The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Frankie returns to Alabaster Preparatory Academy, a boarding school, for her sophomore year. She's a little curvier than before, and the boys are noticing--although the only boy she cares about is Matthew Livingston, her crush since freshman year. In fact, much of the story
is set in motion when Frankie, who is riding a bike, sees Matthew in the first few days of school and becomes so distracted that she loses control of the bike and skins her knee. Matthew comes running over to make sure she's okay, and the two begin to flirt. Two important threads are established: 1) Matthew cannot remember meeting Frankie in the previous year, and 2) Matthew obviously enjoys coming to Frankie's aid.

Matthew's inability to remember Frankie gives her a small feeling of insignificance, and inadvertent as well as fake forgetfulness figure prominently in the novel. When Frankie begins to suspect that Matthew is involved in a secret society called the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, she follows him. As their relationship develops, she expects him to tell her more about the Order. Matthew doesn't. Frankie is frustrated--Matthew won't trust her, and she can't join the Order because she is a girl.

In addition to dating Matthew, Frankie is swept up into his world, his friends--and she likes it there, something that I believe many girls can identify with. Most of us have either been Frankie or Frankie's friend, watching her become so wrapped up in her boyfriend's life that she begins to forget she has her own. Matthew is sweet and nice--everything a girl could ask for, but he never makes an effort to get to know Frankie's world. And as much as Frankie loves being with Matthew and his friends--other members of the Order and their girlfriends--she dislikes her place in that world. Matthew and his friends discount her as being a sweet sophomore girl. Frankie longs for equal status, recognition, and power. So she decides to do something about it.

I loved this book. LOVED. IT.

The cast of characters is strong and well-rounded, no matter how big or small their roles. The pacing was spot-on; every time I sat down to read for "just a little while", I lost track of time and just kept reading. I had to know what happened next! I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, and Frankie's wordplay is half the fun of the book. She plays with grammar and comes up with "neglected positives". For example, possible is the neglected positive of impossible. When applied to other words such as "disturbed" and "indulge", the concept becomes more amusing. (I'll save the full explanation for Frankie). There's also a secret society, a mystery, a relationship, and many pranks!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is also a book that stayed with me--it's been two days since I finished it, and I'm still trying to make sense of Frankie. Thank you, E. Lockhart, for an engrossing, entertaining, and thought provoking book. I highly, highly (with a gold star!) recommend this book.

Over the summer Frankie Landau-Banks undergoes a transformation from average to gorgeous. As a sophomore at a prestigious boarding school, she snags the attention of a senior named Matthew, her crush becoming her boyfriend. He's a member of a boys-only club called the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Frankie wants to know more. She learns her father was part of the order, but he won't reveal much to her. This is unfair. She feels excluded simply because she's a girl, but this is okay since she'll find a way to infiltrate and orchestrate the actions of the secret society. This is a fun read. I adored the characters and dialogue.

This was the story of an intelligent girl who wanted everyone to finally see her as a grown up. Her family still saw her as a little girl and her friends saw her as a geek. She was desperate to be seen as a young woman capable of everything the guys can do.

The plot was just average, I didn't feel it was especially strong or weak. Basically, Frankie wanted to break out of her mold and become a young lady, and we followed her as she attempted to make that happen. This is a common wish in young girls everywhere, and I can see how this book would appeal to them.

Most of the characters were fine, though some lacked motivation. I never understood why Matthew liked Frankie or kept ditching her to spend time with Alpha. And why did Alpha never admit he was the one Frankie met at the beach? Several questions like those lingered. I liked Frankie's character okay but her whining got to be a bit much. Your boyfriend is in a top-secret male-only society, and you can't join? Get over it. Instead of asking her boyfriend about it, or saying "I know about the Bassets, what do you say you let me in?", she hinted and hemmed and hawed, then got all bent out of shape and set out to get revenge. In the end she just came across as a spoiled little girl to me. She had a strong personality but I didn't like how she could only be strong from behind the scenes, or in a passive way. She never came right out and spoke up about what she was feeling.

The dialogue was wordy, but not in a bad way. Frankie and her boyfriend (and really, all the kids at the fancy boarding school) were very intelligent, and you could tell in the way they spoke to each other. Very little, if any, slang. Frankie liked to spout out random things, and sometimes that could be annoying. There was one section that I swear lasted 10 minutes and was just Frankie going on and on and on about Neglected Positives, a grammar rule she made up. Luckily, I found the 10 minute lesson on Panopticons interesting. Was this a book or a class in school?

Nothing too sexy or hot here, though it wasn't for lack of Matthew's trying. I liked how Frankie stood her ground around him, in that little way. Other than that, there was a little flirting but it was innocent stuff. Again, I was surprised by the lack of teenage tawdriness. Come on, people. You are young and hormonal and living basically without any adult supervision. I feel like you're really missing out!

The audio was fine. I think it started out a bit rough, almost like Tanya Eby Sirois was looking for the right tone, but I think she settled in just fine.

The cover is cute and matches the story brilliantly. At first glance, it could almost be some sort of Nancy Drew, teenage-mystery-solver type story, but once you read the novel, it matches.

Reviewed by The Busy Bibliophile.

This is my new favorite book.

I picked it up at the library along with a stack of others without really looking at any of them in too much detail. I just needed something to read during the summer. And it looked mildly interesting.

But this book is much more than MILDLY interesting.
its amazing!

First of all, all of the characters were very original, especially Frankie herself. Frankie was smart and funny and a heroine that you can really let yourself like. And not hate. Alpha was another great character. Matthew, well, he was one of the more boring people. But then there were people like Trish, Porter, and Star who erased that. Characters get a ten out of ten.

Then, the plot itself. I loved everything about it. I love boarding school stories, I'll just start with that. Also, the idea of Frankie completely taking over her boyfriend's secret society--without him even knowing it? Brilliant! Frankie is not just another teenage girl, that's for sure. Plot gets a ten out of ten :)

Then, the writing style itself. I loved E. Lockhart's prose, it just flowed very well and I fell in love with it at once.

This book is a must-read!

Wow. This is one of the coolest books I've picked up in quite a while. Somehow a hardcover wound up on the Bargain table at Borders, and when I learned that A) Frankie was a girl, B) She was leading the Loyal Order of Basset Hounds, and C) She was possibly a criminal genius... I just had to buy it. Good choice.

It turns out that Frankie has [...] including the National Book Award--which was given out at my university, long before I knew the book existed. CURSE YOU, CHANCE!!!

Frankie is a fifteen year old girl who attends a very classy boarding school--the kind that's over a hundred years old and entrenched in Old Boy culture. This bothers Frankie on some level, but she hasn't done much about it. Then, between freshman and sophomore year, she grows boobs and starts to feel rebellious. On her return to school, she is noticed by Matthew, the most popular boy there. She is welcomed to their lunch table with the other girlfriends... but girlfriends are, essentially, expendable. It's the boys who are solid, the boys who are bonding for life and will one day be high-powered CEOs and politicians who do each other favors. Frankie watches other girls disappear from their radar as though they had never existed.

