Official Review: Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt

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NadineTimes10
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Official Review: Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt

Post by NadineTimes10 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Father Francis Gold, who calls himself Frank, is a young, Catholic priest from England. He’s headed to his first parish in the United States, a church named for none other than Saint Francis of Assisi. However, it soon becomes apparent that Frank’s seminary training hasn’t trained him for everything he’ll face as a priest in Can I Be Frank?, a novel by author Rob Wyatt.

The business and politics of the church entail more than Frank anticipated. Likewise, though he’s taken a vow of chastity, he’s not fully prepared to deal with flirtatious women, both outside and inside of the church walls. Moreover, after a run-in with a wealthy, domineering parishioner, Frank is not only in danger of losing his congregation, but he stumbles upon a hazardous, illegal operation. If Frank exposes the criminal activity at hand, it could turn the entire town on its head.

Now, a basic element of humor is its delivery of the unexpected. In this novel, the author presents unexpected situations in abundance. He doesn’t do so by way of thrills but in ordinary circumstances gone awry, related by a protagonist who’s never dull. Not only is there humor in Frank’s incidents and mishaps, but his narration itself is amusing. At times he’s blunt, and other times he dances around his meaning, allowing the reader to easily interpret the dance. Now and then, Frank even interrupts himself with his narration, interacting with his own story.

As funny as this tale is, however, it’s also substantive. Frank’s entrance into the priesthood is a practical career decision, more or less, and he simply wishes to help people. Yet, the process for helping people turns out not to be so simple. While the entire story is entertaining, the humor eases up somewhat as Frank’s situation becomes more complicated. He’s “plain old Frank,” but “Father Francis” expectations weigh on his shoulders. He faces issues as minor as his confusion between British and American English, and as major as the poverty of immigrants living nearby.

Hence, the book has plenty for the reader to laugh about, but the author doesn’t present the story as a complete joke. The novel’s themes of compassion, corruption, integrity, and teamwork are relevant and down-to-earth. Granted, there are a few sentences without proper dialogue tags, and unnecessary commas appear in some of the Scripture references that open up the chapters. Aside from those minimal details, the writing is polished, with a flow that’s natural and easy to follow.

Overall, this is a story with heart and substance, conveyed in a vastly comical, engaging, and relatable style. Therefore, I give Can I Be Frank? a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend it to fans of humorous contemporary fiction that takes a look at serious matters, both inwardly and outwardly.

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Can I Be Frank?
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kandscreeley
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Post by kandscreeley »

I do love the fact that there's humor in this book. At the same time, though, it brings up serious matters. Sounds like a pretty good book! Thanks for the review.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

kandscreeley wrote:I do love the fact that there's humor in this book. At the same time, though, it brings up serious matters. Sounds like a pretty good book! Thanks for the review.
You're welcome! Yeah, I appreciate it when an author can crack me up but make me think at the same time. :)
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Post by LadyClaire »

I appreciate the humor in the book a lot and the fact that you were frank about your review.
Thanks for the review. Its a major eye opener.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

LadyClaire wrote:I appreciate the humor in the book a lot and the fact that you were frank about your review.
Thanks for the review. Its a major eye opener.
Frank about my review of Can I Be Frank? with Father Frank. Heehee! :D Pardon me if no pun was intended. I couldn't resist. :)
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Post by raikyuu »

It seems that the author achieves a good balance between seriousness and humor in this book. Great review!
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Post by MUTEBI ASHIRAF »

there is humor and also its educative to some people like me,thanks for the book
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Post by Naval Aulakh »

It is a very good review. Thanks for the review :D
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Post by nebula nation »

its well written and structured where there is a even balance between the humorous part but also the serious matters at hand ,it is quite enjoyable to read ,as it intrigues me in numerous different ways
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Post by The Researcher »

Nice review. I was vascillating with my decision regarding this novel. But i think your take on its humorous nature made my decision to go forward with this book.
What is the most special thing I did today- I was MYSELF. Happy and in love and unapologetically myself.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

The Researcher wrote:Nice review. I was vascillating with my decision regarding this novel. But i think your take on its humorous nature made my decision to go forward with this book.
Oh, if you do, I hope you enjoy the read! :) I've actually started the sequel, and it's good so far.
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Post by Lest92 »

I enjoy it when an author can weave together humour and life's complications. Will read this book:) Your review convinced me to give it a whirl.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

Lest92 wrote:I enjoy it when an author can weave together humour and life's complications. Will read this book:) Your review convinced me to give it a whirl.
Oh, yay--that's what I like to hear! :D
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Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

raikyuu wrote:It seems that the author achieves a good balance between seriousness and humor in this book. Great review!
I recently read this book. The balance is excellent between seriousness and humor. I laughed so much but I also cried and got angry at the injustices that Father Frank dealt with in the story.
Life without a good book is something MrsCatInTheHat cannot imagine.
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Post by juliusotinyo »

Very well written review, I've been ignoring this book but your piece has convinced me otherwise.
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