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will_overthink's review against another edition
5.0
Quirky and unexpected, Frankie deals with a distant boyfriend by... infiltrating his secret brotherhood and leading them all a merry chase. This book deals with something a lot of young women go through: The change in the way people treat you when you demonstrate that you are not, and probably have never been, the small, inconsequential thing they always thought you were. Adorable? Try mastermind.
smusie's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. I wish this book had existed when I was in high school, although that anachronism would surely cause the space-time continuum to collapse into a black hole.
apendragon's review against another edition
3.0
A little disappointed with this book. The real plot - that of Frankie joining the exclusive all male club as is advertised on the blurb I read - didn't kick in until a good 2/3 of the way through. The first parts were more monologuing about her life and how she thought feminism should be.
wafflewombat's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
uruseibaka's review against another edition
4.0
"It is better to be alone, she figures, than to be with someone who can't see who you are. It is better to lead than to follow. It is better to speak up than stay silent. It is better to open doors than to shut them on people."
Review up on my blog: http://euphoricreader.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-disreputable-history-of.html?m=1
Review up on my blog: http://euphoricreader.blogspot.com/2015/03/book-review-disreputable-history-of.html?m=1
x_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I loved it! Frankie is an endearingly quirky and insightful character. I couldn't get enough of her.
holly41102's review against another edition
3.0
*2.5 stars* I wasn't really sure what to rate this. I thought maybe 3 stars but that is too much for this book and the book I don't think deserves 2. I really enjoyed the first part but towards the end I started really not enjoying the book. I still don't understand what the purpose of the part where Frankie was sitting on the pier at the start of the book and another boy came along. I would have though maybe it was her love interest but it was a different character which didn't even remember her at the pier. I found all the characters irritating and annoying and they weren't well rounded characters. This was pretty disappointing compared to Lockhart's other books.
amethystarchild's review against another edition
4.0
“The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks” is a contemporary young adult novel, with strong themes of feminism. Frankie is attending a prestigious prep school, and has finally blossomed into a beautiful sophomore girl. She attracts the attention of a handsome senior Matthew, and they start dating. She discovers that there is an all-male secret society on campus that pulls pranks. Angry and envious of her boyfriend’s brotherhood in the organization, and sick of being suppressed by her family and friends into hiding her intelligence, she hatches a scheme. She tricks the members of the society into following her orders by posing as their leader through emails. She creates elaborate pranks that make social statement, and coerces the administration into making the school a better place. When the real president gets in trouble for her misdeeds she steps forward as the culprit surprising everyone who underestimated her. She loses her boyfriend, but by the end she cares more about her own self-respect, than about the opinions of others.
Content warnings:
-Some underage drinking
-Mild swears
-Some slightly promiscuous scenarios
-Triggers: secret societies, ladies underwear, passionate kissing
My least favorite genre is Realistic fiction, so when I was assigned this book I wasn’t excited to read it, but the story telling style, and the main character Frankie were really interesting and fun. As a woman I was excited and interested by the feminist themes in the novel, I had some fist pump moments as Frankie showed us that girls can be masterminds too. It felt cheesy at certain points, and sometimes I questioned if something like this could realistically occur, but it pulled itself off pretty well. Frankie does seem a bit obsessive about wanting to be part of the club, which was strange, but coming from such a gender oppressive environment, I can perhaps she why she is at this level of dedication. I wouldn’t recommend this to a younger teenage girl, but an older teen I think would enjoy this novel. It has a good feminist message that doesn’t advocate women superiority, but instead gender equality. I recommend this book highly.
Content warnings:
-Some underage drinking
-Mild swears
-Some slightly promiscuous scenarios
-Triggers: secret societies, ladies underwear, passionate kissing
My least favorite genre is Realistic fiction, so when I was assigned this book I wasn’t excited to read it, but the story telling style, and the main character Frankie were really interesting and fun. As a woman I was excited and interested by the feminist themes in the novel, I had some fist pump moments as Frankie showed us that girls can be masterminds too. It felt cheesy at certain points, and sometimes I questioned if something like this could realistically occur, but it pulled itself off pretty well. Frankie does seem a bit obsessive about wanting to be part of the club, which was strange, but coming from such a gender oppressive environment, I can perhaps she why she is at this level of dedication. I wouldn’t recommend this to a younger teenage girl, but an older teen I think would enjoy this novel. It has a good feminist message that doesn’t advocate women superiority, but instead gender equality. I recommend this book highly.