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clues_and_courtship's review against another edition
5.0
a cute off-the-wall book to spend a few hours. very creative, funny, and especially quirky. fantastic :)
sashapasha's review against another edition
5.0
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks defies the trends-much like Frankie herself. From the moment I read the jacket flap and the first two pages, I knew that I would love this book. It is written with an incredibly fresh intelligence that appeals to the mind, particularly after reading all the YA gunk that is common nowadays.
The History is set at the fictional Alabaster Preparatory Academy, a prestigious school on equal footing with the likes of Exeter and Andover. It details the events that led to Frankie's transformation in everyone's eyes from a sweet, innocent girl to a "criminal mastermind". And it all started with a boy and a lifetime of being the baby of the family.
I loved this book. The middle found me laughing maniacally, fist pumping, and shouting "Go, Frankie, go!" Unlike most YA heroines, Frankie was actually smart, and she did quite a bit of analyzing people's motives, strategic thinking, and manipulation. She made things happen and wasn't content to be treated like a brainless cow. In fact, that was what this book is all about: Frankie's ambition to be viewed as an equal, particularly by a group of fanatically cliquish boys(a secret society) known as "The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds". She wanted inclusion, and she was willing to go to great lengths to get it.
It was silly, it was fun. It was surprisingly cerebral. I think the only beef I have to pick with Frankie was that when things came to light and another student was about to take the fall, she did not immediately go forth and admit her deeds, but waited until someone else outed her to the administration. But I suppose that fit her character. She was a lot of things, but morally pristine was not one of them. To put it in her terms, she was maculate. (I absolutely adored the neglected positives and Inpeas.) I am not saying she was evil, not even close, just that some of her personality traits caused her to make wrong decisions. When I started out reading, and for much of the book, I wanted to be Frankie. She was pretty, witty, strong, and brilliant. But in the end I realized that Frankie was in many ways just like everyone else, searching for true companionship, and also incredibly lonely. No one understood her. The one person in the end that did, couldn't stand the sight of her. However, though I may no longer want to be her, I will always want to be an off-roader, like her.
The History was about breaking out of the strictures society asserts on us. Casting off the sheep mentality. Thinking, instead of accepting; acting instead of being inert. Things that as individuals and as a society, we ought to look into. Frankie consciously acknowledged the invisible constraints, and acted against them, displaying thought and a level of brain power well beyond her years. She analyzed and understood concepts such as those demonstrated by the panopticon, and she deduced and debated the allure of secret societies. In conclusion, it was one of the most unusual, outstanding YA books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone.
The History is set at the fictional Alabaster Preparatory Academy, a prestigious school on equal footing with the likes of Exeter and Andover. It details the events that led to Frankie's transformation in everyone's eyes from a sweet, innocent girl to a "criminal mastermind". And it all started with a boy and a lifetime of being the baby of the family.
I loved this book. The middle found me laughing maniacally, fist pumping, and shouting "Go, Frankie, go!" Unlike most YA heroines, Frankie was actually smart, and she did quite a bit of analyzing people's motives, strategic thinking, and manipulation. She made things happen and wasn't content to be treated like a brainless cow. In fact, that was what this book is all about: Frankie's ambition to be viewed as an equal, particularly by a group of fanatically cliquish boys(a secret society) known as "The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds". She wanted inclusion, and she was willing to go to great lengths to get it.
It was silly, it was fun. It was surprisingly cerebral. I think the only beef I have to pick with Frankie was that when things came to light and another student was about to take the fall, she did not immediately go forth and admit her deeds, but waited until someone else outed her to the administration. But I suppose that fit her character. She was a lot of things, but morally pristine was not one of them. To put it in her terms, she was maculate. (I absolutely adored the neglected positives and Inpeas.) I am not saying she was evil, not even close, just that some of her personality traits caused her to make wrong decisions. When I started out reading, and for much of the book, I wanted to be Frankie. She was pretty, witty, strong, and brilliant. But in the end I realized that Frankie was in many ways just like everyone else, searching for true companionship, and also incredibly lonely. No one understood her. The one person in the end that did, couldn't stand the sight of her. However, though I may no longer want to be her, I will always want to be an off-roader, like her.
The History was about breaking out of the strictures society asserts on us. Casting off the sheep mentality. Thinking, instead of accepting; acting instead of being inert. Things that as individuals and as a society, we ought to look into. Frankie consciously acknowledged the invisible constraints, and acted against them, displaying thought and a level of brain power well beyond her years. She analyzed and understood concepts such as those demonstrated by the panopticon, and she deduced and debated the allure of secret societies. In conclusion, it was one of the most unusual, outstanding YA books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone.
cannaebehorsed's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
a_strix_named_strix's review against another edition
4.0
A scheming, morally gray protagonist. Interesting characters with layers far beyond what they appear. A secret society. That's what I was promised, and it did deliver.
Also, bonus points for subtle Jewish rep that is well-done without defining a character!
Also, bonus points for subtle Jewish rep that is well-done without defining a character!
sereia8's review against another edition
2.0
I learned a very important lesson by reading this book: Awards (in this case the 2009 Printz Honor Award, for one) don't matter as much as trusted goodreads friends' opinions. I kept reading, thinking that Frankie was going to "get it" and that I would finally "get her," but it never happened.
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Frankie is a student at an elite boarding school when she embarks on a plan to become a prank mastermind.
One of my 2024 reading goals is to finish all of the books I have DNFed in my past (12 in total), and this was the first book on that list. I started it when I was in high school, read about 75 pages, and then gave up. This time around, I tried it on audio, and it was a quick read that kept me entertained. I’m glad I revisited it!
