The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

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The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 17,326 ratings · 2,637 reviews

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father's "bunny rabbit."
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take...more

Paperback, 345 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Disney-Hyperion (first published March 25th 2008)

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Jun 20, 2011 Kevin Fanning rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

June 2011:
Just re-read this over the weekend. Still so good. I can't even comprehend how you write an ending like this. Absolutely one of my favorite fictional characters.

April 2008:
I'm not even done with it yet, but stop what you're doing and start reading this book.

From an email to Sarah:

I am reading The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. If the 2nd half is 1/3 as good as the first half has been, it'll be one of favorite books of all time. That's math right there. It's SO GOOD. It...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, read-2012, heroines-wimpy, huge-disappointments, mg-not-ya, annoying-main-characters, brain-candy, caper

I've pushed through to 100 pages, but I just can't go on. For all its braininess, this book feels very juvenile to me, except that girls in most middle grade books are rarely this boy-crazy--and few of them have so little else going on their lives.

Here are some things that make it feel very young to me:

--the story seems to be centered around a "caper" in which Frankie tries to infiltrate a secret boys club
--three boys who don't recognize Frankie after her body develops (or pretend not to, anyway...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass-heroines

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, especially since I found the first third of the novel to be excruciatingly boring and hard to get through, not to mention I hated the narration style with a passion. Yet, despite all that, Lockhart's novel truly spoke to me. It's marketed as being a feminist novel and while in some ways it definitely is, in more ways than one I feel as if it is simply a coming-of-age story about a girl who was discovering herself, what s...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Clare Cannon rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

Shelves: young-adult, adults

Frankie is a 15-year-old knockout who graduated so recently from geeky girlhood that’s she’s still dusting its dirt from her clothes. With her newfound popularity comes a dawning ambition for power. She seeks recognition not just of her looks and smart comments (and much less her ability to be adorable and cute when cared for), but of her superior intelligence and ability to go where she will, even if that way is barred.

She became the girlfriend of idolised Matthew Livingstone by falling off her...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Minli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, awesome-writing, adorable, book-soulmate, sucky-endings, favourites

5 Things I liked about The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

1. The female protagonist does NOT spend it lamenting her appearance or lack of popularity/finesse. Nobody likes a sue, but some people actually are curvy, good-looking, confident, funny and smart--though of course they all have insecurities from time to time. But woo-hoo for being well-adjusted! Though we get a lot of Frankie's internal dialogue, she did not strike me as whiny. One of the best things I like ab...more 5 Things I liked about The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

1. The female protagonist does NOT spend it lamenting her appearance or lack of popularity/finesse. Nobody likes a sue, but some people actually are curvy, good-looking, confident, funny and smart--though of course they all have insecurities from time to time. But woo-hoo for being well-adjusted! Though we get a lot of Frankie's internal dialogue, she did not strike me as whiny. One of the best things I like about this book is that the protagonist is RATIONAL. She analyzes. She thinks! She debates!

2. Lockhart writes 'old school prep' in a way that's realistic (at least, as realistic as I can imagine, myself being on the fringes of that sort of society) and that doesn't make my eyes roll. Frankie seems very conscious of the prestige, wealth, networking and tradition that goes with a stuffy school like Alabaster. Popularity and entitlement are not wish-fulfilling fantasies, but essential elements that make up her world.

3. Frankie is by no means a perfect character. In fact, the flaws in the main characters are what makes the novel so fantastic: Frankie herself, Matthew, and Alpha, and to some lesser extent Elizabeth and Porter. My favourite supporting characters were probably Trish (the cookie baking feminist who is not ashamed of liking goofy guys who treat her nice and staying away from loud drunken parties) and Zada (Frankie's sister in her first year of college, who decided to go to Berkeley instead of Harvard, breaking their father's heart).

4. The story is set at a boarding school, with emphasis on school. There are lessons involved. Frankie learns things in classes that are later important to the plot. The schoolwork is interesting! I liked the musings on grammar, sociology/behaviour, surveillance and feminist studies.

5. The judicious use of the emails, notes, school papers and handwritten letters in the text. Some of the emails are laugh-out-loud funny, and the ones that aren't are interesting.

