Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS: E. Lockhart: Hyperion: Young Adult: 345 pages

Having blossomed over the summer, Frankie returns to school and immediately catches the attention of Matthew, a privileged and well-connected boy who introduces Frankie to the inner circle of her exclusive boarding school. Frankie soon discovers, though, that not all doors are open to her, and Matthew is keeping secrets about an all-male society on campus. Feeling underestimated by her boyfriend, Frankie secretly takes control of the society and orchestrates a series of events that disrupt the school.

Frankie is an extremely likeable character who is smart and strong and dares to take action. This story begins like any number of Girl Meets Boy young adult novels but progresses to challenge the conventional plot in an amusing, girl-power book.

MBC

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Frankie is a strong female character that knows what she wants and goes out to get it. She refuses to settle for being the pretty girl on the arm of a popular boy. She wants to have all of the opportunities and fun that the boys are having. Teenage girls who are looking for a feminist character seeking equality between the sexes need look no further than Frankie Landau-Banks.

ALC said...

I found this book to be a fascinating look at gender differences. This would be a good novel to discuss in book group. Frankie wants to connect with the boys in her school, but she also wants to dominate them. Frankie doesn't understand why she hurts when she wins. Frankie wants to be popular, yet nerdy cool. She is a complex and interesting character. I'd love to see a follow-up to this novel. Read this book and discuss with your friends.