Bookseller Reviews
View all
Heartwarming, Hilarious, Beautiful friendship
Frank and Red has stuck in my mind ever since I finished reading it. This is a charming novel about a grumpy old man who’s given up on the world, and a bri... READ MORE
Heartwarming, hopeful and beautiful.
This book!! Frank and Red is a book for everyone! I can't remember the last time I loved and connected with a set of characters so quickly!!! Reading it f... READ MORE
It will stick with you long after the ending.
Heartwarming, hopeful and beautiful. The story of how a young boy moving in next door can awaken you from your sorrows. How friendship can be found in the ... READ MORE
Absolutely loved it!
I love this book, I already know it’s going to be one of my favourite reads of the year. Frank & Red’s stories are heartbreaking, heartwarming and, at time... READ MORE
Wonderful
I absolutely loved this book. It’s funny, heartbreaking and a wonderful depiction of the power of friendship and the hardship of grief.
Frank is a devast... READ MORE
A gorgeous, bittersweet debut.
I just know you are all going to love this! I knew I would as I can’t resist a grumpy old man (in a literary sense, not some weird fetish), and Frank is ab... READ MORE
A cute novel full of warmth and humour!
This is a lovely, uplifting & comforting book. A young boy, Red and his mum move next door to Frank after Red's mum and dad's recent separation. Frank, ... READ MORE
A Joyous Gem!
Frank & Red is written from two points of view: Frank is cantankerous, housebound and lonely after having lost the love of his life. Red is six, his parent... READ MORE
Synopsis
Frank and Red are a mess.
Frank is a grumpy old curmudgeon. A recluse whose only company is the 'ghost' of his dead wife, Marcie. He is estranged from his friends, his son, and the ever-changing world beyond his front gate.
And then Red moves in next door.
Red is six. A boy struggling to adjust to the separation of his mum and dad, a new school, and the demonic school bully. Red is curious, smart, he never stops talking, and he's got a trampoline.
From the moment Red's blonde mop appears over the top of the fence that divides their two gardens, the unlikeliest of friendships is born.
. . . And it is a friendship that will change both of their lives forever.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
- ISBN: 9781472297426
- Number of pages: 432
- Dimensions: 238 x 164 x 40 mm
- Weight: 680g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allEmpathetic and unforgettable. It will make your heart smile.
Thank you very much to Netgalley and Headline Publishing Group for the e-ARC!
"Frank and Red" was a story that I didn't know I needed. It introduces us ... READ MORE
Frank and Red
⭐️ 5 ⭐️
When a book has the ability to make me laugh out loud one minute and then cry the next, I know I’ve found a belter. Frank and Red managed to do bot... READ MORE
Simply wonderful
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first sentence. It is basically the story of Frank who has been widowed and during his early grief fell out with hi... READ MORE
Delightful
Red is six years old and lives in London. His parents have separated and he’s just moved with his mum next door to Frank, a curmudgeonly old man who desper... READ MORE
Funny, warm, emotional
As a fan of Matt Coyne’s Internet takedowns of parenting trolls and his (occasional) heartfelt posts, I knew he was funny, his non fiction work is hilariou... READ MORE
A joyous read
Frank and Red is a joy to read, the opening pages had me howling with laughter.
Frank a widower is still grieving for his wife despite her ‘ghost’ popping... READ MORE
A beautifully-told story of how two very different people come together
Frank is old and tired and hates everyone and everything. Red is young and disillusioned and thinks everyone and everything hates him. This is a beautifull... READ MORE
What a debut!
This is the story of an unlikely friendship across the decades, which quite literally changes lives.
Both Red and Frank are wonderful characters in thei... READ MORE
A fabulous funny read
A lovely heart warming debut novel emotional and heart breaking but lifts you up at the end.
Red and his mum move next door after a marriage break up to... READ MORE
A heartfelt tale of a lonely old man and the little boy who brings him back to life
Frank and Red by Matthew Coyne is wonderfully heartfelt story about a lonely, hurting old man and the little boy who brings him to life again.
Sixty se... READ MORE
A great story, whatever your age
I fancied something a bit lighter than my recent fare to read so requested this book from NetGalley and got it almost immediately. I am not one for obvious... READ MORE
A fabulous warm hug of a book
What a wonderful warm hug of a book. Six year old Red has moved into a new house after the break down of his parent’s marriage so he has a lot to contend w... READ MORE
Amazing characters
This was a lovely read about two troubled souls learning to adjust to their lives as they now are. Six year old Red is coming to terms with his parents sep... READ MORE
Warm, funny and fabulous
I absolutely loved this and would give ten stars if I could. I’m still in awe that it’s a debut as it captured and easily held my attention. Yes it’s funny... READ MORE
A feel - good, delightful read. Recommended.
What a delightful read this is. It took me right out of all the sadness and misery in the world at the moment, and into the world of young Red, and grumpy ... READ MORE
Memorable and completely captivating
I absolutely loved this book! It is definitely one I will remember and that was largely down to the multiple angles we got to experience the story from. I ... READ MORE
Funny but moving!! So memorable
I absolutely loved this book! It is definitely one I will remember and that was largely down to the multiple angles we got to experience the story from. I ... READ MORE
A total delight!
I have just finished this - and what an absolutely beautiful book.
Oh my. I laughed out loud so many times, and I even had to wipe a few tears. Matt Coyn... READ MORE
An absolute joy!
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
The most unlikely of... READ MORE
Absolutely brilliant!
