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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
I think this quote from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks says a lot about the story: “It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than to stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people. She will not be simple and sweet. She will not be what people tell her she should be.”
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But that quote may give you the impression that this book is a “deep thinking” book, which in some ways I guess it is. From the first page the reader knows that Frankie is going to get into some trouble at her co-ed prestigious boarding school. I felt like the book took a little too long getting to the actual trouble, but when it finally did I was intrigued. This book is about social politics, gender power plays, an exclusive male club, and a precocious girl who is refreshingly more than meets the eye.
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E. Lockhart wrote this book six years before she wrote We Were Liars and nine years before Genuine Fraud, and it is decidedly different, but I don’t know if it’s in a good way or bad way. Much less profanity (there’s hardly any) and it has much deeper themes. It was hard to see similarities in her books at all!
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If you read this with your teen, it would bring up discussions on feminism, power, gender roles in society, and relationship power struggles. In fact, I don’t know of another young adult book that focuses so much on the intricacies of relationship dynamics and power plays. A very different book!
•
But that quote may give you the impression that this book is a “deep thinking” book, which in some ways I guess it is. From the first page the reader knows that Frankie is going to get into some trouble at her co-ed prestigious boarding school. I felt like the book took a little too long getting to the actual trouble, but when it finally did I was intrigued. This book is about social politics, gender power plays, an exclusive male club, and a precocious girl who is refreshingly more than meets the eye.
•
E. Lockhart wrote this book six years before she wrote We Were Liars and nine years before Genuine Fraud, and it is decidedly different, but I don’t know if it’s in a good way or bad way. Much less profanity (there’s hardly any) and it has much deeper themes. It was hard to see similarities in her books at all!
•
If you read this with your teen, it would bring up discussions on feminism, power, gender roles in society, and relationship power struggles. In fact, I don’t know of another young adult book that focuses so much on the intricacies of relationship dynamics and power plays. A very different book!
I like the *idea* of this book (and a lot of the ideas in it), and I'd definitely recommend it to preteen/teenage girls. As an adult reader, though, I was underwhelmed.
Another one that just didn’t hold me interest. I need to find something better to distract me.
I read this in a college freshman seminar class called "romancing the tween" and I have never been more grateful for that class. Not only did this book inspire me to want to create a secret society, but it showed me how stupid some books can seem with the whole "I grew up and am now pretty and now people notice me" trope. She doesn't need people who are gonna hold her back, and she doesn't need a boyfriend to feel fulfilled. She pushes the stereotypes out the door and calls people out for their misogynistic crap.
This was such a sincerely cute book! Half the time, the main character was right on track and I felt a connection with her and then the other half I thought she was so annoying! But it was well-written and I can tell E. Lockhart did a ton of research on pranks and boarding schools. It all feels very authentic.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A brilliant book with a stalwart heroine. It read like a breeze, even when it got a bit too self-congratulatory with vocabulary. I was rooting for Frankie the whole way, as anyone who has ever been patronized would. It’s admirable to see her brain working rationally through the muck that one is forced to endure as a teenager.
Still, her triumph is sad. She is the smartest person, but she is essentially all alone, being a sneaky mastermind. I hope her future is full of friends who appreciate and understand her.
And seriously, fuck Matthew
Still, her triumph is sad. She is the smartest person, but she is essentially all alone, being a sneaky mastermind. I hope her future is full of friends who appreciate and understand her.
Frankie is a clever, ambitious boarding school sophomore who's sick of being underestimated and excluded because of her gender, so she sets out to prove herself by infiltrating the school's male-only secret society and masterminding the most attention-grabbing pranks and protests the school has seen in decades. This is a very likeable book. It opens with an intriguingly non-specific confession letter to her boarding school head from the eponymous Frankie. After this the narrator draws the reader in with a confidential, cute-pretentious tone that I found quite charming. The pacing of the novel is perfect, you're compelled to keep reading but there's no filler early on so it's not a case of hurrying ahead to the good bits. Once I'd started this novel my Kindle scarcely left my hand until it was finished.
A unique read with a really likeable heroine, Frankie Landau-Banks.
Frankie attends the prestigious Alabaster Prep Boarding School, where she finds herself part of the popular crowd after summer brings her new curves that catch the attention of her long-time crush, Matthew Livingston. Not only does Matthew become Frankie's boyfriend, but his entire crew of tight-knit buddies come as part of the package. Frankie loves her new friends, but she can't help but feel that she will always remain an outsider because she is "only" a girlfriend. She'll only be valued for her pretty face and her appeal as arm candy, never respected for her thoughts or any contributions she might make to the fun they all have.
When Frankie manages to gain an inside look at the secret Royal Order of the Basset Hounds, the generations-old social club that Matthew and his friends belong to, she finally finds a way to really be a part of the gang. For a while, she sits at the top of the heap. But when secrets start to come out, Frankie realizes that she has to be true to herself, no matter what the cost.
I found Frankie to be a delightful character who serves as an excellent role model for teen girls because of her intelligence, resourcefulness, and determination to be more than a "pretty thing" with a "little mind". Too, the story and plot were quite unique and a refreshing departure from so many of the typical boys-meets-girl-angst-ensues that fill YA books these days. I also loved Lockhart's writing style and voice, very literary with an old-school feel that really lent itself to creating the atmosphere of the book.
That said, I found myself wishing we got to know Matthew and Alpha and the other male characters a bit better. We were only told how wonderful they all were, never really shown why it was that Frankie loved so much being a part of their group. In the end, I also found Matthew's behaviour to be reprehensible and so his entire character was destroyed for me.
In the end, this was a great book. I'd expected a lot due to the many positive reviews I'd read about it, so I think perhaps I felt a slight let-down. But I do recommend it to anyone who likes strong, smart heroines
Frankie attends the prestigious Alabaster Prep Boarding School, where she finds herself part of the popular crowd after summer brings her new curves that catch the attention of her long-time crush, Matthew Livingston. Not only does Matthew become Frankie's boyfriend, but his entire crew of tight-knit buddies come as part of the package. Frankie loves her new friends, but she can't help but feel that she will always remain an outsider because she is "only" a girlfriend. She'll only be valued for her pretty face and her appeal as arm candy, never respected for her thoughts or any contributions she might make to the fun they all have.
When Frankie manages to gain an inside look at the secret Royal Order of the Basset Hounds, the generations-old social club that Matthew and his friends belong to, she finally finds a way to really be a part of the gang. For a while, she sits at the top of the heap. But when secrets start to come out, Frankie realizes that she has to be true to herself, no matter what the cost.
I found Frankie to be a delightful character who serves as an excellent role model for teen girls because of her intelligence, resourcefulness, and determination to be more than a "pretty thing" with a "little mind". Too, the story and plot were quite unique and a refreshing departure from so many of the typical boys-meets-girl-angst-ensues that fill YA books these days. I also loved Lockhart's writing style and voice, very literary with an old-school feel that really lent itself to creating the atmosphere of the book.
That said, I found myself wishing we got to know Matthew and Alpha and the other male characters a bit better. We were only told how wonderful they all were, never really shown why it was that Frankie loved so much being a part of their group. In the end, I also found Matthew's behaviour to be reprehensible and so his entire character was destroyed for me.
In the end, this was a great book. I'd expected a lot due to the many positive reviews I'd read about it, so I think perhaps I felt a slight let-down. But I do recommend it to anyone who likes strong, smart heroines