That Honey Johnson Moment

My library has done so well recommending new YA recommendations for me on my Overdrive account — this book was no exception!

12 year old Frankie Parsons is a worrier. He lives in constant admiration of his easy-going best friend, Gigs. When a new girl moves into his school, he starts branching out a little bit — despite that nagging “rodent voice” in his head telling him all the ways it could go wrong. The title refers to his habit of going into his mother’s room at 10:00 every night with some new worry — skin cancer, natural disasters, etc.

What I loved most about this book, I think, was that the cast of “quirky characters” had some real personalities and reasons to back up their quirkiness. We know right away that Frankie’s mother is…not right. But the more we find out about her, the more we understand why. Same for his brother and sister. The author does a great job of fleshing everyone out, giving backstories and histories to explain their actions. We also see a lot of growth throughout the novel, which I loved.

It has a lot of sad, unfair moments — mostly because you get attached to the characters after a while and want to fight for them. It’s also funny — very, very funny. Di Goldi nails what it’s like to be a twelve year old — especially how confusing it is when everything around you begins to change. I loved Frankie Parsons, and wish the best for him in the future.