This just didn't grab me the way I'd hoped. I'll basically read anything set in Chicago (Chicago native currently living in LA! I miss it!), but this just didn't resonate with me. The protagonist was not my cup of tea. Not bad, just... not for me!

I stopped reading after the first few chapters because I really disliked the protagonist and couldn't figure out where the story was going. I expected something fairy tale-esque or maybe a type of modern Alice in Wonderland, an adventure that will make the protagonist turn into a nicer human being. But the plot meandered for too long for me to get hooked.

I suspect that people from Chicago will like this much more, as the author was very much inspired by the city itself. Having no knowledge of Chicago and never having visited, I probably missed a lot of things that may be interesting to others.

I will read nearly any story set in Chicago. This has led to great discoveries, such as the Chicagoland Vampires series. Unfortunately, THE FAIRYTALE CHICAGO OF FRANCESCA FINNEGAN was not one of the great discoveries.

A quick read, THE FAIRYTALE CHICAGO OF FRANCESCA FINNEGAN is seeped in Chicago. It comes up with alternate stories for Chicago events - such as the creation of the flag, why the Chicago River runs backwards, and what started the Chicago fire. These stories are fantastical and amusing, and likely would not be as interesting to readers who are not familiar with Chicago history or geography.

The structure of the book is strange as well, since it is told as a flashback, with intermittent chapters being the stories of the people that Rich and Francesca meet on their adventure. It is sometimes hard to determine who exactly is narrating, and that was a little frustrating, and it makes it easy to lose the flow of the story. One upside, however, are the lovely illustrations (done by Chris Cihon) after each chapter.

All in all, THE FAIRYTALE CHICAGO OF FRANCESCA FINNEGAN was a very strange book that I found hard to get engrossed in. While I didn't dislike it, it didn't hold my interest, and I sometimes found it hard to pick up again. If you're interested in fantasy set in Chicago or something a little different than your typical urban fantasy, definitely pick this one up. Otherwise, this one might not be for you.

Found this a really difficult book to get into, so sorry to say I didn't finish it. Found myself pretty confused, but I'm not sure whether it was poor timing on my part. Tried to go back to try again, but book had been archived.

This is a fairytale, but definitely not for children. Dark, twisting and dangerous adventures await Rich when he meets the elusive Francesca Finnegan, who takes him on the adventure of a life time through the history and landmarks of Chicago. While I enjoyed this book I think I would have enjoyed it even more if I was more familiar with the city of Chicago. The magical and fantastical elements were very well done and I applaud the author for his unique perspective.

I thoroughly enjoyed the individual fairytales contained within this book but thought the overall identity was confused. Was this about Francesca? Rich? Chicago? What seemed to start as a story about Rich's self-discovery got distracted by all the tangential stories. I quite liked the style of writing but at times fete that this ought to be a children's book - save for some of the language! Not quite sure what to make of it.

What a book. I saw this book while flicking through Netgalley and thought I just have to read it. And I am so glad I did.

Richard the rich has managed to do what many aspire to do and become the Vice President of something or other and has managed to become and incredibly rich man. Sadly he also seems to have become and incredibly unhappy man too - perhaps a true reflection on today's society. Whilst wandering the streets of Chicago he finds a girl selling fairytales in exchange for some falling mice and upon falling and hitting his head he discovers the lost memories of the most magical night of his life.

This book is not for children but it is for those with childish spirits. The details of the characters were only bolstered by the beautiful artwork. Who couldn't love Templton or Mr. Fox?

I think everyone should read this book because it may help you remember the important things and the importance of maybe not being so important after all.

A reasonably entertaining book with many interesting concepts that get a bit lost when the author tries to present them all so fast. The narrative feels disjointed, though often fun, and the characters never rise above their basic descriptions of "boring businessman", "magical girl but for adult audience", and so on. The style and ideas are promising, but the execution didn't quite wow me.