DNF at 8%
I thought I could handle parent death, but I lost one of my parents to a heart attack and my other is going through cancer treatment. So while I actually liked the writing a lot (which is rare for me in literary books), I had to stop reading after Francine's mom died on page.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
I thought I could handle parent death, but I lost one of my parents to a heart attack and my other is going through cancer treatment. So while I actually liked the writing a lot (which is rare for me in literary books), I had to stop reading after Francine's mom died on page.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
April 1, 2025
If you've ever been an outcast, viewed as different, or had to deal with any kind of trauma, you may relate to this book. It's a cute story about taking the cards we're dealt and finding what we're meant for. Even if there's a special little push or we lose ourselves a bit along the wY.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
October 26, 2024A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
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