A fantastic read--if I liked to write, it would be the kind of book I wish I'd written. The only quibble I have with it is the ending, and that's just out of personal preference--I would have liked it to end on a more optimistic note, like perhaps at a Geek Conglomerate meeting where Frankie realises that there is more to Alabaster than the prestige/brotherhood of The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. And she knows it in her heart, but that scene with Matthew so many weeks later with Frankie still hurt over his cold rejection, just makes me shake. She's brilliant, and the book would have been more satisfying to me if the empowering part of the coda was longer. (less)

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Sep 22, 2010 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: and-so-this-is-grad-school, why-yes-i-ya

mary lou retton two times!!

this is the teen fiction the good girls read. girls without problems like anorexia or cutting or promiscuity or retrograde amnesia. the ones whose mothers don't need to worry about them rotting their brains on vampires and rainbow parties.the ones janis ian envied:

"high school girls with clear skinned smiles who married young and then retired"

i mean, it is published by disney, so i wasn't expecting smut and guts, but it's pretty precious and twee, qualities which usual...more mary lou retton two times!!

this is the teen fiction the good girls read. girls without problems like anorexia or cutting or promiscuity or retrograde amnesia. the ones whose mothers don't need to worry about them rotting their brains on vampires and rainbow parties.the ones janis ian envied:

"high school girls with clear skinned smiles who married young and then retired"

i mean, it is published by disney, so i wasn't expecting smut and guts, but it's pretty precious and twee, qualities which usually give me the angers.

reading the prologue, i thought i was going to hate it - all those cutesy perky wordplays - eventually you learn there is a reason for it, but that doesn't make it any less irritating.it is like the kid sister of special topics in calamity physics, a book i rather enjoyed, but i can totally understand other people's hatred of.

at the end of the day, it is a cutesy adventure story for spunky girls. like... like... mary lou retton!

there are a number of positive things about this book; smart girl with energy and a mischievous mind who tries to overthrow an all-male secret society (who hasn't been there, right??) but for all her grrl power, she ain't no feminist. even when attempting flirtation with her older boy love interest, she mentally tests and rejects a number of responses, rating them on the basis of "how he will respond and what it will say about me as a person." what happened to just being yourself, and not a weirdly manipulative and calculating freak? where is sassy magazine c. 1991 for this chick??

and at the end THIS IS WHERE I AM TALKING A LITTLE ABOUT THE ENDING OF THE BOOK, DIG?? when she fails to win the respect of the boys she has been following around and on the one hand being a secret leader to, but on the other hand, really just trying to impress them so they will accept her regardless of her gender, she gets a little shrieky and petulant which just makes her come across as a victim, which is way unattractive. plus, the club she wants to get into is super-lame. a real girl-power book would have her start her own secret society with the couple of girls who are worth anything in this book and like band together in a prank-off (i mean, isn't this practically a disney template?? stop slacking, mickey...) and then it would all end in a spectacular floor routine in a leotard the color of victory.

it's not painful to read or anything, but i have a feeling elizabeth would fulking HATE it...(less)

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Aug 15, 2008 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Frankie Landau-Banks does for the patriarchy what Little Brother does for homeland security. It's a guide for the uninitiated (Michel Foucault with training wheels!), a call to arms, and a manual for taking action against it.

It also has some great pranks in it.

Frankie is a sophomore at Alabaster, one of the nation's best preparatory schools, which is filled mostly with people who are white, protestant, and richer than God. Over the course of the summer she suddenly becomes hot, and catches the...more Frankie Landau-Banks does for the patriarchy what Little Brother does for homeland security. It's a guide for the uninitiated (Michel Foucault with training wheels!), a call to arms, and a manual for taking action against it.

It also has some great pranks in it.

Frankie is a sophomore at Alabaster, one of the nation's best preparatory schools, which is filled mostly with people who are white, protestant, and richer than God. Over the course of the summer she suddenly becomes hot, and catches the eye of Matthew Livingston, who is cute, and powerful, and rich, and funny.

He also happens to be one of the Kings of Alabaster's secret (and all-male) Loyal Order of Basset Hounds. Frankie knows, vaguely, about the Hounds - her father was one - but when she comes to realize that she'll always just be a girl in Matthew's social circle, there to be adorable but never powerful, always underestimated, always disposable, always erasable, she decides to mastermind the Basset Hounds' return to their former pranking glory.

It's icing on the cake if she can finally get some decent vegetables in the salad bar.

This doesn't do justice to how well Lockhart writes about the social order. I couldn't get into Tamora Pierce because she is writing about the overt, out-loud sexism to which I've never really been exposed. But I've lived through what Lockhart is talking about: the way you pretend it's interesting to watch your guy friends play video games because you don't want to be relegated to the role of that girl who bakes crumbles while her guy friends are playing video games. The way that you get subtly ignored and underestimated.

And what's cool is that for all it's such a feminist book, Frankie is allowed to read gossip magazines, and paint her nails, and basically - she's allowed to be stereotypically feminine AND bring down the patriarchy. I don't do stereotypical femininity very well, but that only has so much to do with feminism. It's NOT about the big power structures that Frankie goes up against. And Frankie is also allowed to be prideful, and insecure, and way too much in love for her own good, and that never undermines who she is as a criminal mastermind.

