Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Hyperion Books (2009), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 352 pages
Description
Sophomore Frankie starts dating senior Matthew Livingston, but when he refuses to talk about the all-male secret society that he and his friends belong to, Frankie infiltrates the society in order to enliven their mediocre pranks.
Media reviews
Frankie faces a generous helping of disappointment, certainly. No princessy happy ending awaits her. But the novel holds out the hope that a girl like Frankie — who has above all an unwillingness to settle —could grow up to change the world. “The Disreputable History” not only delivers the
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line, but somehow makes you believe it is true. Show Less
Booklist
Lockhart creates a unique, indelible character in Frankie, whose oddities only make her more realistic, and teens will be galvanized by her brazen action and her passionate, immediate questions about gender and power, individuals and institutions, and how to fall in love without losing herself.
User reviews
LibraryThing member _Zoe_
This one was at the top of my LT recommendation list, has won several awards, and had a very positive blurb from Ally Carter. Also, have I mentioned that I like boarding schools? So it was probably inevitable that I would pick this one up eventually, even though the basic premise didn't
In the end, I probably should have gone with my gut rather than being swayed by all the praise. This was a quick read, and I actually stayed up a bit too late to finish it last night, but I still came away pretty disappointed in the story as a whole.
The main problem is that I didn't much like the protagonist. Frankie-Landau Banks attends an expensive boarding school, but was basically a nobody her first year. In the summer, though, she magically develops an amazing body and is soon dating a very popular senior.
Unfortunately, he's more concerned about his all-male secret society than about Frankie. He's not particularly interested in listening to her opinions. So Frankie comes up with all sorts of devious plans to show that secret society what a girl can do.
This could have been a good story, and Frankie's various pranks are certainly entertaining enough. What I didn't like was the fact that while supposedly rebelling against people's preconceptions of her, she's simultaneously extremely concerned about maintaining her relationship with this guy who doesn't respect her. It's not clear what the attraction is, beyond the physical and the fact that she likes being part of his group of friends. So much for the message of girl power and thinking for yourself.
At the same time, Frankie hardly ever seems to think about her old friends now that she's part of the popular crowd. She uses her roommate, certainly, whenever she needs to be let back into the dorm after sneaking out at night. But she never confides anything to her and readily ditches her when her new friends come by. In fact, Frankie's treatment of her roommate is pretty much the same as her boyfriend's treatment of her, so the fact that she finds fault with him while acting the same way herself makes her the worst kind of hypocrite.
I also wasn't particularly enamoured of the writing; I found it overly self-aware in a way bordering on the pretentious. On page 107, for example, far enough along that I'd like to be thoroughly absorbed in the story, a chapter begins with the following two paragraphs:
How does a person become the person she is? What are the factors in her culture, her childhood, her education, her religion, her economic stature, her sexual orientation, her race, her everyday interactions--what stimuli lead her to make choices other people will despise her for?
This chronicle is an attempt to mark out the contributing elements in Frankie Landau-Banks's character. What led her to do what she did: things she would later view with a curious mixture of hubris and regret. Frankie's mental processes had been stimulated by Ms. Jensson's lectures on the panopticon, [and various spoilers omitted]. All these were factors in what happened next. And here is another:
Besides the fact that I wanted to be inside the story rather than analyzing it from a distance, I found that the events themselves didn't quite justify the build-up.
I was planning to write more, but I think I've already said more than enough. On the whole, this was a quick read but not ultimately a very satisfying one. Of course, I'm aware that I seem to be in the minority here. I wouldn't want anyone to avoid reading the book solely on the basis of my review, but I would encourage anyone who's considering it to think twice.
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particularly appeal.In the end, I probably should have gone with my gut rather than being swayed by all the praise. This was a quick read, and I actually stayed up a bit too late to finish it last night, but I still came away pretty disappointed in the story as a whole.
The main problem is that I didn't much like the protagonist. Frankie-Landau Banks attends an expensive boarding school, but was basically a nobody her first year. In the summer, though, she magically develops an amazing body and is soon dating a very popular senior.
Unfortunately, he's more concerned about his all-male secret society than about Frankie. He's not particularly interested in listening to her opinions. So Frankie comes up with all sorts of devious plans to show that secret society what a girl can do.
This could have been a good story, and Frankie's various pranks are certainly entertaining enough. What I didn't like was the fact that while supposedly rebelling against people's preconceptions of her, she's simultaneously extremely concerned about maintaining her relationship with this guy who doesn't respect her. It's not clear what the attraction is, beyond the physical and the fact that she likes being part of his group of friends. So much for the message of girl power and thinking for yourself.