She wants in. She adores these boys and their camaraderie. She wants to join them, be part of this exclusive club... which it turns out is an actual club: The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. But she never can. They will never even consider it, because she is a girl. So Frankie takes matters into her own hands... she usurps control and starts orchestrating the biggest, most effective pranks the Order and the school have ever seen.<!--more-->

But will the boys ever really accept her? Will Matthew ever willingly confide in her?

This novel is unique in that Frankie is a strategist, and a very well informed one. When relationship crises come up with Matthew--is he breaking up with her?--she thinks through all her options. If she pouts, nothing. If she gets angry, nothing. So she responds with careful calculation as to the results. Her mind is awakening. Her sister exposes her to feminism. Her new class is about authority, disobedience, and questioning the standard use of spaces--about obedience. It's an intellectual awakening paired with an awareness of her own emotional needs that is well beyond what most teens feel. At the same time Frankie is aware that something is changing in her, and that if she were normal she would be worried about girlish things and her other activities... not obsessing over the Basset Hounds.

Of course, things do eventually catch up with her. The boys don't appreciate being played. Frankie isn't entirely sure she likes the person she's become: shred, secretive, calculating. Her family worry that she's become unstable somehow.

I don't think she has. I recognize in Frankie an intelligence and awareness that is rarely appreciated in teenagers. Those kids suffer without understanding and opportunity.

The only 1 Star review on the store is a complaint that the behaviors in the book "aren't funny"--things like the boys drinking beer on the golf course, and Frankie spying on them. To which I say: Kids do these things. It doesn't help to hide them.

In fact, this novel contains the most realistic teen dialog I've ever seen. It's natural, current, and fun. I have had, and listened to, conversations just like these. It should be noted that the kids at this school are well-educated, but that just makes it even more fun. (Then again, maybe I'm the perfect audience for this book because I went to liberal arts school.)

As if all this weren't enough, a quick poke around Lockhart's website shows that she is an awesome woman, indeed. [...]

There's nothing Frankie Landau-Banks hates more than being underestimated. Her parents, sister, friends, and even her boyfriend are constantly doing just that. So when her boyfriend starts lying to her about a secret male society at their exclusive boarding school, Frankie decides not to put up with it. She knows she's smart, and rather than just infiltrate their group, she decides to own it.

E. Lockhart has artfully crafted a comical and intelligent read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Her frank voice immediately engages the reader, and creates a pleasurable atmosphere in a classic reading format that not many may pull off. Her wide array of vivid, deftly developed, and fallible characters come alive in this complex, sophisticated, and guileless masterpiece. Frankie especially is a strong and uplifting character whose livliness and never ending questions give this novel life. The pranks are brilliant, the strategies cunning, and the reactions priceless in this wonderfully candid read that's more than just another coming of age novel.

This book was very well written in an unusual narrative perspective. Frankie is brilliant and yet not unlike other girls of her age. She is a complex character and is very relatable. She struggles with figuring out her place in the world, but not in your typical YA fiction way. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that the writing is superb and that Frankie's resolution and her struggle to truly get in through the door of all the institutions and people that keep her out- it was a very powerful read. If I was still teaching, I would use this in my classroom an have the students discuss issues of exclusion and gender inequality and white privilege and how to change the world. Ad yet, even though all these heavy things are in the book- it is still fun to read- charming, even. The book manages on the whole to be like it's main character- funny, enjoyable and surprisingly deep and ambitious. I hope it wins awards! We need more like this and less vampires.

I picked this book up at the library and wasn't 100% sure if it would be my type of book. I got it anyway and after reading the books I was really interested in, I picked up this one. I'm glad I read it because it really is a good book.

The story centers around Frankie Landau-Banks, a newly blossomed sophomore who is attending Alabaster Preparatory Academy, the same boarding school attended by her father and sister. During her freshman year, Frankie's sister was still in school to guide her around and watch out for her. Therefore Frankie was able to hang out with a more popular crowd but was not actually part of the group. Now that her sister has graduated, Frankie will have to navigate through school on her own. Although she's an underclassman member of the debate team (and the Geek Club Conglomerate, by pure accident Frankie manages to intrigue and become the girlfriend of Matthew, one of the most popular seniors. While in most YA books this would cause the main character to be overjoyed, Frankie is unsettled by Matthew and his group of friends (including Alpha, someone she had met before yet he pretends not to have remembered the meeting). Frankie is unsettled by Matthew's devotion to his friends and how no matter how much Matthew involves her in his life, he is never a part of hers. Frankie soon discovers that Matthew and his friends are members of the school's secret society, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, the same secret society her father was a member of when he was at Alabaster. Upon discovery of this, Frankie decides that she wants in and she embarks on her mission to infiltrate the Loyal Order.

I believe this book offers a fresh twist on prep school life and a teen girl's interactions and relationships with guys. Unlike Gossip Girl, there are no immature cat fights, purposely teasing and belittling one specific person, desperate and mindless swooning over boys, and obsessive tendencies towards gossip and fashion. Also, the book is much much much more intellectual then it's other teen prep school counterparts. It's also pretty mild when it comes to relationships. While it is suggested that two characters have had sex, the main character and her boyfriend don't do much besides kissing. I don't recall any particular use of profanity or questionable language. However, the boys in the story were keen on drinking beer and pot is referenced to by Frankie's fathers recollection of his time at Alabaster. The only other content problem was the blatant disregard for rules. The story is pretty much based on pranks and the breaking of both written and unspoken rules. While the pranks pose no harm to people, it shows disrespect for the institution.

I personally found this to be a really interesting story. I was eager to learn the secrets of the Bassets as much as Frankie was. The plot was a great one and a welcome new perspective on the prep school trend. The plot was engaging and fresh and seems like a very new concept to me. Based on the plot alone I would give this book 5 stars.

My problem with the story is mainly Frankie and the writing.
From a technical point of view, some parts of the book flew way over my head. Although the chapters are not long, the author did take up about half a chapter discussing a grammatical concept of "neglected positives" that I am still unsure of whether this concept exists or does not exist. The author seemed to be hinting that Frankie invented this concept. Neglected positives are described as words that are apart of a traditionally negative word but that have had the negative prefix removed. Examples of this would be "gruntled" stemming from "disgruntled" or "maculate" as opposed to "immaculate." Now although this is an obscure and very possibly made up form of vocabulary, I did not need more then one page to fully understand the concept. It's pretty self explanatory for something that may not even exist. I thought multiple pages on a fake grammar lesson was totally unnecessary.
Another thing that readers might find obscure is that for the rest of the book, Frankie proceeds to use words like "gruntled" and "turbed" (the neglected positive of disturbed). Not only is it slightly annoying to have these maybe fictional words thrown at you, but her use of them results in the other character questioning her vocabulary and Frankie having to explain it to them. While staying on the same subject, I also would like to note that Frankie's boyfriend Matthew is the son of a newspaper tycoon who got his start as a copy-editor. This means that Matthew also donates some grammar lessons to the dialogue. Not only do I not want to hear grammar lessons as I read a book for fun, the plot can totally make do without them. These grammar corrections just slow down the plot. I understand that they help explain why Frankie tries to infiltrate the boys club, but the rest of the plot can do that without discussions of grammar.
Another thing that broke up the plot was Frankie's essays for one of her classes. Although the essays on (real) groups of people who intentionally go out and break the unspoken rules of society are related to the pranks the Basset's play on the school, I could have really gone without 4 pages about the Suicide Club of San Francisco and another 4 on the Cocophony Society. I feel that the story just had too much unnecessary lessons on the most random things and it really hurt the plot.

