Frank

A bright young near-graduate is forced to relive tragedies of his predecessors when his alcoholic hard gambling uncle abducts him and takes him on an involuntary road trip to teach him another side of life his parents hoped he'd never know.

The plot took me on a road trip journey where I did not know where I would end up, but I was very happy to be along for the ride! The writing is heartfelt and immensely emotive. As the author introduces the reader to all sorts of characters, situations and emotions, the dialogue and descriptive writing were well balanced and excellent.For example:“Frank’s language reminded me he was a mad addict, scratching away at a never healing scar. But, even in his most impulsive scramble, it felt to me like was trying to accomplish something, something there, but not there, just out of reach.”I spent much of the pandemic binge reading (or rereading) all of Shakespeare’s plays and all of Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s novels. Having read many classics recently, I was curious to see how “Frank” would compare. What I can say is that great writing is great writing and a reader knows it when reading. “Frank” is great writing.I look forward to the author’s next book. Maybe in the next book my Cowboys will win on Thanksgiving Day!!!

I had not read an entire book in years. I had tried, but I kept failing to get through them. Just could not find one that made me want to go back to it. Well, that all changed with Frank. My wife was surprised when I told her I had finished it already.Coming of age is my favorite type of movie and now I realized that in books it is also. My favorite books of all time ares The Catcher In The Rye and then The Outsiders which admittedly are on different levels when compared to each other. I think I am going to have to seek out a few more books of that genre.Many thanks to the author for reminding me how fun it can be to once again read a book you can't put down because you are dying to find out what happens next.One thing it left me wondering, if I don't have a Frank in my family, does that mean I am Frank?

Bravo to the author, Joseph Gibbs. This book will grab you and draw you into a world not many of us could ever imagine. I absolutely loved it. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more great books from Mr. Gibbs in the very near future. Outstanding!!

This story grabs your attention from the start and holds it throughout as you ride in the backseat of an old Chevy on a road trip with a young boy named Brogan, his mysterious Uncle Frank and an even more mysterious man named Bogota. The letters from Uncle Frank to Brogan set the tone from the start and create a hunger in the reader to want to know more about Frank. Readers will find themselves lost in this story and turning the pages quickly to find out where the 3 fellas are going next as they travel south on I95. Each scene is very well written. No detail is left out. Joe even detailed the type of engine in the Chevy, which was an amazing little nugget. I also enjoyed how the story takes place over a Thanksgiving weekend. A great read for men, women and young adults. It reads like a movie and will leave you wanting a sequel for sure! Bravo!

The media could not be loaded.  What a dose of nostalgia! Frank takes you to those parts of growing up you couldn’t talk to mom and dad about. Easy read, we’ll written, it just flows forward effortlessly. Melancholy, exciting, tragic and hilarious, you feel it all. The author’s puts you into every scene, descriptions are tactile, and engage all of your senses, putting you into the back seat with Brogan and Frank on this epic ride!

I was immediately drawn into this first novel by the author’s command of the language and his gift for letting us enter his characters‘ psyche. The story takes us on a “trip” of self discovery and coming of age for a boy who is troubled by the suicide of his best friend and a dysfunctional home life. By the middle of the book, I could not put it down. This is a must read for all who appreciate modern literature.

I thought the book was terrific. The storyline was great and he kept to the story. The writing was superb. This book reall held my attention.