At the same time, Frankie hardly ever seems to think about her old friends now that she's part of the popular crowd. She uses her roommate, certainly, whenever she needs to be let back into the dorm after sneaking out at night. But she never confides anything to her and readily ditches her when her new friends come by. In fact, Frankie's treatment of her roommate is pretty much the same as her boyfriend's treatment of her, so the fact that she finds fault with him while acting the same way herself makes her the worst kind of hypocrite.
I also wasn't particularly enamoured of the writing; I found it overly self-aware in a way bordering on the pretentious. On page 107, for example, far enough along that I'd like to be thoroughly absorbed in the story, a chapter begins with the following two paragraphs:
How does a person become the person she is? What are the factors in her culture, her childhood, her education, her religion, her economic stature, her sexual orientation, her race, her everyday interactions--what stimuli lead her to make choices other people will despise her for?
This chronicle is an attempt to mark out the contributing elements in Frankie Landau-Banks's character. What led her to do what she did: things she would later view with a curious mixture of hubris and regret. Frankie's mental processes had been stimulated by Ms. Jensson's lectures on the panopticon, [and various spoilers omitted]. All these were factors in what happened next. And here is another:
Besides the fact that I wanted to be inside the story rather than analyzing it from a distance, I found that the events themselves didn't quite justify the build-up.
I was planning to write more, but I think I've already said more than enough. On the whole, this was a quick read but not ultimately a very satisfying one. Of course, I'm aware that I seem to be in the minority here. I wouldn't want anyone to avoid reading the book solely on the basis of my review, but I would encourage anyone who's considering it to think twice.
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LibraryThing member MagicalSibylle
Recently, on Twitter, I asked my feed for recommendations of books involving teenagers making a difference in the world and I was recommended this book. Let me get this out of the way right now: this is the kind of book the five-star rating was made for. This book is one of the best books I have
This is the book I would put in the hands of my 15-year-old self were I allowed to meet her once more, because it would help me figure things out, things I now know but would have benefited from knowing back then, too.
So, Frankie has grown over the summer and now, suddenly, Matthew Livingstone, a boy she'd had a crush on for years and years, notices her. He notices when she falls off her bike and comes and rescues her. Frankie is pleased, but part of her wonders whether he'd still be interested in her if she didn't need rescuing. Part of her wonders if he'd still be interested in her if she spoke her mind. If she rebelled. If she outsmarted him. If, in short, she proved to be herself and not live up to his expectations.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is an insanely smart book about gender with a riveting plot, crushing conclusions and well-written, complex characters. It would be hard quoting every single passage I adored, but here are a few:
Frankie is grateful to have such a loyal friend, but it does not escape her notice that Trish's lack of understanding is a condition of that loyalty. Were Trish to fully comprehend the way Frankie thinks, the subjects she ponders all the time when she appears to be quietly doing her homework - Frankie's anger and hunger - she would pull away. To Trish, Frankie is still the ordinary girl with gerbils at home in a Habitail, only now more melancholy and in need of cheering up, due to the second bad boyfriend in a row.
She hoped, she hoped he would understand. That he would appreciate her the way he appreciated Alpha. Admire her cleverness, her ambition, her vision. That he would admit her as his equal, or even as his superior, and love her for what she was capable of.
'Why is it psychotic if I did it and genius if Alpha did it?' wailed Frankie. 'That's so unfair. It's a double standard.'
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows: 'You have some balls'. Frankie hated that expression, ever since Zada had pointed out to her that it equates courage with the male equipment.'
You know what this book does? This book is an answer to 'why do we need feminism today, anyway?' Frankie lives in today's world and she faces misogyny everywhere she goes. It's insidious, it's tiny tiny words and attitudes, but it's there. There's an amazing scene in which she breaks a rule nobody ever realized was a rule because of tradition and familiarity 'we've always done this without questioning it so why do different' and I feel this scene was a symbol of the whole book. Throughout the book, we see Frankie stand up to instances of misogyny nobody seems to realize exist. This book shows you why we need feminism today. In one of the first passages of the book, Frankie wants to go out for a walk and her mother forbids her. Frankie is annoyed and asks, 'if I were a boy, would you let me go?' I think this book explores that - how far people let you go when you're a girl, and how far when you're a boy, and what that means. It's also a wonderfully effective example that gender is constructed, because even when they have the exact same abilities, a boy and a girl won't be treated the same, and Frankie proves that in the best way possible.
