Saving Francesca

by Melina Marchetta

book data

919 ratings, 4.07 average rating, 135 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		36%
4		39%
3		18%
2		3%
1		1%

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published

April 23rd 2007 by Penguin Australia (first published 2003)

details

Paperback, 252 pages

characters

Francesca Spinelli, Will Trombal

literary awards

Children's Book Council of Australia Awards for Book of the Year: Older Readers (2004)

isbn

0143000977 (isbn13: 9780143000976)

description

MOST OF MY friends now go to Pius Senior College, but my mother wouldn’t allow it because she says the girls there leave with limited options and she …more

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May 18, 2007

Emma rated it:

(review of isbn 0786273097)

Read in March, 2005

recommends it for: everyone--it's that good

"Saving Francesca" is Melina Marchetta's second novel. Marchetta lives in Australia and, as her name might suggest, belongs to the community of Italian immigrants who now call Australia home. Marchetta's first novel, "Looking for Alibrandi" was greeted with widespread critical acclaim and is now a standard part of Australian school curricula (meaning that Marchetta, a teacher, has to often teach her own novel to students). I feel that "Saving Francesca" is even bett...more "Saving Francesca" is Melina Marchetta's second novel. Marchetta lives in Australia and, as her name might suggest, belongs to the community of Italian immigrants who now call Australia home. Marchetta's first novel, "Looking for Alibrandi" was greeted with widespread critical acclaim and is now a standard part of Australian school curricula (meaning that Marchetta, a teacher, has to often teach her own novel to students). I feel that "Saving Francesca" is even better than "Looking for Alibrandi," which might give some idea to how very good I think it is.

This novel, like "Looking for Alibrandi," focuses on a family of Australian Italians. Sixteen-year-old Francesca Spinelli has a lot of limitations on her life. The worst might be her forced transfer to St. Sebastian's, a former boy's school that's trying to turn co-ed. As Francesca explains "What a dream come true, right? Seven hundred and fifty boys and thirty girls? But the reality is that it's either like living in a fish bowl or like you don't exist." Adding insult to injury, all of Francesca's friends stayed at her old school, leaving Francesca with Siobhan the "slut of St. Stella's", Tara the"fanatic", and Justine the "loser" as her only companions. Things only get worse when Francesca locks horns with the infuriating Will Trombal and Francesca's mother, the usually vibrant and free-spirited Mia, refuses to get out of bed as she grapples with a depression that cripples not only Mia but Francesca and the rest of the family as well.

There is so much I want to say about this book. I love the story, I love the characters, I love the cover art for every edition I have seen. I love that Francesca's voice is so unique and can appeal to just about everyone.

More important than any of that, the story is good. Marchetta tackles the issue of depression in a way that is new and effective. She never gets bogged down in presenting information that doesn't relate to the story or the characters. At the same time, even though the depression plays a necessarily prevalent role in the novel, the story is about more than that.

While Francesca tries to make sense of her home life being turned inside out, she also starts to make sense of her own identity--something she never bothered to examine too closely at St. Stella's when it became clear that her friends didn't care about the "real" Francesca. Being thrown together with the other misfits from St. Stella's, Francesca begins to find her own voice and her own place in the world. She also slowly begins to make sense of the boys at St. Sebastian's. One of the best threads in the novel follows the evolving relations between the St. Stella's transplants and their new, male classmates.

Marchetta's prose is vivid and to the point. The novel stays close to its main focus, Francesca and her family, to create a tight narrative that expertly traces the evolution of the characters in the novel. The story, narrative, and characters come together here to create one of those rare, arresting novels, that will grab readers attention from the first page through the last and still remain a satisfying read upon future perusals. "Saving Francesca" comes ten years after "Looking for Alibrandi" and, in this reviewer's humble opinion, Marchetta spent the intervening years honing her craft to a rarely seen level of mastery. (less)

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Mar 22, 2009

Tessa Gratton rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

Read in March, 2009

I have a theory that there are three kinds of books in the word, based on my reactions to them:

- I could write better than that when I was 15!

- I can do that!

- I'll never be able to write that well!

There are variations within each category of course. In the "I can do that!" there is the occasional, "But I don't *want* to do that!" or "I'd have to work hard at it, though."

With the last category sometimes I d...more I have a theory that there are three kinds of books in the word, based on my reactions to them:

- I could write better than that when I was 15!

- I can do that!

- I'll never be able to write that well!

There are variations within each category of course. In the "I can do that!" there is the occasional, "But I don't *want* to do that!" or "I'd have to work hard at it, though."

With the last category sometimes I dreamily add, "Maybe in ten years I could consider trying."

SAVING FRANCESCA is one of these. I stayed up until 1:30am reading it, because I couldn't put it down - and you know what? There was hardly any plot. It was all character and brilliant writing. At one point, toward the beginning of the novel, I read a sentence over and over again, and then caught myself holding the book against my chest and stroking it, like it was a beautiful, well-loved pet. I adore this book, and I will squeeze it and love it and name it Bob.