One of the year's best YA books.(less)

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Jun 16, 2011 CeCe rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm more than a third of the way into it and, I've gotta say, I'm disappointed. There's too much build up. So far, all I'm getting is a over-analyzation of every aspect of Frankie's relationship with Matthew. You'd think this far in I'd at least get some kind of clue as to what she's done that was so big.

Now I've gotten to Porter and the cheese fries and, even though she may be making a valid point--Porter shouldn't be more worried about her well-being now just because she's prettier, she sound...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I may get a few boos for this one. But I couldn't quite like it*. Blame it on the tense. Third person past tense (as far as I can reckon). Or blame it on the expostulating tone, purposefully pretentious and off-putting. A blend of intelligence and condescension. It's not like every page was of this style, but there were little asides by the narrator--I suppose it's the narrator--that just intruded in on the story. Created too much distance for my taste. Added in too much reflection.

How does a p...more I may get a few boos for this one. But I couldn't quite like it*. Blame it on the tense. Third person past tense (as far as I can reckon). Or blame it on the expostulating tone, purposefully pretentious and off-putting. A blend of intelligence and condescension. It's not like every page was of this style, but there were little asides by the narrator--I suppose it's the narrator--that just intruded in on the story. Created too much distance for my taste. Added in too much reflection.

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 , her encounters with Alpha, her mother's refusal to let her walk into town on the Jersey Shore, her observation of the joy Matthew took in rescuing her from her bicycle accident, and her anger at Dean for not remembering her. All these were factors in what happened next... (107)

I do like several things about it however. I just have a love-hate relationship with the narrative style. There are paragraphs that I love, and there are paragraphs that I hate. Phrases that I think are a bit too much, and phrases that I think are just right. I like how the first chapter begins, for example, "Though not, in hindsight, so startling as the misdeeds she would perpetrate when she returned to boarding school as a sophomore, what happened to Frankie Landau-Banks the summer after her freshman year was a shock." I think both the prologue and the first few chapters offer quite a hook or incentive to readers.

Frankie is a boarding school student whose sophomore year presents great opportunities for adventure and misadventure. She'll experience the ups and downs of having a relationship with a "popular" boy, a real somebody. Rich too. Her old friendships will be threatened by the aforementioned relationship and all that brings about. Frankie is smart. She's determined. She's got her own way of seeing the world. And none of those things are bad. All quite good actually.

It's not Frankie that I dislike but the meddling narrator who likes to tell instead of show.

*I'll qualify this statement. Based on the all the buzz, the hype, I couldn't "like" it as much as I "should". See, this is one that has been getting love all over the place. People saying it's the best of the best, one of the year's must-reads. A book people are just raving about. I didn't think it was that good, that deserving. But it's a good read. A solid read. I wouldn't put this one in my top ten of the year. I probably wouldn't even have it in the top twenty. But it is a good book all the same. In other words, I've read dozens and dozens that I disliked more than this one.

This is neither here nor there. But one of the things I found unbelievable was that Frankie's sister, Zada, took her under her wing. Zada's a senior. Frankie was a freshman. She let Frankie sit with her and her junior and senior friends at lunch. She allowed Frankie to tag along with her. To be a part of her "cool" set of friends. I have a hard time believing that even a good sister would do this. I shared two years of school with my sister, we overlapped two years I mean, and never once would I have been encouraged/allowed to sit with her at lunch. To hang out with her friends at school. It was one thing to be allowed to tag along after school (on occasion) or at home.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews (less)

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Jan 08, 2009 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: did-not-finish, young-adult, 2009

Blah. Having heard so much good buzz about this book (and this author), I decided to check it out. Unfortunately, I couldn't even finish the book, and it makes me wonder why this book is on anyone's list of the best books of the year. The writing style irritated me, as it was trying overly hard to be cutesy and funny, with lots of paragraphs reading like, "She thought ____. Then ______. And then ____." Lame. Furthermore, I didn't even like any of the characters, and Frankie (the main character)...more

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Oct 21, 2008 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-lit, all-time-favorites

So, so good. And about real, complicated issues.

This has been a year of important teen novels (I count Little Brother among those), stories that pick up the notion of civil disobedience and make it fresh, fun, and relevant for younger readers. This is one of those books. Happily, it's also about many other things: gender roles; power relationships; self-worth v. value assigned by position in society; the ability of smart acts of guerrilla art to provoke thought; how inclusion and exclusion affe...more So, so good. And about real, complicated issues.