I also wasn't pleased with how at the end *SPOILER* although the regular punishment for her pranks would be expulsion, Frankie got away with probation because the school didn't want to lose her fathers donations. While the book wasn't cliche, the ending obviously played upon the cliche that money can buy your way out of trouble.

My last problem is with Frankie herself. Although the plot is about a girl trying to fit in with boys who were their own secret society, I find her infiltration of the boys group more then just curiosity and low self esteem. In my eyes the distance she feels from the boys while being a part of her group is natural of boys of that age. Frankie tells of how when one of the boys broke up with his girlfriend (who would always sit with the boys at lunch and be included in the group), the next day no one said hello to her or acknowledged her. Frankie perceives this to be because she is no longer in their world so she no longer exists. Because she was just a girlfriend, she wasn't a real group member and is easily expendable.
Frankie also makes a point at sitting at the boys' senior table although the boys have not arrived to the dining hall yet. Frankie sees this as an act of rebellion against the group structure yet when everyone comes to the table, no one really cares that Frankie sat there prior to the senior boys arriving. While most people would be relieved that they could get away with doing that, Frankie seems annoyed that no one was offended by her action. I gathered the sense that she wanted them to be shocked and that she was offended that they didn't notice her being there first. It felt that because they didn't make a big deal about her sitting there, she had to retaliate.
Frankie's reasoning can be so immature and juvenile at times all while being overly deep. She thinks she is outwitting the boys but in reality she is just being jealous and manipulative because in her mind the boys are practically discriminating against her and she is trying to defeat them over something that has never happened yet. While the boys have a more sophisticated method of being high school boys, in reality they are just that and they are acting no different then other boys their ages except they have a club name to call themselves. I admire Frankie's roommate though because she didn't care whether or not boys had a secret club. She was just content in the life she was living. Overall I just thought Frankie was too obsessed with "the man" being out to get her and she went beyond curiosity. I felt like she wasn't trying to figure out why her boyfriend was sometimes distant as much as she was trying to make sense of the conspiracy theory in her head. I actually felt bad for Matthew because sometimes it seemed as if Frankie was more invested in making a point and fighting "the man" then in having a boyfriend.

While this was very interesting and I really loved it (I even shed a couple of tears at the end) not matter how much I criticize Frankie's motives, it got very intellectual a times. Not only was there grammar lessons, but Frankie's motives can be seen as very sophisticated and cerebral all while being juvenile. But, I do recommend this book. As long as you can deal with some grammatical references, this is a really great book with a fresh new perspective. The plot is a good one and I really appreciated the fact that this wasn't a normal cliche prep school book. While I thought Frankie did over analyze the situation sometimes, I would rather take that over the shallow clothes, boys, and money topics of prep school books such as Gossip Girl. It's better to think about the story and have a reaction then it is to just read about the superficial. So if you're ok with thinking about what happened, I recommend this book.

I loved this book because Frankie experiences many things in the novel (I'm not trying to spoil it for you) but she still manages to find strength within herself. I think the premise of a young woman having to fight to be heard and to be included as an equal resonates very well with problems in today's society. We need more Frankie's who stand up for equality whatever the consequences. The book didn't end or go how I planned and despite my love for the fairytale I was okay with the ending so if you like fairytale endings you will still love this book!

Young adult fiction starring a fifteen year old boarding school girl, that focuses on her love life and finding a way to fit into the world generally makes me want to bang my head against a wall. I cannot stand to watch most romantic comedies because I can tell exactly where the plot is going about fifteen minutes into it; the same for these kind of young adult "realistic" fiction stories. But this story about Frankie is much more than that. While the plot is fairly predictable, Frankie's thought process is fascinating, intelligent, and actually, truly, realistic.

Much of the story is based on the Panopticon theory and Michael Foucault's revolutionary essay "Discipline and Punish." As a college student, I hadn't gone over this theory until my Lit Theory 440 class, a class reserved for senior Literary Studies majors. What took me hours of reading and discussion is concisely outlined by Lockhart. Basically, Foucault states, our actions are based not upon desire, need, morals, etc. but on what we think society will think of us. Frankie is fascinated. From then on most of her actions and thought processes are influenced in some way by this theory.
Although I am not entirely convinced that Foucault hit the psychoanalytic nail on the head, there is a lot of thought-provoking questions there. And what better place to put these questions then in a novel about a teenage girl trying to figure out her place in the world?

While some aspects of the novel seem a little hard for most reader's to relate to (rich kids at boarding school, all smart and funny and attractive) the relationships are more believable than those of vampires, super heroes, or pretty lying teens. Nothing is terribly wrong with Frankie's relationship, but Lockhart subtly shows how even the nice guys can be abusive. There is a look into the difference between guys and gals, and those guys' relationships compared to the gals' relationships. Frankie ponders the feminist issue, and while that is a pretty important part of the book, more important is that she is learning to identify who Frankie is, and being a woman is only part of that.

But don't let the seemingly academic portions of this review scare you; that is all just solid background for a fun and interesting read. The characters have hilarious debates, participate in interesting extra-curricular activities, and all while trying to solve the mystery of the Basset Hounds. Although at times, it may be hard to understand Frankie's thought process (why is she so upset about being left out of a boys club?) for the most part her actions and inventiveness are admirable. It was a fun and breezy, but better yet, intelligent coming of age story.

Frankie Landau-Banks is underestimated by everyone, including her family, her friends, and her gorgeous boyfriend. When she gets an "in" with a very particular crowd at her prestigious boarding school, she wants permission to be in their all-male secret circle, which is something they refuse to acknowledge. With some charm, wit, and a good bit of secret keeping herself, Frankie may very well end up being the youngest con in her school's history, not to mention a brilliant mastermind. It's a story that involves secret societies, spies, set ups, and con artistry, all in the name of school pranks (or so everyone thinks).

The writing is quite clever and the characters are credible. Though this book features a female main character, I can see a wide variety of readers, both male and female, liking this book. I enjoyed reading about what Frankie's next move would be. However, I found myself slightly disappointed thinking that the entire book would be about Frankie's conniving ways, when in reality it's only the last half of it. The plot points in the first half of the book, though entertaining, may seem unnecessary. In actuality, they are absolutely critical for setting up the entire story line. Despite this, the story flows very well and keeps readers engaged. It was a really fun book to read. "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" kept me intrigued and I simply didn't want to put it down.