It's also a book about prep school, elitism, ambition, connections, networks and friendship, and ultimately, it's also very much a book about nepotism. I thought the setting of Alabaster allowed the author to explore all that through Frankie and for having been through it myself, at least partly, it was good to have an honest look at this world and what is inherently wrong with it. People hire people they know or who've been recommended to them by people they know, they interview people they know, they do services to people they know and those are the people in charge. The end was bitter-sweet in that respect, because I expected Frankie to make a different choice, but I do understand her decision too.
Frankie is an indelible character, she's one of the best heroines I've ever encountered in literature and I feel so lucky to have found this book, which I think deserves to be even more well-known. Had I known how good it was going to be, how I would want to read it again as soon as I'd finished it, I would have picked it up way sooner. Don't make the same mistake, buy The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks now, it's an outstanding book you'll remember for a long, long time.
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ever read. Period. It's about Frankie, a 15-year-old girl who attends Alabaster, an exclusive prep school. It is about that. But then again, it's about every single one of those words: it's about Frankie as a person, it's about the fact that she's 15, it's about the fact that she's a girl and it's about the fact that she attends an exclusive prep school, with all the elitism that contains.This is the book I would put in the hands of my 15-year-old self were I allowed to meet her once more, because it would help me figure things out, things I now know but would have benefited from knowing back then, too.
So, Frankie has grown over the summer and now, suddenly, Matthew Livingstone, a boy she'd had a crush on for years and years, notices her. He notices when she falls off her bike and comes and rescues her. Frankie is pleased, but part of her wonders whether he'd still be interested in her if she didn't need rescuing. Part of her wonders if he'd still be interested in her if she spoke her mind. If she rebelled. If she outsmarted him. If, in short, she proved to be herself and not live up to his expectations.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is an insanely smart book about gender with a riveting plot, crushing conclusions and well-written, complex characters. It would be hard quoting every single passage I adored, but here are a few:
Frankie is grateful to have such a loyal friend, but it does not escape her notice that Trish's lack of understanding is a condition of that loyalty. Were Trish to fully comprehend the way Frankie thinks, the subjects she ponders all the time when she appears to be quietly doing her homework - Frankie's anger and hunger - she would pull away. To Trish, Frankie is still the ordinary girl with gerbils at home in a Habitail, only now more melancholy and in need of cheering up, due to the second bad boyfriend in a row.
She hoped, she hoped he would understand. That he would appreciate her the way he appreciated Alpha. Admire her cleverness, her ambition, her vision. That he would admit her as his equal, or even as his superior, and love her for what she was capable of.
'Why is it psychotic if I did it and genius if Alpha did it?' wailed Frankie. 'That's so unfair. It's a double standard.'
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows: 'You have some balls'. Frankie hated that expression, ever since Zada had pointed out to her that it equates courage with the male equipment.'
You know what this book does? This book is an answer to 'why do we need feminism today, anyway?' Frankie lives in today's world and she faces misogyny everywhere she goes. It's insidious, it's tiny tiny words and attitudes, but it's there. There's an amazing scene in which she breaks a rule nobody ever realized was a rule because of tradition and familiarity 'we've always done this without questioning it so why do different' and I feel this scene was a symbol of the whole book. Throughout the book, we see Frankie stand up to instances of misogyny nobody seems to realize exist. This book shows you why we need feminism today. In one of the first passages of the book, Frankie wants to go out for a walk and her mother forbids her. Frankie is annoyed and asks, 'if I were a boy, would you let me go?' I think this book explores that - how far people let you go when you're a girl, and how far when you're a boy, and what that means. It's also a wonderfully effective example that gender is constructed, because even when they have the exact same abilities, a boy and a girl won't be treated the same, and Frankie proves that in the best way possible.
It's also a book about prep school, elitism, ambition, connections, networks and friendship, and ultimately, it's also very much a book about nepotism. I thought the setting of Alabaster allowed the author to explore all that through Frankie and for having been through it myself, at least partly, it was good to have an honest look at this world and what is inherently wrong with it. People hire people they know or who've been recommended to them by people they know, they interview people they know, they do services to people they know and those are the people in charge. The end was bitter-sweet in that respect, because I expected Frankie to make a different choice, but I do understand her decision too.
Frankie is an indelible character, she's one of the best heroines I've ever encountered in literature and I feel so lucky to have found this book, which I think deserves to be even more well-known. Had I known how good it was going to be, how I would want to read it again as soon as I'd finished it, I would have picked it up way sooner. Don't make the same mistake, buy The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks now, it's an outstanding book you'll remember for a long, long time.