This has been a year of important teen novels (I count Little Brother among those), stories that pick up the notion of civil disobedience and make it fresh, fun, and relevant for younger readers. This is one of those books. Happily, it's also about many other things: gender roles; power relationships; self-worth v. value assigned by position in society; the ability of smart acts of guerrilla art to provoke thought; how inclusion and exclusion affect people; language and how it controls our thinking; Foucault notions of discipline and punishment; the desire to be loved v. the desire to be recognized for who you are; how women are still pigeon-holed, diminished, made less by men's expectations and their own.

And there's more, much more, but listed this way makes the book sound like dry, heady stuff, and it is anything but. Lockhart's great achievement here is that she's talking about all of this material by telling us the story of a girl who longs to be more than is expected of her. Frankie's story is told with real wit and grace and never loses sight of why we read in the first place: Because we want to know what happens to a person we're interested in.

I've a favorite line from an Alain de Botton book in which he's writing about Montaigne's essays: "We pick our friends not only because they are kind and enjoyable company, but also, perhaps more importantly, because they understand us for who we think we are." Or, in this case, who we want to be.

I'm not even going to discuss the plot, which has hijinks and romance (which guy will she choose? or will she choose either? etc.) and humor and other good things.

Anyway, a great teen novel.

(Bonus kvetch: A few readers I know found the opening pages cold and off-putting, and they stopped reading.

Fools.

Yes, initially, the tone of this novel may seem a bit distant—there's an almost clinical aspect to the voice that may rebuff readers who expect their teen lit to be whorishly easy to cozy up to—but that distance is illusory and quickly falls away. The voice here is what one should expect from an interested-but-superficially-dispassionate chronicler (who would pen a book entitled The Disreputable History of...), and that the reader warms up to Frankie as fast as we do is a sign of just how fantastically well put-together this novel is.)(less)

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Jul 10, 2008 Meghan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

The library loaned me an ARC! Bad library! Reading it anyway.

Now that I'm finished:

I feel like someone poured my head out into a book. And then revised it for the consumption of myself, age 11. You guys I am seriously considering building a time machine for the sole purpose of bringing this book back to myself as a preteen. It would have soothed a lot of nerves, I can tell you that, and then about ten years later it would have served as a memory-beacon. E. Lockhart just totally nails so many imp...more

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Mar 03, 2009 zan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recent-favorites

Next time I see a 15-year-old girl reading Twilight, I will promptly yoink it from her hands and replace it with this. (As long as she's not already dressed as a vampire.)

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Feb 19, 2011 rachel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-one-of-four-book-clubs, ya, do-not-own, 2011

I think I should flag myself here and now from reading any more teen books that are rumored to have "feminist" messages, short of sci-fi/fantasy girl survivalist sorts of books. Because the pressures of real life teen girlhood seem too complex to yield a fully realized heterosexual, cisgendered, and feminist heroine who happens to still be in high school. Horomones are raging too strong. Boys matter too much at that age and, in the interest of honesty, even after it too.

Frankie Landau-Banks is n...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Amanda Redman rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: engl-7701

Pre-Reading/Anticipatory Thoughts:

I knew nothing about this book before I read it and I was excited to read it because of the summary Dr. Dail provided in class. I expected a complex plot and a genius main character. All I knew was that a girl infiltrates a boys-only secret society. I love when the main character is a creative, independent-minded girl, so I was sure I would love this novel.

During Reading:

Initially I was put-off by the low reading level and the structure of presenting each char...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, booklending-wait-list, mystery-thriller, teen

Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

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,...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. According to the back cover, Frankie Landau-Banks as a freshman in high school was a slightly geeky girl in the Debate Club. But when she comes back the next year, nobody recognizes her because now she fills out her shirt. And that grabs the attention of a certain senior boy named Matthew Livingston, who soon becomes Frankie’s boyfriend.

But Frankie isn’t content. Matthew often acts distant and doesn’t treat her like an intelligent human being. So one day when he cancels their date, she follows h...more According to the back cover, Frankie Landau-Banks as a freshman in high school was a slightly geeky girl in the Debate Club. But when she comes back the next year, nobody recognizes her because now she fills out her shirt. And that grabs the attention of a certain senior boy named Matthew Livingston, who soon becomes Frankie’s boyfriend.

But Frankie isn’t content. Matthew often acts distant and doesn’t treat her like an intelligent human being. So one day when he cancels their date, she follows him and discovers that he’s a member of an all-male secret society. Frankie wants in, but there’s no way she can without him Matthew out that she lied to him. Frankie knows she has the brains to get in, so she creates a false email account through which she directs the secret society into performing various pranks.

