Book review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Alfred A. Knopf, 2006

What happens when the backbone of the family suddenly won’t get out of bed, eat, acknowledge her family, doesn’t go to work (which she loves), doesn’t eat, because she vomits everything up, and doesn’t help her family out in any way?

Saving Francesca is an angst-ridden YA novel about a teenage girl struggling to fit in during high school, while experiencing a difficult home life and not knowing where to turn for help. Even though adults attempt to help Francesca, she rejects them because she doesn’t know who to trust. And Francesca’s father won’t get help for her mother because he doesn’t want her on drugs and family expects that the mother will just get over the depression leaving Francesca to worry that her mother may kill herself while she’s at school. As if this isn’t enough for one teenager to handle, Francesca crushes on an arrogant, okay looking guy that she really doesn’t expect the relationship to go long term.

Francesca who is constantly trying to fit in with her deeper, true friends and navigate the shallow cliques at a new school. She’d love to get the old friends back from her previous school. The author gave each character a distinct personality, a history, likes and dislikes, and quirks. It was relatable how challenging it is for Francesa to fit in again. Her mother used to argue about her friends and the fact that Francesca represses parts of herself to fit in.

This well-written quick read focuses on depression, family, self-discovery, friendships, and personal growth and holds your attention to find out what happens to the well-formed characters. It’s a tearjerker that makes the reader upset with the father that continuously shuts Francesca down when she’s trying to help her mother but the blowup at the end of the book is rewarding.

This YA novel reveals how exasperating and devastating depression can be for the sufferer and their loved ones. Depression is sometimes underestimated in severity or downplayed in significance. Depression isn’t just feeling sad or down that can easily be shaken or cured. This story sheds light on the reality of it by showing the dark poignant moments. The author makes it come across as true because of all the pain and anger. Nothing is sugarcoated by a miracle cure. The blanket of depression weighs on them and as readers we can feel their utter anguish and helplessness. I thoroughly enjoyed this painful look at depression and one girls search for a happy ending.