Book Review: Love Notes for Freddie by Eva Rice

Title: Love Notes for Freddie

Author: Eva Rice

Publisher: Quercus Books

Date: July 28th, 2016

Pages: 325

Format: eARC

Source: from Publisher for a review

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Marnie FitzPatrick is a reclusive sixth-former from Hertfordshire with a dysfunctional family, a penchant for Pythagoras’ Theorem and an addiction to doughnuts and gin. Julie Crewe is a disillusioned maths teacher who lives vicariously through the girls she teaches, yet who once danced barefoot through Central Park with a man called Jo she has never been able to forget.

This is the story of what happened in the summer of 1967, when the sun burned down on the roof of the Shredded Wheat factory, and a boy called Freddie Friday danced to the records he had stolen. This is about first love, and last love, and all the strange stuff in between. This is what happens when three people are bound together by something that can’t be calculated or explained by any equation.

This is what happened when they saw the open door.

Review:

Years ago, I came across a book called The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets.
I still remember how much I loved the writing style and the way Eva Rice described the setting, making me feel like I was there, with two girls she created in that cold but wonderful house where one of them lived. I remember how they liked music, Elvis Presley and fashion, and how one of them made herself a green coat from an old blanket.
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets in one of my all-time-favorite books today and I truly believe that that book will stay with me forever.

When I found out Eva Rice had a new book I was so excited. I had no idea what to expect from the story, but I had a feeling I would like it.
I mean, how could I not? It was created from the same mind that brang one of the best stories I had a pleasure to read in my life.

Love Notes to Freddie takes place during summer 1967. It follows Marnie FitzPatrick – a teenager who got expelled from her private school, Julie Crewe – Marnie’s (ex) Mathematics teacher and Freddie Friday – a boy who loves to dance and dreams of being a professional dancer.

Yet again, Rice’s writing style was amazing. There are no other words that can describe it better.
I wasn’t sure whether her style will have the similar impact on me as the one in her first book had, because I read that one in croatian translation, but I didn’t have to worry.
Even though this time around I read one of her books in a different language, the writing style was recognizable.
And in all honesty, even though I liked the story in a whole, the writing style is absolutely the best part of this novel.
Some people might not find it as their cup of tea and some might say that it’s a bit slow, but it is the style that suits me the best.

Marnie, Julie and Freddie were loveable characters. They were and they weren’t unique at the same time, but the way Eva Rice presented them made me fall in love with them even though I couldn’t even say why did I care about those people so much. I couldn’t help but root for Freddie to make his dream come true, I felt heartbroken over Marnie and wanted to be there for her when she was lost, and I had to feel sad for Julie and her broken dreams.

This is the story of love in different shapes. It talks about love of a girl for a boy, because she is interested in him. It talks about love a woman can have for a boy because, in him,  she sees a dreamer she once was. It talkes about love for dance, about the passion someone has and a dream that keeps that person going.
It talks about parent’s love. It talks about friend’s love, brother’s love. It shows us how many forms love can have.
Even if forbidden, a love can still be strong.

Maybe that is the reason why this novel is so beautiful. You can feel the love coming from it’s pages, and you can’t help but love it.

It also covers some serious topics, showing us how much big of a consequence one secret can have and how far guiltiness of a person can go.

The story is written in first person, following Marnie’s and Julie’s POV.
This is an adult novel, but I think younger audience would enjoy it just as much.
After all, it follows a perspective of a teenager and a perspective of a woman who most of the time is reminiscing about the days when she was young.
If you’re a reader of ya genre and would like to try adult general fiction, this book is a great choice to start with.

Love Notes for Freddie is also a good choice if you’re looking for diversity in books.