Although these pranks have the desired effect of reforming some of the school’s practices, no one seems to understand the significance, and whenever Frankie tries to explain it, people write her off as thinking too hard. And of course, the pranks can’t last forever. Someone has to step up and take the blame.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was an incredible novel and one that I won’t forget for a long time because it provided a lot of food for thought. It got me thinking about concepts I never would’ve thought of before. Frankie’s character is a mad genius and a work of art by E. Lockhart. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with such an amazing and unique character as Frankie is. It was kind of strange how fast Frankie thought, but that is just part of her character. The ending was only slightly surprising, but then it was foreshadowed.

I highly recommend this novel to everyone, and it has become one of my favorites. Those who like secret societies such as the one in Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund will enjoy reading about the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound. Readers who like the boarding school setting will also enjoy this novel. I look forward to reading more novels by E. Lockhart, and all of you should look forward to when this novel comes out on the 25th of March.(less)

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Jan 23, 2009 Lizzie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2009, must-reread

Christmas present from Meg! Good job Meg!

So obviously the 5-star jaw-drop quality this one has for me was its ability to gel extremely well-thought arguments of gender expectations into an adorable story. There's usually so much footing around when fiction goes after social imbalances, like here with male privilege and regular privilege. Or like, they pick ONE RANT and do that one, as if it's easier to understand when it's simplified. I think it's actually so much easier to understand when it's...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, fantastic, favorite-books, myster, omg, romance, recommended, pretty-cover

Often times when I read book reviews, people complain about the main female characters. And they have reasons, reasons that can be cited from examples in the text. The characters are whiny, needy, immature, childish, bratty, dumb, too stupid to live, too dependent on their boyfriends (who exhibit stalker-ish tendencies) or just plain boring to read about. I’m not bashing these reviews – these are real problems in YA lit today, that need to be solved, we need strong female role models.

But compari...more Often times when I read book reviews, people complain about the main female characters. And they have reasons, reasons that can be cited from examples in the text. The characters are whiny, needy, immature, childish, bratty, dumb, too stupid to live, too dependent on their boyfriends (who exhibit stalker-ish tendencies) or just plain boring to read about. I’m not bashing these reviews – these are real problems in YA lit today, that need to be solved, we need strong female role models.

But comparing and contrasting these books with whiny characters to a story like The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks shows how amazing strong female characters can be when done well.

Frankie has always been considered the “bunny rabbit” of her family: sweet and kind and someone to pass over. She attends her freshman year of school at Alabaster (a pristine boarding school her father attended), blending in like the bunny rabbit she is expected to be. But once she reaches sophomore year, everything changes as Frankie starts to feel more sure and confident of herself. She gets herself a boyfriend, the charming Matthew Livingston, and as their relationship becomes more serious she realizes he’s lying to her. As she investigates what he’s doing, Frankie discovers that Matthew is part of an all-boys club called the Bassets, which her father also participated in. She decides to help the Bassets anymously, by being sneaky – and getting plenty of pranks done.

At the beginning the plot alienated me a bit. The first chapters are more a retelling then scenes that you’re straight in, showing Frankie’s “bunny girl” tendencies. This slogged for me, though I see the reasons that they were put in the novel. For about the first five chapters I thought I might put down the book. But I continued on, a fact that I’m glad I did. The book picks up speed and takes you away from the retellings and into more of the in-your-face plot. The other concern I had with the plot originally was that it seemed to be based around tropes, really, and only tropes, coming from the blurb and reviews that I’d read. A boys’ boarding school that a girl wants to take down? I’ve seen that plenty of times before, from movies to TV to books. But Lockhart cleverly subverts those tropes into a fascinating story that explores gender roles and feminism. The plot is far from predictable, cleverly twisting and turning. And that ending? Oh my god, yes.

Now, the characters. Frankie Frankie Frankie Frankie, I love you. She so clearly develops and changes throughout the book, from the innocent “bunny rabbit” to the strong, confident girl. And remember those complaints people had that I cited at the beginning of the review? She pushes all those away. Frankie’s a strong, smart, confident girl who has ambition and goals, as well as insecurities. We need strong female characters in YA, and I think I’ll point to her as one from now on. I know some people found Frankie to be irritating, but I found her to be interesting and a strong, smart girl. Now, to the boys. I thought that the book would end up with Frankie maybe having to choose between Alpha/Matthew/Porter, but the ending is a knockout. And it’s in no way a “choose the right boy” scene. Now, I much preferred Alpha and Porter to Matthew. Matthew is an ignorant jerk, and yes, that may have spoiled the book in some way, but he’s an ignorant jerk. However, he’s well developed and strong, as are all the boys. Really everyone in the novel is developed, even the most minor of characters. I think that this book holds up strong because of its characters and explorations of themes (feminism, etc). All the characters are strong and developed and interesting even when I hate them (cough cough Matthew).