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LibraryThing member 4sarad
I probably would have liked this book if it weren't for the main character. Her constant use of false words such as dulge and gruntled drove me crazy. She also spent most of the book proving she's not just some cute arm candy, yet she stayed with the guy who treated her that way. The pranks were
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cute and I liked some of the characters, but Frankie frankly drove me crazy. Show Less
LibraryThing member nicole47
Meh. Takes a LONG time to get to any interesting action. I was hoping for something less pretentious and more (early) Gordon Korman-esque, full of wacky hijinks. The feminism is a bit like a 2x4 and not my style-- a true feminist would not denigrate a person's enjoyment of making baked goods as
The over-use of the word "grodie" was also a bit like a lemon zester to the eyes.
But otherwise the book was not painful to read. One to pass on rather than to cherish and reread. If only it were more like Bruno and Boots...
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being too domestic and feminine. A true feminist would realize that baking is an excellent hobby for both men and women.The over-use of the word "grodie" was also a bit like a lemon zester to the eyes.
But otherwise the book was not painful to read. One to pass on rather than to cherish and reread. If only it were more like Bruno and Boots...
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LibraryThing member 2chances
This YA book (with its excellent cover) won lots and lots of awards - well-deserved! I've seldom read a more to-the-point fictional account of a young woman's inchoate recognition of her (limited) place in the male world and her determination to make her presence felt.
Young Frankie, age 15, has
Lockhart has crafted a funny, witty, clever novel with a witty and clever protagonist. I liked that she didn't sugarcoat Frankie's journey: her actions have consequences, and some of them are deeply painful. But Lockhart tells an important truth: when you let a living creature out of the too-small box it is in, it will grow and change and can never be crushed back into that box. Terrific novel for teenage girls - maybe it will undo some of the sick messages of the "Twilight" series.
Young Frankie, age 15, has
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spent the summer developing curves and beauty. When she returns to her New England prep school in the fall, insignificant freshman Frankie is gone, and witty popular sophomore Frankie is now dating the hottest senior at the school. It takes Frankie some time to realize that with all her brains, wit and beauty, she is still not admitted to her boyfriend's all-male world - in particular, to the all-male secret society that has ruled the lives of the to-be-powerful since the school's inception. Frankie has spent her life as "Bunny Rabbit," the overlooked, oft-interrupted younger daughter/sister in her family. She's had enough. It's time to make her presence felt.Lockhart has crafted a funny, witty, clever novel with a witty and clever protagonist. I liked that she didn't sugarcoat Frankie's journey: her actions have consequences, and some of them are deeply painful. But Lockhart tells an important truth: when you let a living creature out of the too-small box it is in, it will grow and change and can never be crushed back into that box. Terrific novel for teenage girls - maybe it will undo some of the sick messages of the "Twilight" series.
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LibraryThing member beckystandal
Ages 12 and Up – After a summer of swan-like transformation, Frankie Landau-Banks enters her sophomore year at her elite boarding school, Alabaster Prep, a beauty. Although she had been introduced and occasionally allowed into the popular crowd by her older sister the year before, it is only now
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is filled with clever wordplay, well-crafted pranks, and themes of feminism and subversion. While the writing and characters get a little pretentious at times, the novel is very engaging and was in 2009 voted a favorite by teens. Recommended for all teen collections.
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that handsome senior Matthew notices her. As a girlfriend, Frankie is quickly accepted into the circle of upperclassmen, but she soon finds that this is not enough. Matthew and his friends are members of the all-male secret society Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, an Alabaster tradition to which her father used to belong, and Frankie wants in. When Matthew won’t own up to having any secrets from her, Frankie follows and spies on him and his friends then, using a false online identity, orchestrates pranks for them to carry out. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is filled with clever wordplay, well-crafted pranks, and themes of feminism and subversion. While the writing and characters get a little pretentious at times, the novel is very engaging and was in 2009 voted a favorite by teens. Recommended for all teen collections.
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LibraryThing member bluesalamanders
Frances Landau-Banks, aka Frankie, aka Bunny Rabbit (to her family), is going to be a sophomore at boarding school this year. It's the same boarding school that her older sister went to (they overlapped last year), and the same boarding school that their father went to when he was their age (and he
This has got to be one of the best-written books I've read, possibly ever. Even when the story didn't particularly interest me (I mean, boarding school? really?) or when I didn't especially care for the characters (I've never cared for "popular" kids, or for pranks either), I still wanted to keep reading it, just for the wonderful way the book was written. My sister recently lent me two other books by Lockhart and they are now at the top of my TBR pile.
