Frankie Best hates quests by Chris Smith

Chris Smith, English radio newsreader and co-author of the Kid Normal series, has gone solo and produced another funny, action-packed adventure book Frankie Best hates quests. 

The third person omniscient narrator tells the story of Frankie Best hates quests in the manner of many energetic, chatty style authors by engaging the reader personally with comments such as "If you were thinking that..." Frankie, our central character, addresses the reader right at the start by saying, "I just want to make one thing totally clear...this is not a story about some mystical quest through a magical land...about fantastical creatures, or elves, or witches...or about a princess..." Ofcourse it turns out to be all those things and more.

This is the main message of the story - that grumpy, too cool for school teenagers, addicted to their phones and trying so hard to be cool in the eyes of their peers can actually chill out and enjoy childish fun, quests, adventures, the outdoors, finding new and interesting even "nerdy" friends and their true identity. Once Frankie, her little brother Joel and Garyn (a strange knelf companion) go through the mirror portal in her grandfather's house, somewhat like in The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe, they find themselves in the fantasy land of Parallelia. As in The Hobbit, a map of the land is provided at the front of the book and it is a good idea for the reader to refer to it as too cool Frankie and her nerdie companions go on a quest to save Grandfather and be back in time for their parents' return in the real world.

Parallelia is an interesting study of a different effective form of government. Interestingly, coming from the perspective of an English author, Parallelia has no monarch. Five custodians, each keeping five talismans safe, rule the land by turn; each ruling for a term of five years. However, the quest has to happen because one of the talismans has been stolen by the baddies in the book and one custodian has been kidnapped. When the puzzle of governance is solved, it can be vaguely seen on the map how the talismans work. In any future publications of Frankie Best hates quests, one hopes that the map could be clearer- particularly the five pointed star.

Many aspects of the fantasy land are superior to the real world. When Frankie talks with Garyn about aspects of her world, eg mobile phones, pop music, clean water, he is able to trump her every time with Parallelia's pure offerings. When she mentions social media he replies, "You're not serious...give me a break!" Frankie has her reality checked and in the end finds the real world that was so cool and exhausting a poor substitute for Parallelia.The friends who she had previously denigrated as nerdy turn out to be stalwart, capable and loyal and Frankie emerges with a new identity and new attitudes.

Frankie Best hates quests is a playful happy romp of a fantasy story. The characters are likeable and the stages of the quest are easy enough for  the young reader to follow. All ends extremely well. Good lessons are learnt through the company of very good friends, a bit of magic and the help of a moral compass!

Themes: Fantasy lands and rulers, Identity, Friendship, Social media.

Wendy Jeffrey