What's it about?

Hmm. A 16 year old girl in Sydney, Australia moves from her all-girls school to an all-boys school that has just opened its doors to the "fairer sex." Her mom falls mysteriously ill. And... that's about it, as far as plot goes. There's not any action, blood, vampires, magic, post-apocalyptic mayhem - none of the things that usually excite me to this level.

It's the characters! THE CHARACTERS! They aren't extraneously quirky or weird - they're high school boys and girls, extreme only in all the ways we really were. It was angsty and very funny and sexy, and for the first time in a long time I remembered all the things I liked about being 17. It's about making friends suddenly and surprisingly, about being who you are, growing up, falling in love - all those semi-cliche high-school things.

Yet there wasn't a single moment of cliche. And I could have drowned in the prose. If it hadn't been 1:30am, I'd have started rereading it right then, after wiping away tears - not because it was a tragic ending, but because it was so good.

If I go on and on, you won't believe me. You'll think I'm exaggerating. Just go buy it and read it for yourself.
(less)

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

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Sep 07, 2008

Kassi rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

This is a great read - simple, which an adult could finish in an afternoon. I would recommend it as it's gripping and colorful. A book written with a sensitivity to language. However, the book is a bit too much when it comes to the linguistic devices the author chose to use. It's almost like sensory overload. Every other sentence rambles in a pseudo-intellectual manner which is a writing style that is tired with the way its executed in the book. Symbols are a little too obvious, as if a person j...more

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Nov 05, 2008

Monica rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: 2008, teen

Read in November, 2008

Loved this. Its funny how the GoodReads rating systems colors what I read. This started out as a 3 star book. Then it started climbing to 4 starts about midway through. After finishing it this morning I am nearly ready to mark it as five. Nearly but not quite ready to commit.

Obviously this grew on me. Its Australian, which adds a little flavor but still feels very much like home. The writing is phenomenal, and the Francesca character is remarkably lovable (why are all my fav...more

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Jan 24, 2009

Josie rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: five-stars

Read in January, 2009

recommended to Josie by: katie

I read this book in one sitting. I laughed, I cried, and I hope I learnt from it.

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

8 comments

Jun 04, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: favorites, own

Francesca Spinelli's proactive mother has forced her to attend St. Sebastian's School for Boys, recently made co-ed by giving the girls a toilet. Francesca would rather go to St. Pius with her friends, instead of being stuck at Sebastian's with an unusual group of people that includes Siobhan, her ex-best friend and infamous slut; Tara Finke, feminist and activist extraordinaire; Justine, an accordian player; Thomas Mackee, whose specialty is farting and teasing the girls; Jimmy, an over-friendl...more

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May 23, 2009

Laura Calverley rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

Read in March, 2009

It looks like I have found a new favorite book! Saving Francesca is by Australian author Marlina Marchetta (of newfound Jellicoe Road fame) and is an absolutely wonderful YA novel. Saving Francesca is about sixteen-year-old Francesca Spinelli and is set in Sydney, Australia. Francesca (Frankie) has just started school at St. Sebastian’s, a traditionally all boys school that has just begun accepting a small number of female students. Not only does Francesca have to put up with being wrenche...more

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1 comment

May 04, 2009

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: fiction, young-adult

Read in April, 2009

Summary: Francesca goes to a formerly all-boys private school where the only thing co-ed is the fact that girls get their own bathroom. But that’s not even her biggest problem—why does her usually peppy mom refuse to get out of bed?

Review: Ah, I could read Melina Marchetta’s books all day, every day. I loved Jellicoe Road more than this book, but I still adored Francesca’s story.

This woman should teach a class in writing dialogue, if she doesn’t already. The dia...more

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Jul 05, 2009

Deborah rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: realistic, young-adult

Read in July, 2009

recommended to Deborah by: Phoebe
recommends it for: Holly, Nancy, Melissa, Bethany

Francesca is having an identity crisis. First, she is one of the first girls to attend the once all boys school St. Sebastian's, she has to make new friends while being known as the girl with no personality (she hides it after being told she is a show-off and that is a turnoff for the girls at her old school), and her mother has slipped into major depression. Francesca finds that she just needs to be herself and she can make her world a better place.

What I really liked about this bo...more

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Mar 13, 2010

Robin rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: australian, read-and-liked, ya

Read in March, 2010

After deciding that Melina Marchetta writes some pretty good fiction, I decided to check out one of her other books. I can't remember which blogger heralded this one as "Melina's best," but one of them did.

Reading this, I couldn't help but think that this would be an interesting book to read alongside The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (THEY EVEN HAVE THE SAME NAME ... SORT OF). Except this is the one with the happier, "everything is roses" ending.
...more

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Apr 21, 2009

Navah rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: 2009, teen

Read in April, 2009

More to come when I finish, but for now I just want to share a few bits.