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hints at stories that pique Frankie's curiosity). She decides rather unexpectedly to make her mark at the school.This has got to be one of the best-written books I've read, possibly ever. Even when the story didn't particularly interest me (I mean, boarding school? really?) or when I didn't especially care for the characters (I've never cared for "popular" kids, or for pranks either), I still wanted to keep reading it, just for the wonderful way the book was written. My sister recently lent me two other books by Lockhart and they are now at the top of my TBR pile.
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LibraryThing member stonelaura
This young adult book follows a year in the life of private-school student Frankie Landau-Banks as she tries to understand, and then infiltrate, the all male secret society of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. When she returns to school as a sophomore Frankie first notices how differently boys
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react to her now that she’s filled out a bit. Even though she feels like the same smart and dynamic person inside, all they want to acknowledge is the outside wrapping. It’s when she begins to date gorgeous senior student Matthew Livingston that she realizes how secondary females are to the insular male world. The story makes a strong feminist statement as Frankie analyzes the power dynamic between boyfriends and girlfriends. She realizes that girls will often give up their own friends and activities in order to have a boyfriend, and that boys usually assume that the girl will be content with vapid compliments over the acknowledgment of their strong ideas. When Frankie realizes the boys will never recognize her brain and talents she begins to orchestrate a series of creatively artistic and political pranks that certainly catch the attention of the Order, and the school, but not quite in the way Frankie had hoped. The story is entertaining as it also examines class structure, word-play, loyalty and friendship. Show Less
LibraryThing member kittyjay
An utterly charming, subversive story, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is sure to delight feminists, word-play enthusiasts, subversives, and anyone who fancies a good prank now and again.
Frankie Landau-Banks is a smart, funny, and precocious young woman attending an exclusive prep
Frankie refuses to accept this, and begins to plot and scheme her way to the top.
The feminist themes of this novel are anything but subtle, but while anywhere else it would come across as tiresome and preachy, Lockhart deftly weaves them into the plot, and dares the reader to be shook - pardon, shaken - up and do their own shaking of the status quo.
It's a smartly written book, fun, humorous, and eschews the tired necessity of most YA novels wherein the female protagonist must have a boyfriend at the end - and that, of course, is part of the message.
For anyone who has ever felt stifled by the panopticon of their lives, this book is for you.
Frankie Landau-Banks is a smart, funny, and precocious young woman attending an exclusive prep
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school. She begins to date Matthew Livingston, a darling of said prep school, and hangs out with his friends - but always feels like something is missing. Following him one night, she finds he belongs to a secret society known as the Basset Hounds, a good ol' boys club, girls not allowed.Frankie refuses to accept this, and begins to plot and scheme her way to the top.
The feminist themes of this novel are anything but subtle, but while anywhere else it would come across as tiresome and preachy, Lockhart deftly weaves them into the plot, and dares the reader to be shook - pardon, shaken - up and do their own shaking of the status quo.
It's a smartly written book, fun, humorous, and eschews the tired necessity of most YA novels wherein the female protagonist must have a boyfriend at the end - and that, of course, is part of the message.
For anyone who has ever felt stifled by the panopticon of their lives, this book is for you.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Sophomore Frankie Landau-Banks seems like she has it all: intelligence, looks, attendance at a elite - and posh - boarding school, and Matthew Livingston, who may be the cutest guy in the senior class, wants Frankie as a girlfriend. However, Frankie's not quite content; as wonderful as
Review: Very slick, very funny, and very refreshing young-adult fiction. It's young-adult-oriented without being juvenile, and it's got a female protagonist and a focus on relationships without going anywhere near the "chick lit" designation. Frankie is multi-layered and a very well-built character - intelligent (and not ashamed of it), manipulative, hyper-aware and analytical of herself and those around her, but still concerned with whether or not her boyfriend likes her as much as she likes him. The story is fast moving, and quite funny in parts, although I think the humor comes as much from the narration - an omniscient third-person reporter who occasionally tosses off asides and analyses separate from the story - as from the plot.
The acknowledgments sections said that Lockhart is in a writing group with Scott Westerfeld, Maureen Johnson, and John Green, and it shows - the sensibilities are very much the same. If you like John Green's writing but wish that one of his protagonists were a girl, you should definitely make it a point to meet Frankie. She's got the same sense of intelligent (nerdy) humor, but with a strong feminist twist. This is a great book for teen girls, although I don't think it necessarily excludes guys - there are a lot of interesting discussion points raised regardless of gender. Personally, I felt like she occasionally got a little bit bitter and hyper-critical of members of her own sex, and never really realized that by fighting so hard to become "one of the boys" that she gave them the very power she was upset about them having... but still, it was a very interesting take on the battle of the sexes that I hadn't previously seen in young adult lit... plus with a bunch of funny boarding school pranks to boot. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Highly entertaining but with enough meat to keep it from being fluff, this one is highly recommended... even if you usually scoff at YA as kids' stuff.
