The Fitter, Happier UnLibrarian's Blog of Young Adult Books

by Megan DeTour
LIBR 265-10 Materials for Young Adults
Spring 2009, Professor Wrenn-Estes
Master of Library & Information Science
San Jose State University, California

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Publish Date: March 2008
Page#: 352pp
Reading Level: Young Adult
Classification: Fiction
Genre: Real Life/Coming of Age

Subjects: Boarding School, Dating, Feminism, Friendship, High School, Loyalty, Relationships, Romance, Secrets Societies, Social Class

Annotation:

Frankie Landau-Banks will not stand for being invisible, not anymore. She has come into her own and when she finds out her boyfriend has been lying to her about his secret boy society-she gets even.

Summary:

Sophomore Frankie Landau-Banks has been over looked, living in her popular sister’s shadow. Now, she has come into her own and appears to have it all: intelligence, looks, attendance at a elite and posh boarding school, and the cutest guy in the senior class, Matthew Livingston, who wants Frankie as a girlfriend. However Frankie is not content with Mathew as he may not accept her as an equal and she will not stand for feeling invisible and insignificant ever again. She finds out that Mathew is part of a boys only secret society and becomes livid as to why she has to be excluded based on her gender. This sets her off to outsmart them all and get even.

Megan says:

Ladies, this one is for you! Frankie Landau-Banks is a strong female character seeking equality between the sexes. She masterminds what she wants and goes out to get it while refusing to settle solely off her pretty girl looks. Frankie wants to have all the opportunities and fun that the boys are having. Teenage girls will be empowered by this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it!

Stars: ★ ★ ★ ★