As a fourteen year old girl, (using her father's account!) this book has been one of my favorites that I've read recently! Frankie Landau Banks transforms over one summer from a geeky, frizzy haired girl who found pleasure in debate club to a gorgeous, sleek haired girl with a knockout figure! When the new semester begins at her fancy private school, (She is a sophomore) the totally-hot-and-popular-senior Matthew, starts taking an interest in her! From then on her life is a whirlwind of discovering how to play and what it's like to be played by her boys, discovering & secretly infiltrating a secret all male society and generally causing mayhem!

This book is a perfect read for any girl who is tired of being "part" of a guys' group, but never really included in "guy stuff"! This book was a fun and interesting read, because when reading about her life at the boarding school (because many of them smoke, drink and have wild and yet utterly cool parties) I felt inspired (in the utterly cool party and secret society sense) to go out and start something that would be remembered years later!

As well as being intriguing, this book was also hilarious! Frankie's mind works in such a cool way, from deciphering the real motives behind people's behavior to planning devious pranks that work perfectly; it is just awesome to be able to delve into it! It is also easy to relate to, because many of the things Frankie thinks about are what you begin to notice after reading this book! Things involving boys, cliques, and other school drama!

The only bad part about this book (and the reason it is only 4 stars) is because of the ending! You are furious because of the way Matthew and his friends act and saddened by what follows. I couldn't believe what happened, and then I thought about what happens in the book and realized that they are somewhat justified. (In the sense that I think they over reacted but they have a right to feel hurt and angry.) (Am I giving too much away there?) Anyway I came away from this feeling that it was too abrupt of an ending and that the author left several strings hanging! I'm hoping she writes a sequel because I always felt that Frankie and... should have ended up together!

Overall this book was awesome and I couldn't put it down after I got it!!

Some are turned off by the subtle (or not so) feminist undertones in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. I am not. Why? Because I think it's new information to Frankie, and let's be honest, the intended audience, and because the info was given in annoying lectures by Frankie's older sister. Was her older sister simply a tool for that purpose and not fleshed out enough beyond that? There, you may have an argument, but in the context, I'm ok with it. What with sis off at college, and Frankie at the swank school alone for the first time - she makes her own interpretation of the feminist ideal. A funny, clever, action-prone, make-you-want-to-cheer interpretation.

Frankie's dad was a member of the Secret Order of the Basset Hounds. She's known OF them, but they've never been anything more than a name to her, what with them being a secret society and all. But the summer between freshman and sophomore year Frankie grew up. She goes back to her swanky and competitive boarding school a total knockout. And now people notice her. Now the most popular boy at school notices her. When the call goes out recruiting new Basset Hounds (all boys) and she begins to suspect that her boyfriend is the leader of the pack (vroom-vroom), Frankie decides she will show them that Girls are just as good as boys. Even if it means she has to go behind all of the boys' backs.

Favorite quote:

"...Frankie remembered how Matthew had called her a 'pretty package,' how he'd called her mind little, how he'd told her not to change -- as if he had some power over her. A tiny part of her wanted to go over to him and shout, 'I can feel like a hag some days if I want! And I can tell everybody how insecure I am if I want! Or I can be pretty and pretend to think I'm a hag out of fake modesty -- I can do that if I want, too. Because you, Livingston, are not the boss of me and what kind of girl I become.' But most of her simply felt happy that he had put his arm around her and told her he thought she was pretty" p 79-80.

Notice something a little different with that bit? It's 3rd person omniscient. It's unusual to find it in teen novels, and it lend an equally unusual, almost voyeuristic, tone to the title. There's a touch of distance between the reader and, well. Remember those nature movies Disney used to make? The narration in Frankie sometimes reminded me of those. It absolutely works, in fact, it makes it stand out. I also adore the duality of desire there - she wants to be recognized as an independent woman while still getting to be told she's pretty. All girls, no matter what, want to hear they are pretty once in a while. All girls should demand both.

It shoots out to the front when we speak of my favorite of E. Lockhart's (displacing Dramarama - though I've not read Fly on the Wall, and that's frequently other people's favs. According to my sources.).

Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me. There's definitely an open window. I'd read it. I think it will appeal to the general girl audience, but especially to those who like Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books.

Frankie knows that she is just as smart, and probably way more clever than any of the boys in her boarding school's all-male secret society. But when her own boyfriend won't even acknowledge the possibility that she could even know the society exists, she decides to prove her worth in her own very special way. In the end, Frankie is on both the receiving and giving end of the comeuppance she was aiming for. This conclusion is both satisfying and realistic. The parts of the book that relate what she did are highly entertaining. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is a bit stilted (I think that was done on purpose, but it didn't help to know that) and repetitive.

Frankie Landau-Banks has gone from geeky to gorgeous over the course of the summer, and she can hardly believe it when Matthew Livingston, the senior she worshipped from afar the year before, seems interested. But being Matthew's girlfriend comes with a lot of things Frankie didn't expect. She feels uncertain navigating the complicated politics of his social circle, and uneasy with the antics of his friends, which often seem to exclude her. Worst of all, she senses that he's not letting her all the way into his life--that, because she is a girl, he will never see her as an equal.

Then Frankie discovers that Matthew is a member of the school's exclusive--and male-only--secret society. At first she only spies on them out of curiosity. But as her desire to prove herself every bit as capable as Matthew's male conspirators grows, she finds herself getting wrapped up in the society's business of sneaking and pranking, without any of the boys suspecting a thing.

With Frankie pulling the strings, anything is possible.

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS is one of those rare books that is equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking. Frankie's exploits are full of humor, suspense, and drama, but she's not afraid to stop every now and then and consider the consequences of her actions. Her insecurities make her as believable as her smarts and her guts make her admirable. Readers will be cheering her on from beginning to end--and wondering how the things she learns along the way might apply to their own school adventures long after they've put the book down.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

This is definitely one of those clever YA books that is a must-read for any teenage girl.

Frankie might not have made all the smartest decisions in this book but she figured out the main thing right: it is important to be your own person (not just a man's arm-candy), to be appreciated for your personal qualities and talents and not only for your pretty face and nice figure.

Writing style is flawless, dialog superb. I had to take away one star because the ending felt a little too open for me, I thought it called for something more. Maybe E. Lockhart is planning a sequel, I am not sure. But if she does, I will definitely read it and give her other books a try.

I've read this book twice now, and I think the second time is even better because you can focus more on the message rather than Frankie's amusing hijinks. Truly, I think this book should be required reading so more people, boys and girls alike, can read this modern feminist perspective. This book showed me some unfair, sort of sexist things that we mostly ignore in today's society. After reading it, I wanted to get up and fight the status quo like Frankie does. This book is fun, smart, and has an outstanding message.

Frankie Landau-Banks, used to fading into the background at her expensive private boarding school, is more than a little surprised as she starts her sophomore year to finally be receiving attention from her crush, senior and big-man-on-campus Matthew. But despite the exhilaration of being sucked into Matthew's group of friends, sometimes she still feels like an outsider - and never more than when Matthew disappears off to the meetings of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, a male-only secret society and Good Old Boy training ground that has existed at the school for decades. Frustrated at being left out and underestimated, Frankie decides to take matters into her own hands, setting off a wild and rebellious prank war that will rock the school to its foundations.