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Matthew seems, she doesn't really feel as though he really accepts her as an equal, and if there's one thing Frankie hates, it's feeling invisible and inconsequential. When she finds out that he's a member of a boys-only secret society, she gets livid - why should she be excluded based only on her lack of a piddling little Y chromosome? - and then when she realizes she can outsmart them all, she decides to get even.Review: Very slick, very funny, and very refreshing young-adult fiction. It's young-adult-oriented without being juvenile, and it's got a female protagonist and a focus on relationships without going anywhere near the "chick lit" designation. Frankie is multi-layered and a very well-built character - intelligent (and not ashamed of it), manipulative, hyper-aware and analytical of herself and those around her, but still concerned with whether or not her boyfriend likes her as much as she likes him. The story is fast moving, and quite funny in parts, although I think the humor comes as much from the narration - an omniscient third-person reporter who occasionally tosses off asides and analyses separate from the story - as from the plot.
The acknowledgments sections said that Lockhart is in a writing group with Scott Westerfeld, Maureen Johnson, and John Green, and it shows - the sensibilities are very much the same. If you like John Green's writing but wish that one of his protagonists were a girl, you should definitely make it a point to meet Frankie. She's got the same sense of intelligent (nerdy) humor, but with a strong feminist twist. This is a great book for teen girls, although I don't think it necessarily excludes guys - there are a lot of interesting discussion points raised regardless of gender. Personally, I felt like she occasionally got a little bit bitter and hyper-critical of members of her own sex, and never really realized that by fighting so hard to become "one of the boys" that she gave them the very power she was upset about them having... but still, it was a very interesting take on the battle of the sexes that I hadn't previously seen in young adult lit... plus with a bunch of funny boarding school pranks to boot. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: Highly entertaining but with enough meat to keep it from being fluff, this one is highly recommended... even if you usually scoff at YA as kids' stuff.
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LibraryThing member emmmilyd
I needed Frankie Landau-Banks, though I didn't know it until I found her. And young adult literature needs her too. Thank goodness she has shown up to remind us not to mold ourselves into someone else's (partners we love included!) idea of who we should be. She's also unashamedly brilliant and
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insightful, willing to look beneath the surface of everyday interactions to get at the truth of them, and she's not afraid of standing alone with her own insights. I guess I should also mention that she is an adventurer, a political activist, and a devious mastermind, who is regularly able to get the entire student body of her elite private school to do exactly what she wants, without much prodding. "Think for yourself!" she's begging us.Check her out. Frankie rocks. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
At first, this book seemed like it was going to be just a bit of fluff. It turned out to have a pretty deep message, though, about being true to one’s self and learning to challenge unfair institutions (in Frankie’s case this was mostly about challenging patriarchal traditions that treat girls
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as second-class citizens). While Frankie’s exclusive prep school life is probably foreign to most teenagers, a lot of her feelings should be relatable. In particular, Frankie is trying to deal with dating Matthew, a boy she really likes and who seems to like her, too – except that he totally underestimates and likes her only because he thinks she is “adorable,” not because she is funny, smart, athletic, etc. When Frankie stumbles upon the knowledge that Matthew is a member of the school’s notorious, all-male secret society, she devises a plan to become a part of Matthew’s hidden life while also impressing him with her abilities. She uses e-mail to impersonate the society’s leader and dictates pranks the boys should play on the school administration --- all of which have deeper meanings pushing toward social change. Frankie’s wit and her desire to see social injustices righted make her a very likeable and interesting character. My two minor problems with this book are that the author seems to think teenagers use words like “nimrod,” “weenie,” and “groddy,” in nearly ever sentence (although I next to never hear these words from teens) and the narrator of the audio book thinks that speaking very, very fast will make her sound more like a teenager (only partially true). Show Less
LibraryThing member callmecayce
Read this book on a recommendation of a friend of mine. I hadn't read any of Lockhart's other books before reading this one, which turns out to be a mistake. Why? Because this book is excellent and everything else pales in comparison. That's not to say I didn't like her other books, but I loved
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Frankie best. The character, writing and plot are strong. I'm not a big fan of prep school books, but the more YA ones I read, the more I like them. Frankie is no exception. Highly recommended and lots of fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member lenoreva
Two of my favorite themes in literature are coincidence and the search for identity --And when you get a book about how coincidence can have a part in shaping identity, all the better.
