The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. 2008. Hyperion, 346 pages. $16.99 ISBN:978-078683818-9

Plot Summary:

The summer between her freshman and sophomore year Frankie Landau-Banks matured into a young woman with a rocking body. Returning to her private school, Alabaster, Frankie immediately catches the eye of popular senior Matthew Livingston. Soon the two are dating, but it does not take long for Frankie to notice that Matthew is constantly underestimating her and blowing her off for his best friend Alpha. She soon discovers the two boys are the leaders of an all male secret society that her father once belonged to called The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Members were of the elite at the school, often from old money and descendents of past members. Tired of the sexist attitude that persisted under the façade of her formerly all male boarding school, Frankie sets out to infiltrate the Basset Hounds and make some changes at her school.

Critical Review:

Frankie is smart, pretty, and pissed off. She is tired of being excluded and underestimated by Matthew and his friends. You have to admire her brilliance and the underlying social commentary of her schemes. Frankie may be making radical changes at her school, but for the most part the student body does not recognize the social commentary she is trying to make. Frankie, too, does not recognize her main reason in acting out, she wants the attention of her boyfriend and she wants him to recognize her for more than being “adorable.” Frankie spends a lot of time trying to convince herself that Matthew is a good boyfriend, when it is obvious that he is only interested in her when it is convenient for him; he has no interest in her friends, family, or getting to know Frankie more than superficially. Frankie is bold and funny and her brilliance makes her seem older than her 15 years, but really underneath she is still learning about relationships, growing up, and how to stand up for herself. Overall, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is a brilliant and humorous coming of age tale.

Genre:

Realistic Fiction

Humorous Fiction

Interest Level:

Grade 9 and up

Similar Books:

Paper Towns by John Green

Subjects/Themes:

Sexism

Secret Societies

Boarding School

Practical Jokes

Awards/Honors:

National Book Award Finalist

Author’s Website:

http://www.emilylockhart.com/

http://www.theboyfriendlist.com/

Annotation:

Annoyed with the “good old boys” attitude at her private boarding school, Frankie infiltrates a male secret society and turns her school upside down.

Book Talking Ideas:

I would recommend this book for teens who like strong female characters and teens who like witty, character driven novels.

Why I Chose to Include this Book:

I chose to include The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks because loved how Frankie developed as a character in this novel. I could not wait to see what scheme Frankie would come up with next.