My take: Feminism, yay! I think my favorite thing about this book is the way it will hopefully get girls (and boys too, of course) thinking about their own identities, their place in society, and what they're willing to do to either fit in or stand out in a crowd. I loved the way this book tackled the subtle but still very real ways in which male privilege is encouraged even in a supposedly equal society. I loved the way it dealt with a fun, intelligent girl who wants to be accepted as an equal and as "one of the guys," and her slow realization that in the minds of these guys, her gender will always exclude her from the group - unless she's in the official position of girlfriend, and even then she's relegated to the fringes. I loved the way Frankie took what she was learning about societal rebellion and culture-jamming in her classes and applied it to her own problems at Alabaster. The only thing I didn't overwhelmingly love was the ending, which was a bit of a downer and almost seemed to negate the whole go-against-the-flow message of the rest of the book. Sure, I expected there to be consequences for Frankie's actions, but I think I would have liked a more upbeat ending. The reader is left with no doubt that Frankie will keep fighting and that she's going to end up doing some incredible things with her life, but it still feels like a setback. Anyway, overall, loved it, would recommend it to a lot of teen girls I know. I'm so glad it won the Printz Honor!

I don't know about the ending. I'm about 150 pages in...and wondering if I should even finish it. This book is trying to be clever, and possibly educational and it seems to em that it fails at both. The way its written makes it seem like Frankie is a strong, powerful, feminest who doesn't need anyone.
But in several cases, like when she meets up with Porter, or is given the shirt, she acts like either a.) a total b**** or b.) amazingly insecure.

And then theres the wordy part of it. I actually enjoyed the neglected positives, but sometimes the way E. Lockhart writes it is confusing, as if she's trying to make it sound SUPER smart, and not just like another YA Novel. Which is fine, if you don't mind a lot of big words that don't really pertain to the story whatsoever.
But reading the other reviews, about a good ending I thin I'll stick with it. Who knows? Maybe it will get better.

I have written a five-star review of this book on my "noteworthy YA fiction" blog: The Stuff That Isn't Twilight, but I'll post an excerpt of it below:

With a satirical and anti-sexist/anti-classist feel, "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" is a book that everyone can read and relate to. The narrator is an omnipresent 3rd person who tells the story in a very matter-of-fact and straightforward manner, telling this somewhat peculiar story without a hint of sarcasm or judgement. I laughed and laughed throughout the entire book, and also felt a sense of pride when Frankie did anything that pushed the sexist limits of her peers, teachers, and parents. However, Frankie is by no means a flawless hero. There are times when she is ruthless, egocentric, and stubborn, but those qualities just make her an authentic character that you continue to root for.

I'd say this book is perfect for ages thirteen and up, but there are plenty of in-jokes for adults who might like to pick it up as well (for example, Frankie's affection for P.G. Woodhouse). E. Lockhart has written quite a few books, and each one is absolutely fantastic, but "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" truly takes the cake with its phenomenal presentation, original characters, quick pacing, and lively, engaging narrator.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks begins with a written confession addressed to the administrative powers-that-be at the Alabaster Preparatory Academy. In the letter, Frances Rose Landau-Banks claims "full responsibility for the disruptions caused by the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds . . . [t]hat is, [she] wrote the directives telling everyone what to do."

But just who are these Hounds and what did they do? Who is Frances and why would she send her fellow students on these random acts of disruption?

Alabaster was once an all-male prep school. Even after it became co-educational, its secret society remained a boys-only club. The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds was famous - infamous, really - for its pranks, which were more kooky than cruel, more sophomoric than serious.

Frankie was once a quiet girl. Even after she became a curvy sophomore, she remained true to herself, not really aware of her new looks. Then she got her first serious boyfriend, and she was content with their relationship - for a time.

Before she was (in)famous, Frankie was the harmless little sister, the underclassman, the girl who knew but didn't really know. She was the younger sister of outspoken senior Zada. She was the youngest child of divorced parents, getting her name from her father, Alabaster alum Frank Banks and her conservative nature from her mother, Ruth. She enjoyed her freshman year at boarding school. She enjoyed the summer after her freshman year, when she read Dorothy Parker stories on vacation and had a chance encounter that would later prove interesting.

The book follows her through the age of fifteen, then sixteen, as her sophomore year and her curiosity lead her down an interesting path. After learning about the Order, she quickly assumes power over the group - without any of the boys knowing it. What happens next is a quiet riot, a series of misadventures involving (though not simultaneously) a statue of a fish, a Superman T-shirt, a lot of dog masks, a burned arm, and a small notebook.

Both snarky and serious, this History is written by the victors: the memorable narrator and the author. Frankie is smart, grounded, and direct, but she also has a quirky side. She has a thing for "impeas," imagined neglected positives, like ept as opposed to inept or gruntled as opposed to disgruntled. Author E. Lockhart (The Boyfriend List, Dramarama) writes with heart and authentic feeling. In this novel, she uses third-person present-tense, yet is able to capture her protagonist's thoughts and actions so well that readers will feel as though they are Frankie's roommates.

This book is, dare I say, a coming-of-age story. It's not about breaking the rules, nor it is about controlling others. It's about daring: daring to be yourself, daring to stand up for yourself, daring to step outside of your comfort zone, daring to change the world. This novel possesses all of the elements necessary for a good bildungsroman, following the protagonist's journey through her formative years. History has an incredible conclusion, and Frankie becomes a remarkable young woman.

Absolute perfection.This novel has so much depth and witt and thought and just pure beauty spread out across its pages. Frankie, the main character, is so real sometimes I expected to see her when I looked up from the book staring back at me with a what-do-you-think look on her face.

This is a story about finding yourself, not the person everyone sees you to be. It follows the transformation of a young girl as she tries to break free of the restrictions placed on her because of her age, gender, and appearance. Additionally, The writing itself is a work of art. This novel has a voice all its own, a clever, word-obsessed voice. Somehow, Lockhart found a way to disuss political, religious, and social critiques in an entertaining, impossible-to-offend manner.

I know of no better book.

"The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks" by E. Lockhart is a great read for high school girls (or advanced middle school readers). This book is about an intelligent girl who has always felt underestimated by everyone around her, but during her sophomore year in high school, she dares to go up against a male only secret society at Alabaster, the boarding school she attends.

While not a fast read, "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks" is an interesting book about our male dominated society, how we respond to girls who don't fit the mold, and how intelligent girls who break the mold fit into our society's 21st century boys club. A smart glimpse into the world of today's young women, this book will leave you wondering about the panopticon and which rules are worth breaking.

Lockhart has created a unique heroine in Frankie.

Frankie attends an exclusive prep school, is a sophomore, and dates one of the most popular guys on campus. Why isn't this enough? Because her boyfriend is a part of an elite, super-exclusive, all-male secret society, and Frankie is having none of it. She plots to become a member, and the outcome and consequences are what make her a powerful, modern heroine

Other reviews have covered the storyline... I'd just add that this is a really well written book, great story, and a terrific heroine... The book kept defying my expectations, just as Frankie went so far beyond the expectations of those around her. Wow, wow, wow... one of the best YA books (or books in general) that I've read in a long time.