"The depression belongs to all of us. I think of the family down the road whose mother was having a baby and they went around the neighborhood saying, "We're pregnant." I want to go around the neighborhood sating, "We're depressed." If my mum can't get out of bed in the morning, all of us feel the same. Her silence has become ours, and it's eating us alive."--p.73

----...more

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Nov 25, 2009

Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: romance-y, youngadult

Read in November, 2009

Francesca was saved at her last high school - pulled into a group of girl friends that made her feel normal. Now that she's at Saint Sebastian's - a boy's school that just recently accepted a few girl students - she's not sure where she fits in. Her mother, who used to be fun loving and filled with life, can now barely get out of bed or finish a piece of toast.

While Francesca deals with her new high school, she's constantly trying to figure out how to cure her mother. She finds frien...more

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Jan 28, 2010

Karla rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: ya

Read in January, 2006

Francesca is beginning year 11 for the first time at St. Sebastian's, an all-boys school that recently went co-ed. This is at the wishes of her energetic mother, Mia who wants Francesca to get away from the negative influence of a cliquey group of girls at her old school. At St. Sebastian's, there are 30 girls in a school of 750 boys; Francesca describes it like "either living in a fishbowl or like you don't exist." This is enough of a challenge to be facing, but then her charismatic...more

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Jan 25, 2009

Brandii13 rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

Saving francesca was a really interesting book.
Francesca Spinelli goes to a school called St Sebastians School for Boys but it recently opened for girls as well. Francesca lives with her mother Mia, her father Robert, her brother Luca and their dog, Pinocchio. One morning Mia does't get out of bed and everyone doesn't really care. But Francesca is soo used to Mia butting in her life that she notices something is wrong with her mom. At school, Francesca's house leader is Will Trombal. He is...more

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Jul 18, 2009

Steven Kent rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: absolute-favorites, young-adult-kids

When I come to toss ups in giving stars, I generally try to err on the generous side. In this case, I see this book as well-deserving of a 4.5.

Saving Francesca provides a fascinating look into the ravages of depression, not as seen through the first-hand victim, but as seen through the victim's family.

Set in Australia, this is the story of girl of Italian ancestry who is just learning how to fit in at the new school as her family life caves in around her. She is just fi...more

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Apr 07, 2009

Jacqui Robbins rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

Read in April, 2009

You know how you have your own writer's voice, and then you have the voice you WISH you had, the one you want to write in, but it's just not you? For me, that other voice is Melina Marchetta's.

I loved this book, stayed up too late to finish it not because I had to know what was going to happen, but because I was so into the characters I couldn't leave them there. When I was done, I cried.

Marchetta paints the picture of high school friendships coming together perfectly, ...more

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1 comment

May 08, 2009

Alexis rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: teen

Read in January, 2005

recommends it for: Cassie

Set in Australia, with a noteworthy attention to the culture, this is one of those high school stories I love reading. Girl, trying to find her place in life despite whatever issues or obstacles are in her way, inevitably develops a crush on Boy and has Boy Trouble the remainder of the novel, while still forming a lasting bond with him that is strong enough to weather the fact that he is going away for his first year of college. The family in this book is portrayed wonderfully and the friends Fr...more

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Jan 03, 2010

*MaRiSsA**wAnTs*Ur*BaD*rOmAnCe!* rated it:

(review of isbn 0786273097)

Francesca goes to a school that was originally an all boys school until St.Sebastian`s private school for men started letting girls attend the school. There are 750 boys and 30 girls that go to St.Sebastian`s. How can Francesca go to such a weird school? I mean all boys? That is until Francesca meets Will Trombal...if only she can stop day dreaming about him! The Queen of the Limitation Placers-Francesca`s vivacious mother. Thinks she knows what`s best for Francesca. That is until the day she i...more

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Apr 13, 2009

Megan rated it:

(review of isbn 0786273097)

Read in April, 2009

About a girl's experience dealing with her mother's depression while she also struggles with attending a new school, finding a friendship group etc. I didn't love it the way I did Looking for Alibrandi, and maybe I would have if I had read it ten years ago, but I liked it well enough. It wasn't heavily driven by plot, which I really liked. Instead, the author focuses on the ins and outs of the daughter and father's relationship/how they treat each other during the mother's depression, the frien...more

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Nov 14, 2009

furies rated it:

(review of isbn 0375829830)

bookshelves: 2010, absolutely-must-read, would-rec, young-adult

Read in January, 2010

wow. Melina Marchetta blows my socks off yet again.

frankie/frank/francesca is a year 11 in sydney. she has switched schools because her former school stopped at year 10. and frankie's mother, mia, decides to send her to st. sebastian's, where there are approximately 30 girls and a couple thousand boys.

as she says, "you'd think this would be great, but it's not."

oh, FRANKIE. oh, will and luca and robert and justine and tara and sibhoan and thomas an...more