Review by Laurieannsk -- Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt
-
Laurieannsk
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 23 Jun 2017, 22:58
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-laurieannsk.html
- Latest Review: "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt
Review by Laurieannsk -- Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt
[Following is a volunteer review of "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt.]
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Can I Be Frank, a novel by Rob Wyatt is adorable and kept me turning the pages to the end. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed because of the ending; it just fizzled out. There was no real climax and because of that, I feel like I just read some everyday priest’s journal.
Father Francis is a recently ordained British priest who has been assigned to a parish in a small town in Florida. From the moment he steps off the airplane he is confused by, and confusing to all the people he encounters, from the Customs workers to his new assistant and supervisor. But Father Frank is perfectly and hilariously human. He makes mistakes as only a young adult transplanted in a completely different climate and culture from his own can do. I had a hard time believing there is an Englishman who doesn’t know any Spanish at all, but his other moments of naiveté were hilariously fresh. I especially enjoyed the plotlines revolving around migrant workers and environmental concerns and how they gave an air of mystery to the story.
While many of the characters were well developed, there were other characters who seemed at first to be major players that were practically dropped halfway through the novel and hardly heard about again. Also, some loose ends in the story seemed sloppily tied up, and I felt like the ending was rather rushed. To be fair, at the time of my completion of the book, I didn’t realize this is the first book of a series, so I guess those loosely-tied ends are meant to be cliff-hangers, but, other than the comedic value, there was nothing to entice me to read more of the story.
To be, er, frank, I doubt I would have even read the book at all if I’d taken the time to read a summary of the story first. As someone who is just about as far from Catholic in my own religious faith as one can be, I would not have been interested in reading about a priest. That being said, I am, in reality, very glad I did, indeed, finish this book. I learned more about Catholic rituals than I’ve ever been exposed to in nearly fifty years. Also, and again, the narrative was down-right funny!
There probably weren’t any more typos than what I’ve experienced in other modern books I’ve read recently, but I don’t know whether it’s actually been professionally edited, either. I did catch at least eight mistakes in the print, and they were distracting, but maybe the average reader won’t notice them or care.
While I truly enjoyed reading about many of Father Frank’s antics and bumblings, and I literally chuckled out loud during some parts of the story, I am only giving this book a 2 out of 4 rating because of the sloppy editing, but more importantly because of the practically anti-climactic ending.
******
Can I Be Frank?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Laurieannsk's review? Post a comment saying so!
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Can I Be Frank, a novel by Rob Wyatt is adorable and kept me turning the pages to the end. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed because of the ending; it just fizzled out. There was no real climax and because of that, I feel like I just read some everyday priest’s journal.
Father Francis is a recently ordained British priest who has been assigned to a parish in a small town in Florida. From the moment he steps off the airplane he is confused by, and confusing to all the people he encounters, from the Customs workers to his new assistant and supervisor. But Father Frank is perfectly and hilariously human. He makes mistakes as only a young adult transplanted in a completely different climate and culture from his own can do. I had a hard time believing there is an Englishman who doesn’t know any Spanish at all, but his other moments of naiveté were hilariously fresh. I especially enjoyed the plotlines revolving around migrant workers and environmental concerns and how they gave an air of mystery to the story.
While many of the characters were well developed, there were other characters who seemed at first to be major players that were practically dropped halfway through the novel and hardly heard about again. Also, some loose ends in the story seemed sloppily tied up, and I felt like the ending was rather rushed. To be fair, at the time of my completion of the book, I didn’t realize this is the first book of a series, so I guess those loosely-tied ends are meant to be cliff-hangers, but, other than the comedic value, there was nothing to entice me to read more of the story.
To be, er, frank, I doubt I would have even read the book at all if I’d taken the time to read a summary of the story first. As someone who is just about as far from Catholic in my own religious faith as one can be, I would not have been interested in reading about a priest. That being said, I am, in reality, very glad I did, indeed, finish this book. I learned more about Catholic rituals than I’ve ever been exposed to in nearly fifty years. Also, and again, the narrative was down-right funny!
There probably weren’t any more typos than what I’ve experienced in other modern books I’ve read recently, but I don’t know whether it’s actually been professionally edited, either. I did catch at least eight mistakes in the print, and they were distracting, but maybe the average reader won’t notice them or care.
While I truly enjoyed reading about many of Father Frank’s antics and bumblings, and I literally chuckled out loud during some parts of the story, I am only giving this book a 2 out of 4 rating because of the sloppy editing, but more importantly because of the practically anti-climactic ending.
******
Can I Be Frank?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Laurieannsk's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt
