I just want to start off by saying, had it not been for the Los Angeles Public Library, I would not have picked up this book. Now that I have, I want to buy Melina Marchetta's entire bibliography. Just a note to Harper Collins and their draconian library division. 
 I shied away from reading Marchetta's On the Jellicoe Road despite the glowing reviews because I don't like books about Death, especially the death of a parent. I knew this book had a parent dealing with severe depression, but the first thing mentioned in the summary was Frankie's newly coed school so I figured this was the Australian version of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, which was fantastic. I was a bit disappointed early on to discover that Frankie Spinelli is not Frankie Landau-Banks, but this book and its protagonist have their own appeal. 
 Marchetta writes about depression in a way that doesn't make the book unenjoyable or without humor. Nor is depression the main focus of the book. Ultimately, Saving Francesca is about a 16-year-old girl coming to terms with who she is while losing the usual safety nets of school, family, and familiarity. Oh, did I mention the cute boys?? I like the male characters in this book so much more than those in The Disreputable History. 
 I highly recommend this book. I laughed, I cried, and now I can't wait to read The Piper's Son.