“How does a person become the person she is?” the narrator of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
We know from the outset of the story that Frankie has somehow infiltrated a secret all male society, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, on the campus of her exclusive prep school and masterminded some borderline criminal pranks. The story explores the how and the why.
The how is where coincidence comes in. Her father was a basset hound and she’s heard his stories. Her new boyfriend, Matthew, is a basset hound and when he blows off a date, she follows him to a secret meeting. It just happens that her roommate’s boyfriend has the keys to all the off limit places on campus. She met the basset hound “king”, Alpha, on the boardwalk the previous summer and when he summoned away for a few days over Halloween, it gives Frankie the opening she needs.
The why is more complicated. Frankie is certainly tired of being treated like an innocuous “bunny rabbit” (her nickname) in need of protection. She’s recently blossomed into a knock-out young woman, but she’s not content to be anyone’s arm candy. She’s a firm believer in the equality of the sexes and it irks her to be shut out of “the old boy’s club”.
Frankie is a strategist, a debater, and someone who wants to be a real “off-roader”. She asserts her unique identity by using “neglected positives” (i.e. ept to mean skilled – from inept) in everyday speech, by challenging the unwritten rules of who sits where in the caf, and of course by secretly taking over the basset hounds.
Frankie is a great character – one that I immensely enjoyed spending time with. And this is an excellent book – one that begs for a sequel!
Run and pick this one up ASAP. You will not be disappointed.
“How does a person become the person she is?” the narrator of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
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asks, adding, “This chronicle is an attempt to mark out the contributing elements in Frankie’s character. What led her to do the things she did: things she would later view with a curious mixture of hubris and regret.” We know from the outset of the story that Frankie has somehow infiltrated a secret all male society, the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, on the campus of her exclusive prep school and masterminded some borderline criminal pranks. The story explores the how and the why.
The how is where coincidence comes in. Her father was a basset hound and she’s heard his stories. Her new boyfriend, Matthew, is a basset hound and when he blows off a date, she follows him to a secret meeting. It just happens that her roommate’s boyfriend has the keys to all the off limit places on campus. She met the basset hound “king”, Alpha, on the boardwalk the previous summer and when he summoned away for a few days over Halloween, it gives Frankie the opening she needs.
The why is more complicated. Frankie is certainly tired of being treated like an innocuous “bunny rabbit” (her nickname) in need of protection. She’s recently blossomed into a knock-out young woman, but she’s not content to be anyone’s arm candy. She’s a firm believer in the equality of the sexes and it irks her to be shut out of “the old boy’s club”.
Frankie is a strategist, a debater, and someone who wants to be a real “off-roader”. She asserts her unique identity by using “neglected positives” (i.e. ept to mean skilled – from inept) in everyday speech, by challenging the unwritten rules of who sits where in the caf, and of course by secretly taking over the basset hounds.
Frankie is a great character – one that I immensely enjoyed spending time with. And this is an excellent book – one that begs for a sequel!
Run and pick this one up ASAP. You will not be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member norabelle414
Things changed for Frankie Landau-Banks between her freshman and sophomore years at Alabaster boarding school. She got curves and got prettier and suddenly she's caught the eye of Matthew Livingston: rich, smart, charismatic, and the most popular senior at the school. As his girlfriend, Frankie
The biggest disservice I have ever done to myself is not reading this book until now. I feel Frankie deep in my soul and if this book had existed when I was in high school and early college it would have changed the way I see the world. I feel the way that Frankie's demand for equality based on her gender sets her apart from everyone. She's self-assured enough to hang out with the boys but no matter how smart and confident she is, they will never let her be one of them. The boys treated Frankie like garbage in that way that's not really abuse and they don't know they're doing it, but they have just been trained since they were born that girls are less than boys (and live in an institution that reinforces that). I loved how Frankie really liked Matthew and wanted to do everything to earn his respect, while also knowing that she should not have to do so much to earn his respect. I loved the incorporation of philosophical concepts like panopticism. (I'm very into philosophy lately, can you tell?) I loved Frankie's word games. I loved the narrator's constant reminders that, no matter how this story ends, this is just a brief sliver of Frankie's life and girls like Frankie will change the world.