The writing is very crystal clear and strong. The book is written in more of a unique way: it’s an account of Frankie’s first two years in high school. I can only think of one other book written like this -- Octavian Nothing . Lockart’s writing is easy to read and interesting. I loved her exploration of themes like feminism and sexuality woven throughout the text; it really made the book more thought-provoking. She didn’t blatantly explain the themes, simply wove them through and made you think.

Overall, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks may just be one of my new favorite YA books. I loved everything about it, really, and next time someone needs a strong girl read I’ll be sure to mention Frankie and her silly, crazy pranks.

Five stars.
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Feb 22, 2010 Annalisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Annalisa by: Kelly

Shelves: book-club, young-adult, voice, psychology, contemporary, wishlist, cover

Reading this book reminded me of why I never joined a sorority, all that exclusivity stuff drives me nuts. Lockhart put me right back into the way I felt as a teenager when some arrogant guy thought he could get anything out of the world, out of me, because he was wealthy and good looking and therefore deserved it. I could simultaneously despise the Basset hound gang and see why girls would encourage the status of these funny, likable boys. The status of class, money, gender was very realistical...more

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Feb 15, 2010 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, 2009, ya, ala-s-best-books

This is my second read of “The Disreputable History” and while I initially gave it a three star rating, I have since decided to give it an additional star. I would; however, like to note that Frankie still grates on me like sandpaper on bare ass.

When I first read this book, I was thrown off the story as there isn’t a single “likeable” character that isn’t minor (i.e. Trish and Zada). The book’s heroine, Frankie, is described as attractive and intelligent, but as the story progresses, it is easy...more This is my second read of “The Disreputable History” and while I initially gave it a three star rating, I have since decided to give it an additional star. I would; however, like to note that Frankie still grates on me like sandpaper on bare ass.

When I first read this book, I was thrown off the story as there isn’t a single “likeable” character that isn’t minor (i.e. Trish and Zada). The book’s heroine, Frankie, is described as attractive and intelligent, but as the story progresses, it is easy to ascertain that she is also deluded, hypocritical and pig headed. She makes terrible choices and yet is the first to throw stones on the choices and actions of others. I found it irritatingly duplicitous that she judged all her female peers for daring to enjoy being “feminine” (i.e. cooking and crafts) and yet was frustrated by the boys at her school for judging her for her gender. Was she not just as guilty? Furthermore, she secretly mocks these girls for being at these boys beck and call when Frankie’s every action is geared toward earning their approval. Even after the fallout and Frankie’s supposed self awareness takes hold, Frankie’s heart surges when Alpha praises her, this from a boy who treats women like dirt and whose entire persona is a lie. Even on the last page, she is pinning away after her ex, Matthew, hoping to earn a place in his good graces, until he makes it clear he has no interest, and then of course, she is better than him, he lacks awareness, etc. Yeah, right.

So as I was saying, I was initially deterred by a book that possessed an unlikable heroine, a cheating ex-boyfriend, a patronizing current boyfriend, and a lying, arrogant womanaziser. If this book was meant to be about feminism, Lockhart missed the mark in Frankie. She isn’t a feminist; she’s a judgmental whack job, Zada and Trish, however, would have fit the bill perfectly. But then, I thought about it, and realized that perhaps that is the beauty of it. E.Lockhart has endeared herself to me as a favorite author because she pens such honest, authentic characters. I don’t like Frankie, I don’t respect her choices, I disagree with her assumptions, but there is no denying she is affecting, and more to the point, she is bona fide.

“The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks” may make you grit your teeth, role your eyes, and dislike Frankie, but it will also force you to turn the pages for sheer readability, and perhaps may also cause you to realize that there is no such things as flawless, authentic characters, in life or in books, which for me, was the true moral of the story.
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Jul 01, 2011 Jami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, printz-award

I kept alternating between being frustrated and impatient with this book, and enthralled with the main character and the feminist perspective. Even when I finished it, I couldn't decide how I felt but decided overall, it left me with a positive outlook.

Frankie Landau-Banks is a sophomore at a prestigious boarding school where she discovers her boyfriend is a member of a secret society for boys only. Matthew is a senior, he's good-looking, rich, thoughtful, and caring. Everything a girl could eve...more I kept alternating between being frustrated and impatient with this book, and enthralled with the main character and the feminist perspective. Even when I finished it, I couldn't decide how I felt but decided overall, it left me with a positive outlook.

Frankie Landau-Banks is a sophomore at a prestigious boarding school where she discovers her boyfriend is a member of a secret society for boys only. Matthew is a senior, he's good-looking, rich, thoughtful, and caring. Everything a girl could ever want in a boyfriend. Except she realizes that while he adores her, protects her, and finds her funny and charming, he underestimates her. He doesn't appreciate her great intellect or really see her as an equal or competitor in any way. His loyalty to his brothers in the secret society comes before any feelings he has for her.

