Chance Place
By Frankie Schelly 

     Chance Place takes a good hard look at friendship, what it means, especially to people with mental illnesses. The reader is introduced to Frenchy, a recovering alcoholic who ends up in a halfway house for the mentally ill when he should have been placed in jail. Frenchy has his own painful childhood that causes him trouble later on in life. In the halfway house, he meets and befriends Nathan, a schizophrenic. Frenchy gets Nathan into several situations where Nathan becomes extremely uncomfortable and ends up disliking Frenchy.

     This book clearly shows that the author has some information on the mentally ill and alcoholics. The point-of-view is extremely important in the telling of this story. This could take place in any town, and often does in the real world. The characterization of Frenchy is excellent. The reader is able to capture Frenchy's thoughts, feelings, and his complicated world. Nathan's character could be developed slightly more to help the reader understand Nathan's schizophrenic behaviors.