Published By: Wildfire
Pages: 432
Released On: 01/02/2024
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.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Wildfire for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I first heard about this book in the publisher’s 2024 sneak peak showcase, and it immediately grabbed my attention, so when it became available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance the read it.
I instantly loved Frank. I’ not sure we’re meant to, especially at first. He’s a miserly, miserable, grumpy man who seems to hate everyone and everything, but there was something about him that just clicked and I couldn’t wait to go on this journey with him. And then we have Red, who is the complete opposite – which isn’t surprising given that he’s a six year old boy. Because of that, I struggled to connect with him on a personal level, but he was equally as good a character creation as Frank, and I think they bounced off each other well. I think they each made the other character even better.
They give each other something: innocence and fun and wonder, trust and love.
Red teaches Frank to love again and to be brave, and Frank teaches Red to be understanding and, again, be brave. They’re like the same soul at two ends of the spectrum of life, and they’re just delightful.
We see chapters from Frank’s perspective, and then from Red’s. Some chapters are long, and some are a sentence long, it’s like their inner thoughts. The scenes from Frank’s perspective do go back and forward in time, but it wasn’t confusing skipping in and out of it, and it felt like the perfect way to explore just what has happened to make Frank the way he is now.
I won’t go into too much detail for fear of spoilers, but there are some difficult topics such as terminal illness, death, grief, loneliness, and bereavement, which I found very sensitively done. It felt very real and relatable but not over the top. It can be difficult to write what grief feels like, because there just aren’t the right words, but Matt has done a pretty fine job in this book, and got as close as anyone I have read before.
Even though I heard Matt speak about the book, and I’d looked it up, I didn’t 100% know exactly what I was expecting in terms of genre or feeling etc. but whilst it has its difficult points, it is like a cuddle, there’s a warmth to it that doesn’t always come through in novels.
I wasn’t completely sure if this was Matt’s debut book or not. Eventually I found out that whilst he has published non-fiction books before, this is his debut novel, and it is blooming fabulous for any author, let alone a debut one, to achieve something so utterly fabulous. It is one that you will definitely want to add to your TBR list and I feel very honoured to have been trusted with an early copy.
It is such a lovely book. There’s lots more to it than that, but at the very basic level, it is lovely to read. Overall it’s a book about friendship and caring, and it just leaves you with such a warming and cuddly feeling. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an uplifting story of redemption and love.
It’s just so gorgeous and heartwarming and sad and joyful and life affirming, and I couldn’t recommend it higher. Definitely one that’ll make it on my 2024 best books list!
Books By Your Bedside 