Frankie resents this, and she resents the "Old Boy" philosophy that keeps Matthew from even telling her about the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds society, let alone inviting her to be a part of it. She challenges the antiquated, yet still prevalent, social standards that elevate boys for the same behavior that would alienate a girl. She finds a way to control the boys of the Loyal Order of Bassett Hounds without their even knowing it and manages to send them on missions to perform school pranks that promote her political agenda under their very noses.

The ideas in this book were wonderful, and the writing was extraordinarily clever. A few things that made me feel impatient with it, though, were the tangents the author often went on, taking pages to give the reader information that could have been given in a paragraph or two.

Also, some clever ideas were just over-used. Frankie introduces to the reader the concept of the "neglected positive" -- something she read in a P.G. Wodehouse novel, a notoriously clever and witty author. The idea is that you can take a word like "disgruntled" and take off the negative prefix-like beginning to make up a new word that means the opposite: "gruntled." Funny? Yes. Clever? Sure. But the author takes up almost a whole chapter explaining neglected positives, and then Frankie continues to use them so excessively to the point of being annoying, rather than clever, as no one has any idea what she is talking about. It reminded me of my younger brother when he was six and had just heard a new joke. When he first told our family, we all thought it was hilarious. Having gotten such a great reaction, he proceeded to tell the joke every day, many times a day, until we all wanted to throttle him. I still remember that blasted joke today. (What do you get when you cross an elephant with a kangaroo? Pot holes all over Australia! . . . in case you were wondering.)

But despite those annoyances, I still found the book refreshing in its treatment of feminist ideas, especially for a young adult reader. Besides, the story was fun and the pranks entertaining. It was not hard to believe that a girl was the mastermind behind it all . . .(less)

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Oct 03, 2008 Sonia Reppe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-teen-lit, boarding-school

First of all, I agree with feminism and equal opportunities and all that, and I appreciate that this book had a "girl power" theme, but the main character was not a good representation of an admirable woman. She was intelligent and competative, but was also the worst stereotype of a jealous, conniving, sneaky bitch. I thought she made girls look totally bad. She was jealous that her boyfriend was in a secret all-male social club, and was somehow insulted that she wasn't invited and that he would...more First of all, I agree with feminism and equal opportunities and all that, and I appreciate that this book had a "girl power" theme, but the main character was not a good representation of an admirable woman. She was intelligent and competative, but was also the worst stereotype of a jealous, conniving, sneaky bitch. I thought she made girls look totally bad. She was jealous that her boyfriend was in a secret all-male social club, and was somehow 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 girls 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 debate of: is he marking his territory or does he respect her for her mind? These are good questions to ask, 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 also did not acknowledge any such thing as chemistry between them. Frankie was all sore that Matthew's buddies had higher status than she did with him; how DARE he put them before HER when she has been going out with him for THREE WHOLE MONTHS! OMG! Maybe another reason I didn't connect with Frankie was the brisk tone of the book. Her story was chronicled with a hip, journalistic brevity. My last thoughts: guys love to do guy things; what's wrong with that? They will play video games and watch sports till the end of time, and ignore their women while doing it. Frankie, ironically, seemed so needy. I thought Frankie went about making her point in the wrong way (she basically broke a lot of rules) and ultimately, it was about getting the attention of the boys. (less)

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Feb 05, 2009 Lars Guthrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why are we as readers so drawn to tales of the prettier, richer and more privileged? Haven't answered that one, but I was certainly drawn to this highly entertaining example. Frankie is a timid, plain-Jane Jewish girl who blossoms (physically and intellectually) in her sophomore year at an exclusive and Waspy secondary boarding school. She finds herself accepted by the top layer of the high school social order and wins a boyfriend who represents the pinnacle of the old boy network. But she's nev...more

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Jan 30, 2009 Donalyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-realistic-fiction, nerdprintz

Frankie Landau-Banks is a sweet girl with brains, looks, and more money than some. She goes to an exclusive prep school and has tons of friends. The problem is-- everyone underestimates her and Frankie is tired of it.

When Frankie discovers a secret all boys club, the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds, at her school (her father was a Bassett back in the 70's), she is determined to take over control of the club and prove that girls (particularly her) are every bit as ambitious, brainy, and reckles...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, humor, prep-school

I wish I had been able to read more books like this when I was actually in high school. Like Cory Doctorow in Little Brother, E. Lockhart doesn't just write about adolescent rebellion, she makes a great philosophical argument for it, but hers is cultural rather than overtly political.

And, let's face it, how many other YA novels are going to cite P.G. Wodehouse and Michel Foucault?