That said, this wasn’t a groundbreaking read by any means. I wasn’t entirely sure of the “point” by the end, and I definitely wanted more from it. But, if you still enjoy YA reads and boarding school aesthetics and want something quick, this might be worth a shot!
CW: Minor sexism
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
threegoodrats's review against another edition
5.0
trin's review against another edition
5.0
From a bare-bones plot summary—a young sophomore infiltrates a secret society at her elite private school, blah blah—this book could easily be mistaken for generic YA fiction. This is unfortunate, because what Lockhart has actually written is a wonderful, vivid, funny, feminist antidote to miserable tripe like [b: Twilight|41865|Twilight (Twilight, #1)|Stephenie Meyer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1361039443l/41865._SY75_.jpg|3212258]. This book is about Frankie, newly pretty after a summer’s growth spurt, returning to school to find that the popular boys are suddenly interested in her—and that none of them even remember the geeky ghost she was the year before. Frankie hooks up with Golden Boy Matthew—who Lockhart does a great job making realistically appealing as well as realistically flawed—but soon realizes that she could all-too-easily let herself be consumed by the force of her boyfriend’s personality and his powerful friends. Frankie refuses to be controlled, refuses to just be someone’s arm candy, and I absolutely adore her for it. She’s smart and knows it, but now that she’s becoming aware that she can be pretty and sexually confident, too, she’s not willing to sacrifice her smarts and just be either of those things, or slot herself neatly into the roles her school allots for women. She’s like the anti-Bella. I’d love to read about her snubbing vampires and fighting crime. She absolutely rocks.
Anyone who thought Twilight offered a good role model or an important narrative for women needs to read this book. Or else be smacked over the head with it.
Anyone who thought Twilight offered a good role model or an important narrative for women needs to read this book. Or else be smacked over the head with it.
carlisajc's review against another edition
3.0
E. LOCKHART AND PRINTZ HONOR REQUIREMENT
This is a story of a girl—Frankie Landau Banks—trying to make her way through her boarding school. She starts her sophomore year and the boy of her dreams, Matthew Livingston, suddenly notices her and they start dating. She soon finds out that he's part of a secret, all-male society...that she isn't allowed to be a part of, or even know about. So she tries to take it down from the outside in.
I liked this book well enough, but overall I was kind of let down by it. To me, Frankie was in the same place she was in the end. She didn't really change at all. I kind of just felt like this book was 300+ pages of Frankie preaching feminism to me. Which sure, I'm all about the feminist movement...but that was her entire character. And her feminism didn't even seem legitimate, as every time she had a feminist thought, she'd attribute it to her older sister. Bah. Also, her boyfriend was a jerk, and treated her awfully...but she never really noticed?
The only things I still remember about her is this extreme-feminism and her weird word-building. She makes up words by adding or taking off prefixes, and it's probably supposed to be endearing or quirky...but honestly, I was just annoyed by it and thought it was rather pretentious. Like, for example, she takes off the prefix of "impetuous" (meaning hot-headed or impulsive) and says "petuous," which according to Frankie means careful. But she says these things and knows that whoever she's talking to has to ask, giving her that supremely triumphant feeling.
So, overall, I just was kind of annoyed by Frankie. Despite this, it's well-written and has an interesting concept. Also it's won a lot of awards, so don't take my annoyance as absolute truth.
This is a story of a girl—Frankie Landau Banks—trying to make her way through her boarding school. She starts her sophomore year and the boy of her dreams, Matthew Livingston, suddenly notices her and they start dating. She soon finds out that he's part of a secret, all-male society...that she isn't allowed to be a part of, or even know about. So she tries to take it down from the outside in.
I liked this book well enough, but overall I was kind of let down by it. To me, Frankie was in the same place she was in the end. She didn't really change at all. I kind of just felt like this book was 300+ pages of Frankie preaching feminism to me. Which sure, I'm all about the feminist movement...but that was her entire character. And her feminism didn't even seem legitimate, as every time she had a feminist thought, she'd attribute it to her older sister. Bah. Also, her boyfriend was a jerk, and treated her awfully...but she never really noticed?
The only things I still remember about her is this extreme-feminism and her weird word-building. She makes up words by adding or taking off prefixes, and it's probably supposed to be endearing or quirky...but honestly, I was just annoyed by it and thought it was rather pretentious. Like, for example, she takes off the prefix of "impetuous" (meaning hot-headed or impulsive) and says "petuous," which according to Frankie means careful. But she says these things and knows that whoever she's talking to has to ask, giving her that supremely triumphant feeling.
So, overall, I just was kind of annoyed by Frankie. Despite this, it's well-written and has an interesting concept. Also it's won a lot of awards, so don't take my annoyance as absolute truth.
chocolateandpie's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Reading this book in my mid twenties as compared to my mid teens was a very different experience.
I remember really loving it the first time I read it something close to 10ish years ago. I remember thinking it was clever and engaging and I remember loving the titular character Frankie.
Upon rereading it I can solidly say that whilst it is still a fairly enjoyable book with a fairly engaging main character I am definitely not the target audience of this book anymore.
I like it for what it is but I think that my nostalgia made me expect more from it than what it actually delivers.
But overall it is still a fairly enjoyable and relatively fast-paced read although I think the plot overall definitely picks up the pace in the second half.
I remember really loving it the first time I read it something close to 10ish years ago. I remember thinking it was clever and engaging and I remember loving the titular character Frankie.
Upon rereading it I can solidly say that whilst it is still a fairly enjoyable book with a fairly engaging main character I am definitely not the target audience of this book anymore.
I like it for what it is but I think that my nostalgia made me expect more from it than what it actually delivers.
But overall it is still a fairly enjoyable and relatively fast-paced read although I think the plot overall definitely picks up the pace in the second half.