The disreputable history of Frankie Landau-Banks

never heard of it

This book is hilarious and isn't your normal chick flick.

Frankie is the epitome of a spunky heroine: smart, funny, and with a lot to say. She refuses to be dominated over, and she wants to be known for herself, not just for her boyfriend. It was refreshing to read this book, because Frankie is not at all like many heroines in YA books. She worries about whether or not her boyfriend is looking down on her, and how she can be a stronger feminist, not just her grades or social status (though she spends a lot of time on that too). My only criticism is occasionally Frankie doesn't sound like a teenager. She'll launch into long speeches that sound more like a long-experienced and very articulate adult feminist. While teenagers can be just that articulate, some specific speeches just don't ring true.

My smart, Jewish, feminist female friend recommended this book to me, and lo and behold, the main character is a smart, Jewish, feminist teen female with a bone to pick with the patriarchy.

I enjoyed the book for what it was, but it is a bit preachy. There are bits in the book where Frankie gets in long drawn-out arguments with other students about that nature of gender and whether or not it has a biological basis, blah blah blah, something about peacocks. This I did not enjoy; show, not tell, you know the drill.

Other than that I found the book highly enjoyable and I would not hesitate to foist it on female teens.

Frankie (a girl) goes to a wealthy, private high school and manages to sneak her way into an all boys secret society, one her boyfriend is a member of but refuses to tell her anything about. Expecting a light, funny, school romance this completely blew me away. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a light, funny, school romance, and yes, this books does have romance, and yes, this books is, most assuredly, very funny, but it’s more than that. Frankie secretly manipulates the boys into pulling school pranks without figuring out its her. Does she go a little too far, or does she not? This book is very smart. The interactions are very realistic and it says a lot about the power-plays between men and women. A book that’s insightful and funny; for me that makes a good read.