This one kept showing up on recommendation lists, has won several awards, and had a very positive blurb from Ally Carter. Also, I'm sort of addicted to boarding school settings. So it was probably inevitable that I would pick this one up eventually, even though the basic premise didn't particularly appeal.

In the end, I probably should have gone with my gut rather than being swayed by all the praise. This was a quick read, and I actually stayed up a bit too late to finish it last night, but I still came away pretty disappointed in the story as a whole.

The main problem is that I didn't much like the protagonist. Frankie-Landau Banks attends an expensive boarding school, but was basically a nobody her first year. In the summer, though, she magically develops an amazing body and is soon dating a very popular senior.

Unfortunately, he's more concerned about his all-male secret society than about Frankie. He's not particularly interested in listening to her opinions. So Frankie comes up with all sorts of devious plans to show that secret society what a girl can do.

This could have been a good story, and Frankie's various pranks are certainly entertaining enough. What I didn't like was the fact that while supposedly rebelling against people's preconceptions of her, she's simultaneously extremely concerned about maintaining her relationship with this guy who doesn't respect her. It's not clear what the attraction is, beyond the physical and the fact that she likes being part of his group of friends. So much for the message of girl power and thinking for yourself.

At the same time, Frankie hardly ever seems to think about her old friends now that she's part of the popular crowd. She uses her roommate, certainly, whenever she needs to be let back into the dorm after sneaking out at night. But she never confides anything to her and readily ditches her when her new friends come by. In fact, Frankie's treatment of her roommate is pretty much the same as her boyfriend's treatment of her, so the fact that she finds fault with him while acting the same way herself makes her the worst kind of hypocrite.

I also wasn't particularly enamoured of the writing; I found it overly self-aware in a way bordering on the pretentious. On page 107, for example, far enough along that I'd like to be thoroughly absorbed in the story, a chapter begins with the following two paragraphs:

"How does a person become the person she is? What are the factors in her culture, her childhood, her education, her religion, her economic stature, her sexual orientation, her race, her everyday interactions--what stimuli lead her to make choices other people will despise her for?

"This chronicle is an attempt to mark out the contributing elements in Frankie Landau-Banks's character. What led her to do what she did: things she would later view with a curious mixture of hubris and regret. Frankie's mental processes had been stimulated by Ms. Jensson's lectures on the panopticon, [and various spoilers omitted]. All these were factors in what happened next. And here is another:"

Besides the fact that I wanted to be inside the story rather than analyzing it from a distance, I found that the events themselves didn't quite justify the build-up.

I was planning to write more, but I think I've already said more than enough. On the whole, this was a quick read but not ultimately a very satisfying one. Of course, I'm aware that I seem to be in the minority here. I wouldn't want anyone to avoid reading the book solely on the basis of my review, but I would encourage anyone who's considering it to think twice.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, is about Frankie and her Sophomore year at Alabaster Prep School in northern Massachusetts. During her summer, she matured and became very beautiful. When she started dating her idol, Matthew Livingston, she was invited to The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds; a secret all male club. Plus, she sees a boy, Alpha, she met over summer adding an interesting twist in the book. Over the course of the story, Frankie becomes much more wise and starts to manipulate the all male society. This was a fantastic book because it put a different perspective on prep schools and made you wonder about the outcome. Teens will love this book, too, because of the flow of the writing and the teen perspective. I would recommend this book for teens and young adults because it's a fun and exiting read!

In the world of YA, Frankie Landau-Banks has staying power. This clever, engaging novel covers a year of a secret society's pranks at a prestigious boarding school, but it's really about Frankie's struggle to discern her place in the world (the eternal conflict between what she feels, what she wants, and what society tells her to be). She figures it out by questioning everything, pushing boundaries, and sometimes screwing up royally ... but she never stops being relatable and awesome.

I listened to the audiobook, which has an excellent narrator.

This review posted originally at www [dot] firstnovelsclub [dot] com

I checked out this book after one of my favorite authors (Ally Carter) recommended it. It was very interesting and definitely had a strong lead character. The elaborate things she worked out were fun reading and then... came the non-ending. I won't put a spoiler but for me, I felt the author used up all the cleverness 3/4 through the book and then just stopped. Oh, I'm sure it was meant to be a trendy, "just imagine" type ending but I'm not a fan. If I want to imagine character plots and choices for myself, I'd write by own book. So, promising and then... blah. blah.

This book manages to be thoroughly entertaining while it explores the constraints of gender stereotyping among high school students. Powerful female protagonist who challenges the boys at their own game, but with victory there is a price.

"Ever since the world began
Women been banned from the ways of man
Listen boy cuz I've got a plan
Give it up, don't try to understand.
It ain't me
It's the people that say
Men are leading the women astray
But I say, it's the women today
Smarter than the men in every way" -- Norman Span, aka King Radio

"In the main building, as well as in several other prominent locations, pompous oil paintings of past headmasters, distinguished teachers, literary figures, and board presidents hung with imposing and slightly ridiculous grandeur. All of the subjects were men."

I recognize that for some people, it might be easy to view the U.S. as a place where things have always been and continue to be fair for women. Hey, it's been the better part a century now since women have been permitted to vote. One has to be my age or older to remember when the classifieds in the daily paper listed different rates of pay for the same job based upon whether one was a female or a male. And it's similarly been decades since the Supreme Court recognized the right of women to utilize birth control, control their own bodies, demand parity with men in the college admissions process and in the funding of high school sports teams, and actually found female justices included among its ranks.

I could just imagine high school sophomore Frankie Landau-Banks someday sitting on the U. S. Supreme Court. Frankie is a bright young woman who has blossomed physically over the summer and has now caught the attention of dreamboat and newspaper heir Matthew Livingston. She attends Alabaster, the exclusive New England boarding school previously attended by her father and grandfather before each of them headed over to Harvard. For Frankie, it is mystifying why the paternalism that existed at Alabaster during those previous generations appears to remain so alive and well in the Twenty-first century.

And why, she ponders, are women at Alabaster still not being permitted entry into the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, the generations-old Old Boy male-only secret society at the school? Following her attendance at a Basset-instigated nighttime party on a nearby golf course -- and a lip-locking session with Matthew -- Frankie imagines what she might have done differently if she were in the loop:

"Most young women when confronted with the peculiarly male nature of certain social events -- usually those incorporating beer or other substances guaranteed to kill off a few brain cells, and often involving either the freezing-cold outdoors or the near suffocating heat of a filth dorm room, but which can also, in more intellectual circles , include the watching of boring Russian films -- will react in one of three ways...but Frankie Landau-Banks did none. Although she went home that night feeling happier than she had ever done in her short life, she did not confuse the golf course party with a good party, and she did not tell herself that she had had a pleasant time.
"It had been, she felt, a dumb event preceded by excellent invitations.
"What Frankie did that was unusual was to imagine herself in control. The drinks, the clothes, the invitations, the instructions, the food (there had been none), the location, everything. She asked herself: If I were in charge, how could I have done it better?"

