Reviews

Frank by Alexander Finbow, Ben Rankel

panelparty's review

Go to review page

4.0

Read for Popsugar 2020 "Book Set in a Country Starting with C" - this is set in Canada.

An interesting historical fiction murder mystery set during the Frank Slide in the early 1900s. I thought I had the story figured out, but the ending was a bit of a twist I didn't expect.

I'm so conflicted on the art - on one hand, the coloring is mostly fantastic. Little pops of hot pink are basically a beacon saying "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!" and the pages after the slide and ones with really moody blue shadows and bright yellow lights are incredibly effective. However, there is only one line weight used in the book, and that combined with the kind of shaky lines and how WEIRD everyone looks make it looks like a cheap MS paint hack job - nothing like the gorgeous, modern cover.

It's a fun, quick little read and definitely worth checking out if you have a spare 20 minutes sometime!

thelittlebirdie's review

Go to review page

dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

shea_proulx's review

Go to review page

5.0

Frank is a perfect fusion of contemporary style with fascinating historical content and smart storytelling. More than any other graphic novel, this feels like the perfect bridge to the medium for anyone curious who hasn't yet taken the plunge.

jasonmehmel's review

Go to review page

5.0

What distinguishes this book from a lot of other historical fiction is Ben's flouting of expectations. The book is brightly coloured with high-contrast, and the language is anachronistically modern. This invigorates the reading with it's fresh approach and allows you to see the human drama at the forefront, rather than a parade of historical details. (Though those are still there and fascinating all on their own!)

epoms's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

More...