But if The Disreputable History were purely didactic, it would be a tremendously boring book--you'll want to read it...more

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Oct 31, 2008 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-books, favorites, older-teens, younger-teens

E. Lockhart is amazing. She took the gender-role of teenage girls and flipped it on it's ear. She gave us a smart character (mentally) who is still a teenage girl who wants and needs to be accepted socially. So when we see her making boneheaded choices, it makes sense and we feel bad for her and root for her because we know she can do better. And then, slowly, great pacing BTW, Lockhart and her protagonist Frankie Landau-Banks slam the reader with a joyful heaping of anarachy from Landau-Banks m...more

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Sep 13, 2008 Jordan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What? The end of this book seriously confused me. A lot of this book confused me. It’s a fast-paced, fun story - reading it felt like watching tv - but throughout the book I kept catching myself having had completely misread main character Frankie’s intentions. By the end of the book, I had no sense of her at all. She just wants to be respected! Wait, noooo, she did it all for love! So she actually liked that guy? I thought she liked the other guy. Nope, nope, she doesn’t like anyone, because sh...more

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Feb 13, 2009 Jackie "the Librarian" rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: awardwinners, youngadult

This Printz Honor book is slyly humorous, and very subversive. Frankie goes to the same exclusive prep school her father attended, and she knows from his stories that it is part of the old boys' network. His connections have made him very successful in his career. And it all started with his membership in a secret society at school.
However, while the school now admits girls, the society does not. Which really torques Frankie, who is getting much more attention from the boys since she had a growt...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

I read The Boyfriend List awhile back and enjoyed it but somehow didn't make it on to its sequel, The Boy Book, or any of E. Lockhart's other titles. Then The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks came out and there was just so much buzz. And then it was named a finalist for the National Book Award. So I figured I'd better pick it up. Fortunately, Santa brought it to my home this year so I was able to jump right in.

Frankie is a sophomore at Alabaster Prep, super exclusive boarding school...more I read The Boyfriend List awhile back and enjoyed it but somehow didn't make it on to its sequel, The Boy Book, or any of E. Lockhart's other titles. Then The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks came out and there was just so much buzz. And then it was named a finalist for the National Book Award. So I figured I'd better pick it up. Fortunately, Santa brought it to my home this year so I was able to jump right in.

Frankie is a sophomore at Alabaster Prep, super exclusive boarding school for the children of the elite. Ever since she was a kid, Frankie had heard her father and his cronies go on about a mysterious secret society known as the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Once she starts at Alabaster it becomes clear that the Order is alive and thriving and open only to males. When she suddenly gains a few curves in the right places and a snazzy new boyfriend to go with them, Frankie becomes aware in a way she hadn't been up to this point in her life. And when the darling boyfriend starts evading her all the time, haring off to locales unspecified with other guys she just knows are in the Order, she decides to follow him. What she discovers from following Matthew (and the subsequent actions she puts into motion) change Frankie (and the Order) permanently. For the better? That's up to the reader. I say yes, but the whole thing is still painful to watch.

I am a bit conflicted over this book. For a variety of reasons. I felt like it really wanted to be Secret Society Girl meets Looking for Alaska. Not the best combination, IMO. This wasn't helped by the fact that I kept picturing Alpha (my favorite character) as The Colonel in my head. I usually quite like third person present narration, but in this case it felt slightly contrived, particularly since Frankie never gelled into a tangible character for me. I laughed several times while reading and I liked Frankie but I didn't love her. I liked her for her dogged attempt to wade through the ever shifting waters of a rather assaultive adolescence and an unsympathetically exclusionary pack of boys who told her they liked her but clearly didn't know her at all, nor did they seem to care to. Despite these obstacles, or perhaps because of them, she managed to carve out a place where she could be herself, free from manipulation. I liked her combative and compelling relationship with Alpha. In fact, I wanted more of that and less mooning over lackluster Matthew. But the book ended just when things were getting interesting. I suspect I would really enjoy a sequel.(less)

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About E. Lockhart

E. Lockhart is the author of a number of teen novels. She has had nine official boyfriends, if you count the boy who asked her to go with him at a 7th grade dance and then basically never talked to her again. She has never been on a sports team of any kind and got excused from gym class by going to ballet lessons. She has a tattoo, cuts her own hair, and has worn the same perfume since high school...more

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Books by E. Lockhart

The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #1)

The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver, #2)

The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #3)

Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything

Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #4)

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“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.

She will not be simple and sweet. She will not be what people tell her to be. That Bunny Rabbit is dead.” — 217 people liked it

“She will not be simple and sweet.
She will not be what people tell her she should be.” — 161 people liked it

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