Dear Debbie by Frieda McFadden Book Review: Unputdownable
I was getting into a reading slump after a couple of TRASH reads. So, I decided to pull out the big guns. It was time for a Frieda.
If you’ve been on BookTube for any amount of time, you know that this is one of the best ways to reset your brain and get you back in the mood for reading. I know these books aren’t masterpieces, but dammit, I don’t care.
I needed a good ratchet story to remind me of how fun reading can be.
When it comes to a Frieda McFadden book, I know what I’m getting into. A bingeable read with a messy main character, a lightning-fast plot, and one night of absolutely NO sleep.
That’s what I got with Dear Debbie. 😵💫
What’s It About?
Dear Debbie by Frieda McFadden is about a woman named Debbie (an advice columnist) who is absolutely losing her shit. She loses her job, her teen daughters are dealing with weird stuff at school, and her husband has secrets.
At some point, something snaps in her head, and she decides to get payback on everyone in her life who’s done her wrong.
There are multiple POVs, all written in the first person.
Pros
The main character was petty and unhinged to the max. MENTAL. And a danger to everyone around her. You didn’t want to cross her path and get on her list. It kept me on the edge of my seat.
The setting was very easy to visualize in this one. That’s not always the case with Frieda McFadden books.
Gardening was the focus of several of the scenes. I didn’t know I’d like something like this, but I def did.
I was surprised at just how far Debbie was willing to go to exact her revenge. The woman was unstoppable, and I was giddy from beginning to end. Locked in!
Being that Debbie is an advice columnist, she gives advice to local women about literally anything. Now and then, we get to read some emails from the Dear Debbie Drafts File, where Debbie is writing responses to questions people send in. They act as a window into Debbie’s state of mind, which is fucked… they blew my hair back on multiple occasions. 🤯 I thought they were a fantastic addition to the book.
Cons
The husband felt like a wuss most of the time. I so wished he would grow a backbone, at least for a moment. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot during his POV. 🙄
There were lots of odd coincidences that made me very slightly annoyed. But I know what I’m in for with a Frieda book. These are popcorn thrillers meant to entertain, and I was THOROUGHLY fn entertained. 🍿
Things unfolded a little too quickly at the end for me. I think we needed to slow down a little bit so we could really sit in what was going on. But this isn’t that kind of book, and I’m okay with that.
The Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Why? Because this book kept me flipping pages, gasping at reveals, and totally engaged from beginning to end. And I no longer feel like I don’t want to pick up another book. No more slump. That alone is enough for me to give a book 4 stars. This read did everything I needed it to do. But I did take away one star for the cons mentioned earlier.
Are you planning on reading this book? Have you read it already? If so, what did you think? Let me know!
