Frannie and Tru

Reviewed by: Kara Reiman - Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 17, 2017

Review

Frannie is a fifteen year old living in present day Baltimore. Her cousin, Tru, comes to stay with the family for the summer, and so begins Frannie's education in the "real world," from which she's largely been sheltered. Through Tru, she begins exploring dating, drinking, drugs, and rule breaking. The author, Hattrup, attempts to bring something new to the genre by throwing current hot topics like racism, lgbtq issues, and sexual assault into the storyline. But in the end, those tidbits just feel a bit like a gimmick, offering no real education or resolution of these issues for the characters or the readers. An additional purchase solely where coming of age novels are popular.

Overall Book Score: good