Frankie's high-tech scheme to hijack leadership of the Bassets and her epiphanies regarding male-think and continuing male dominance make for a great and exuberant story that will ignite the imaginations of many young adults.

But that scheme is just the beginning of what makes THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS an extraordinary read and a book that will really brand E. Lockhart as a major league YA author. Among other memorable aspects is Frankie's being inspired to linguistic innovation as the result of reading Brit writer P. D. Wodehouse. Another is the philosophical probing of rules, for which the author introduces us to the concepts of the panopticon:

"The students read architecture criticism, a history of Paris, and studied the panopticon -- a kind of prison designed by late eighteenth/early nineteenth-century philosopher Jeremy Bentham, which was never actually built.
"The architecture of Bentham's panopticon was created to allow a watchman to look at all his prisoners without the prisoners knowing whether or not they were being observed -- making them feel as if they were constantly being watched by an omniscient being.
"In other words, everyone in the panopticon knew they could be watched at all times, so in the end, only minimal watching actually needed to happen. The panopticon would create a sense of paranoia so pervasive that its inhabitants became practically self-governing."

Recently, a library student asked her fellow members of a listserve to which she belonged to cite examples of stellar adolescent role models. In my book, the contemplative, vulnerable, brilliant, and tough Frankie Landau-Banks is a heck of a Twenty-first century adolescent role model.

I'm not sure what more I can add after Little Willow's excellent review, other than to highly recommend this. The History is a coming of age (as odd as that sounds) story. Frankie is automatically a wonderful, likeable character. E. Lockhart is incapable of writing a "simple" story. One thing that sticks out particularly in my mind is Frankie's neglected positive words. The small paragraph about her making that up, so don't try to impress your English teacher with this was wonderful and hilarious. Frankie is brilliant with her planning and schemming (I won't give away any spoilers.) If you're looking for a new, excellent book, go pick up The History (and her other books) at your local bookstore.

The only book I've ever found that deals with the dismaying reality of teenage dating, in a way that shows Frankie is far better than her circumstances. When Frankie turns into a "hot potato" but people keep thinking that she's still their little bunny rabbit, she turns her clever brain to secret plots. Lockhart may have written a classic.

I listened to the audiobook. I borrowed it from my library. Think I will purchase a copy. Absolutely loved it. Loved the wording and literary bits and pieces. Loved her mastermind. I related to her frustration of being underestimated. Loved it completely.

Feminism is an important topic, especially for those who unknowingly reinforce these gender stereotypes without realising how it impacts societal attitudes. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks features a character who believes she is feminist, but this is not a feminist book.

Frankie Landau-Banks annoyed me to no end. She’s obsessed with her crush, Matthew, and is delighted when he starts taking an interest in her. Despite being several years younger, she loves to run with her assumptions that he only sees her as a “cute, pleasant and beautiful young girl”. When she discovers his involvement in the male society of the Basset-Hounds, her behaviour becomes increasingly fixated, immature and obsessive. She wants to prove that she’s good enough to be a part of it, even though it’s historically been an order of males.

A healthy individual would either form her own female club, empower other females, or talk to Matthew about her concerns, but instead she stalks the guys for the entire book and plans on infiltrating their club. Why anyone would want to be part of a male exclusive club who plays pranks and swims around naked is only my guess. But it’s clear Frankie has some sort of inferiority complex for being born a woman.

Although there are some healthy topics and discussions of feminism, Frankie is annoyingly loud-mouthed, opinionated and righteous person who would go off at anyone who she perceives as anti-feminist. Some of these things, like alpha males wanting to protect women, could be right. But others, like Matthew and the boys not including her in the plans of the Basset-Hounds, aren’t so much and it was annoying when Frankie would spout off about being excluded. Her use of negative positive wording such as “gruntled” instead of “disgruntled” in normal conversation reinforces her superiority to everyone. I didn’t like Frankie and thought she had a whole heap of issues and I craved for them to be addressed in a healthy way.

Having read and loved We Were Liars, I was surprised at how different The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was. It features long-winded, dry and dull writing, and is primarily about a teenage girl who feels insecure amongst men. Frankie is the type of person I would stay far away from and the book could have addressed feminism in a more meaningful manner. It does contain some good topics of discussion though, but the way it was executed just wasn’t for me.

Check out Happy Indulgence Books at happyindulgencebooks.com for more reviews!

I chose this book from the library files because it was an "honor award" book. As I read, I kept waiting for someone resembling a good person to rise up in the storyline. But in the end, there was only the final decision of the main character that gaining power was more important than having quality relationships. Come on! What do we want to communicate to teens? Disappointing. E. Lockhart, please use your great writing talent to make a positive impact.

This book was recommended to me by my favorite teacher. She absolutely loved it, having recently read it in her book club, and was excited for some of her students to read it as well. I was pretty into it at first, but as the book went on I realized that Frankie wasn't really making much of a statement at all! The book ended with her pining for her boyfriend, and I feel that none of the characters were strongly written at all. I was definitely disappointed with this read.

I loved this story of a strong girl who found a way to make her mark even though the boys tried to exclude her. It was really ingenious the way she used e-mail to get a bunch of slacker boys to do inventive and exciting pranks. I would recommend this book highly to teen girls.

I like what Lockhart has to say about the establishment and about feminism. The book was great though there were a couple spots that read rough. Loved the pranks and the deeper meanings. After reading, I am quite gruntled.

If Veronica Mars went to boarding school, I think she would've had a lot in common with Frankie Landau-Banks. Clever, driven and energetic, Frankie and her escapades fully entertained me. She begins the school year unsure of herself and her place in her world. The reader gets to enjoy Frankie's growth throughout the year in what is an incredibly well-written YA novel.

This book is a great read for probably girls more than it would be for boys, within the first 5 pages your already intrigued in the book and wanting more and that is hard to find in most books today. With all the development of the character and plot and ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. I am looking forward to read more books from Lockhart and I hope everyone can enjoy this great book.