I just can’t describe how much I loved this book. It’s one of those that makes you laugh out loud at times, and cry at others, and it just all seemed so r... READ MORE
Red finds an unexpected friend in Frank when he moves in next door.
Frank was sad and alone following the death of his wife. Red is sad and alone after having to move home and school. Living next door to each other will cha... READ MORE
The most heartwarming story!
Ohh Frank & Red. What an absolutely beautiful book. It’s one of the most heartwarming and moving stories I’ve read in a long time. There was laugh out loud... READ MORE
Frankly Awesome
Wow!!
This was an amazing debut novel. This was so funny I was snorting into my book trying not to draw attention to myself! It was also so moving, emotio... READ MORE
Loved this book
Absolutely loved this book. The last couple of books I’ve read have been rather disappointing and left me feeling in a bit of a reading slump. This one lif... READ MORE
So Good
This is a beautifully written story of the friendship between six year old Red and elderly widower Frank who desperately misses his wife Marcie.
The stor... READ MORE
An absolute delight
What an absolute delight of a book! Frank, an older widower who hates to leave the house since losing his beloved wife, and Red, the small boy moving in ne... READ MORE
warm and funny
I enjoy a heartwarming book, but must admit when I first started this I thought it was going to turn into one of the slightly saccharin genre where a grump... READ MORE
Really enjoyed this feel good book
Really enjoyed this feel good book of widower Frank and his six year old neighbour Leonard, known as Red. The Pope joke will last in my memory for a long w... READ MORE
Delightful!
Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc. 'Frank and Red' is an extremely delightful debut novel that will leave you with all the warm a... READ MORE
Fabulous book. Both funny and warm hearted.
Oh, this book. It brightened every day I was reading it. So funny and yet with a heart-warming, touching theme running through.
Two fantastic characters... READ MORE
Fabulous read
Frank and Red is one of those books that whilst you read it, you have a huge smile on your face. It’s a novel to warm your heart in such a way that you wis... READ MORE
Full of warmth
Frank might seem like a grumpy old man (and to be fair, he is) but delve beneath the surface and there's a bit more to it than that. Maybe it just needs a ... READ MORE
You will love Frank and Red
Meet Frank and Red… a curmudgeonly old man with agoraphobia who lives with the ghost of his late wife and a friendly six-year-old boy with a very active im... READ MORE
Charming novel set in NORTH LONDON
Red (otherwise known as Leonard), age 6, moves in to the house next door to Frank. Red’s mum is separated from his father and his father is more interested... READ MORE
Frank and Red
What a lovely book. Red and his mom move into their new home after divorce and their next door neighbour is Frank. Frank lost his wife to cancer and it h... READ MORE
In my books of the year
Frank and Red by Matt Coyne 5⭐️
A feel good humorous book with the formation of an unlikely friendship between Frank a grumpy old man, struggling after ... READ MORE
Frank and Red
This is the most delightful book which grabbed me from the off, taking me on an emotional roller-coaster journey with the characters, before spitting me ou... READ MORE
Beautifully written, witty and compelling
Having enjoyed Matt's blog posts as Man vs Baby I was looking forward to reading his first novel, and it really did not disappoint. The writing is incredib... READ MORE
Truly wonderful!
A wonderful story of life events sadness and grief coming together from a six year old little boy and a 67 year old man. This really is a heartwarming stor... READ MORE
An absolute treasure of a book!
What an absolute treasure of a book! This is definitely going to be one of the contenders for my book of 2024!
When Red and his mum move into their house... READ MORE
An endearing story
This is a very endearing (though familiar) story, of a grumpy, anti-social old man being befriended by his young neighbour. Although I found the story lin... READ MORE
A wonderful story!
Frank is a grumpy and stubborn old man who since losing his wife a couple of years ago hasn’t ventured outside his front door, not even to put the rubbish ... READ MORE
Wonderfully uplifting
When a mother and her young son move in next door to Franklin Hayes, a widower who has given up on life, little does he realise how much his life is about ... READ MORE
An absolute gem
4-5 stars rounded up
What a debut from Matt Coyne!
Frank is a curmudgeonly loner since the death of his wife, Marcie, whose ghost does her best to che... READ MORE
Outstandingly brilliant
Frank and Red is a joy to read, the opening pages had me howling with laughter.
Frank a widower is still grieving for his wife despite her ‘ghost’ popping... READ MORE
Joyful and Heartwarming
What a fabulous book. I loved every page. A real feel good story about two wonderful characters, six year old Red and Frank, an elderly widower, estranged ... READ MORE
A must read
If you like Up! and A man called Ove then you have to read this...grumpy old man, check; loveable kid that won't leave him alone, check. This is a wonderfu... READ MORE
Heartwarming tale of friendship
What a wonderful read. Frank is a grumpy recluse, who had a falling out with his son after the death of his wife, who is now haunting him, in a very benign... READ MORE
Wonderful. Love every page. .
What a fabulous book. I loved every page. A real feel good story about two wonderful characters, six year old Red and Frank, an elderly widower, estranged ... READ MORE
Heartwarming 'Uplit' story that will remain in my heart
It is astounding when you like a book so much that even though the year is new, you already know it will be at the top of your 2024 'best' list. "Frank & R... READ MORE
Heartwarming funny and kind
As a fan of Matt Coyne’s Internet takedowns of parenting trolls and his (occasional) heartfelt posts, I knew he was funny, his non fiction work is hilariou... READ MORE
Brilliant book
This book is the most heartwarming yet laugh out loud book I've read in a long time. I literally didn't want to put it down and was invested in the charac... READ MORE