
The
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is intelligent, thought-provoking,
sensitive, and best of all, funny. It's a story of a young girl coming to
realize how her life has forced her into a position of powerlessness. Frankie's
overprotective mother calls her by the demeaning nickname "Bunny Rabbit."
Her father clearly wishes she was a boy. Her older sister is condescending.
In her second year of boarding school, Frankie falls in love, and when she
realizes that her boyfriend is part of an all-boy secret society, she
infiltrates the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound and uses its patriarchal dynamics and a stolen 'alpha'
identity to become its unknown, unacknowledged leader, only to have the whole
thing blow up in her face when her secret is exposed.
This
book was well thought out, inspirational, and hysterical. Lockhart did a great
job developing characters and keeping this reader interested and entertained.
However, the author tended to ramble on about certain topics
having no real plot significance which contributed to the
occasional slow point. This book was such an interesting read. The Disreputable
History uncovers the reality of being a true feminist in a teenage
relationship, but also manages to include hilarious pranks and typical teenage
awkwardness. I will say that I didn’t completely agree with how Frankie deals with the issues presented throughout the plot, but what I did
like was her spunk and desire to break down the wall of a
secret organization, then be part of it. I think the central point of a
girl not taking no for an answer, might get lost in all the wordy and lengthy
writing, but it’s absolutely worth reading. I would suggest it to
anyone looking for a confident heroine with a mix of pranks, love, feminism, and laughter. If you’re looking for further reading with a similar
vibe I would certainly recommend the Gallagher Girl Series by Ally Carter,
beginning with I’d Tell You I Love You,
But Then I’d Have to Kill You.
also checkout author E. Lockhart's blog: The Boyfriend List