I'm about halfway through this book, and I really don't feel like finishing it. There were countless times when I though that the book may actually be getting better, or atleast more interesting, but it just...doesn't. One of my main issues is Frankie herself. I don't like her. AT ALL. She's overbearing and snarky, and just can't leave things alone. Every time someone does something for her out of love or affection, she analyzes it to death. I agree with her sister, Zada; why stop Matthew for having his little drinking club? Why do you need to be in the center of everything? She's doing it for the sake of connections when she scorns her dad for having the exact same mentality! Honestly, the point of a club is so that it's SOMEWHAT exclusive. Deal with it. Also, her relationship with Matthew isn't very solid. He himself isn't amazing, to be honest, and there's absolutely no chemistry between them. She doesn't give a rat's posterior about him for whole sections of the book, and then suddenly it's twu wuv. Plus, she frequently points out that she loves being with his friends as much as she loves him. I interpret that as using someone, plain and simple. Finally, the prose is stilted and uninteresting. Parts of the book read like textbook pages, and there's no attempt to spice up the writing. And the neglected positives aren't clever, just annoying. It can be summed up in one word: DULL. In the interest of fairness, I'll add an extra star because of the ideas. I wholeheartedly approve of feminism and being yourself, but these themes aren't really conveyed accurately. In the end, it's just not worth reading, and this novel is probably just going to gather dust in my bookcase. Fact.
***Update***
I'm a liar. I finished it; I'm kind of OCD about these things. It actually became considerably better, and it was intriguing how Frankie accepted her...psychotic tendencies. Don't worry, I still don't like her, and I think she got what was coming. But hey, you are what you are. Anyways, I'm glad I stuck with it, but I don't feel quite so generous as to give it another star. I think it's one of those novels that you either like or hate, and it's really all about how you interpret it. But whatever. I'm done with Frankie.

A great quick read. The book did not disappoint. I like how the author blends real factual things into her fiction. I loved it when Frankie was being a sleuth and trying to figure out the Basset's oath and Frankie's internal thoughts working out her and Matthew's relationship dynamics. It rekindled my daydream of what high school would have been like if I had gone to a New England prep boarding school.

First of all, I appreciate that this book had a girl-power theme, but I do not think the main character, Frankie, is a good representation of an admirable woman. Although she was intelligent and competative, she was the worst stereotype of a jealous, conniving, sneaky b----. I thought she made girls look totally bad. She was jealous that her boyfriend was in a secret all-male social club, and was insulted that she wasn't invited and that he wouldn't tell her about it. Frankie, it's a secret boys club! Start your own secret girl's club! that's my opinion. She was so annoying. If a character said something like, for example, "Boys are more agressive than girls because of their testosterone" which is true, right? (I personally believe there wouldn't be any wars if there weren't any men), she jumped all over them with a smart rebuttal. Her boyfriend couldn't even call her adorable or give her his shirt to wear without arising the questions: is he marking his territory, or does he love her for her mind? These might be good questions, but the problem I have is, I did not buy that Frankie was in love with Matthew at all, even though the book said she was; the book did not acknowledge any such thing as chemistry between them. Frankie was all sore that Matthew's buddies had higher status with him than she did; how DARE he put them before her when she's been going out with him for THREE WHOLE MONTHS! OMG! Maybe another reason I didn't connect with Frankie was the brisk tone in which the story was written. It was chronicled with a hip, journalistic brevity. My last thoughts: guys love to do guy things. They will play video games and watch sports til the end of time, and ignore their women while doing it; what's wrong with that? Frankie, ironically, seemed so needy. She went about making her point by breaking a lot of rules, and really, it was just to get the boy's attention.

What a surprising and refreshing young adult, feminist novel! I was not expecting the feminist slant and when it was raised, I slightly cringed knowing the path YA feminist themes usually follow - smart outspoken girl falls for typical popular guy who both end up truly learning about themselves and life and love and coming out better people for it. Thank GOODNESS this book did not take that path. Frankie is a character women and girls can relate with in her struggle to deal with boobs, smarts, and the longing to be one of the guys while being LOVED dnd desired.

I really enjoyed this book, and the way the author had intellectual characters throughout. The main character, Frankie, is a feminist who does not like being left out of the club that her boyfriend and his friends belong to. The book is both funny and empowering, and it is very enjoyable to read.

this book suprised me from the start to the end. it didnt end how i thought it would at all, but i still loved it. this book was fun to read and brought me into the world of secret societies and girl power. lots of fun

I absolutely love this book. It's a story of a prep school girl, Frankie Landau-Banks, who gets noticed in her sophomore year by the cutest, most popular guy in school. This changes her life. She gets introduced into a new world, where she discovers a secret society. Frankie has really good views on things and has some pretty awsome debates that make you think. I recommend this book to any and everyone!

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was trying to be a book that would keep you enchanted and thinking about it forever, but it failed miserably. Lacking voice and structure, it made a book that was not worth reading at all.
Frankie has grown up. She used to be a bunny, but now is the honey of the most popular guy in school: Matthew Livingston. She goes to Alabaster, a premier school for rich kids, and now, in her sophmore year, is finally finding her place in school society. Suddenly she has been elevated to the post of popular and is no longer a geek. As much as she loves Matthew, she can't help but feel annoyed when he runs off with his friends. So she devises a plan, a plan that will change the secret society Matthew is running.
First of all, the distant narration made Frankie sound like a heroine, which she is not, and made the book boring to read. Several times I skipped over whole sections of the text. The plot seemed implausible, though I like the girl power she established. I don't think that a girl could change so completely from annoyance, and found the whole book to be a boring waste of time.

Poor little rich girl would be a better title.

Sadly, what should have been a dizzying screed on the perils of secret societies and patriarchy run amok instead is a dragging look into the mind of a rich girl surrounded by other rich people.

Everything is terribly posh and no one worries about little things like money, future careers or their families and why should they? They've all got money to burn, as Frankie does when she buys up dozens of stuffed dogs (I hate it when authors sidestep money issues by using the Bruce Wayne persona). Considering the cost $15 plus shipping, let's say $5, that's $20 per dog times 20 dogs, well you get where I'm going with this.

Then there's Frankie herself, she's adorable, brilliant and obsessed with her boyfriend and the secret society he and other boys on campus belong to. All we know about why she likes Livingston so much is because he is just too cool for school and everyone else likes him. I started to wonder if she was gay because of the lack of true emotion and healthy teen lust that was so absent from her feelings for him. In fact, if she had been gay I think it would have really added to the story, perhaps explained some of the strange ways she reacted to Livingston, Alpha and all the other members of the boy club. Because otherwise, her motivations seemed cold and unemotional, more strategic than heartfelt. I guess I just never warmed up to Frankie, she was sorta maudlin and offended without any reason to be, her 'friends' and I use the term loosely because she seems to view all the other women in her life as a means to an end, never seemed more than props to her life and her romance with Livingston.

The voice of the novel is oddly disjointed and I found myself mentally transcribing it to make it sound more normal. Because, as written, it's like a bizarre godlike being is describing events for the reader AFTER they happened.

All in all, I'd give this one a miss. There are so many quality YA books to choose from there's no reason to waste time on this one.

Even though this book is written for a young adult audience, I would not recommend it to all teenagers. First of all, the book is quite wordy. The language is pretty sophisticated and the dialogue sounds more intellectual than an average teenager would use. Second, the students at the prep school use marijuana, drink beer, and smoke cigarettes, although Frankie, the main character does not. Third, the book's "humor" may not appeal to everyone. While some people may find Frankie's pranks "good clean fun," this would not be universally true. Personally, I didn't think it was funny when Frankie spied on people, stole keys, snuck into places she wasn't allowed to go and pulled pranks against the school authorities. She may have been showing her rebellious side, which is a common teenage trait, but I think Frankie went a little too far. The consequences for her actions, in my opinion, were not equal to the severity of the crime.