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gleefully gets caught up in his world of charming, carefree, clever rich boys. But they'll never truly let her be one of them, because she's just a girl. Matthew is always sneaking away and lying to Frankie about the existence of a secret society, for boys only. They'll never see how great she truly is, and they don't care to, because she's just a girl. So she'll have to make them see.The biggest disservice I have ever done to myself is not reading this book until now. I feel Frankie deep in my soul and if this book had existed when I was in high school and early college it would have changed the way I see the world. I feel the way that Frankie's demand for equality based on her gender sets her apart from everyone. She's self-assured enough to hang out with the boys but no matter how smart and confident she is, they will never let her be one of them. The boys treated Frankie like garbage in that way that's not really abuse and they don't know they're doing it, but they have just been trained since they were born that girls are less than boys (and live in an institution that reinforces that). I loved how Frankie really liked Matthew and wanted to do everything to earn his respect, while also knowing that she should not have to do so much to earn his respect. I loved the incorporation of philosophical concepts like panopticism. (I'm very into philosophy lately, can you tell?) I loved Frankie's word games. I loved the narrator's constant reminders that, no matter how this story ends, this is just a brief sliver of Frankie's life and girls like Frankie will change the world.
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LibraryThing member lynnm
A unique read with a really likeable heroine, Frankie Landau-Banks.
Frankie attends the prestigious Alabaster Prep Boarding School, where she finds herself part of the popular crowd after summer brings her new curves that catch the attention of her long-time crush, Matthew Livingston. Not only does
When Frankie manages to gain an inside look at the secret Royal Order of the Basset Hounds, the generations-old social club that Matthew and his friends belong to, she finally finds a way to really be a part of the gang. For a while, she sits at the top of the heap. But when secrets start to come out, Frankie realizes that she has to be true to herself, no matter what the cost.
I found Frankie to be a delightful character who serves as an excellent role model for teen girls because of her intelligence, resourcefulness, and determination to be more than a "pretty thing" with a "little mind". Too, the story and plot were quite unique and a refreshing departure from so many of the typical boys-meets-girl-angst-ensues that fill YA books these days. I also loved Lockhart's writing style and voice, very literary with an old-school feel that really lent itself to creating the atmosphere of the book.
That said, I found myself wishing we got to know Matthew and Alpha and the other male characters a bit better. We were only told how wonderful they all were, never really shown why it was that Frankie loved so much being a part of their group. In the end, I also found Matthew's behaviour to be reprehensible and so his entire character was destroyed for me.
In the end, this was a great book. I'd expected a lot due to the many positive reviews I'd read about it, so I think perhaps I felt a slight let-down. But I do recommend it to anyone who likes strong, smart heroines
Frankie attends the prestigious Alabaster Prep Boarding School, where she finds herself part of the popular crowd after summer brings her new curves that catch the attention of her long-time crush, Matthew Livingston. Not only does
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Matthew become Frankie's boyfriend, but his entire crew of tight-knit buddies come as part of the package. Frankie loves her new friends, but she can't help but feel that she will always remain an outsider because she is "only" a girlfriend. She'll only be valued for her pretty face and her appeal as arm candy, never respected for her thoughts or any contributions she might make to the fun they all have. When Frankie manages to gain an inside look at the secret Royal Order of the Basset Hounds, the generations-old social club that Matthew and his friends belong to, she finally finds a way to really be a part of the gang. For a while, she sits at the top of the heap. But when secrets start to come out, Frankie realizes that she has to be true to herself, no matter what the cost.
I found Frankie to be a delightful character who serves as an excellent role model for teen girls because of her intelligence, resourcefulness, and determination to be more than a "pretty thing" with a "little mind". Too, the story and plot were quite unique and a refreshing departure from so many of the typical boys-meets-girl-angst-ensues that fill YA books these days. I also loved Lockhart's writing style and voice, very literary with an old-school feel that really lent itself to creating the atmosphere of the book.
That said, I found myself wishing we got to know Matthew and Alpha and the other male characters a bit better. We were only told how wonderful they all were, never really shown why it was that Frankie loved so much being a part of their group. In the end, I also found Matthew's behaviour to be reprehensible and so his entire character was destroyed for me.
In the end, this was a great book. I'd expected a lot due to the many positive reviews I'd read about it, so I think perhaps I felt a slight let-down. But I do recommend it to anyone who likes strong, smart heroines
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LibraryThing member tiamatq
Frankie is about to start her sophomore year at Alabaster Prep School. A few things have changed for Frankie: her older sister has graduated and moved on to Berkeley; she's no longer seeing Porter, her first boyfriend; and Frankie has become a knockout over the summer. When Matthew Livingston, one
I can't say how much I loved this book. The writing is clever, the story is fun, Frankie is a character you can't resist, there's a little philosophy and a lot of feminism in the mix, and a library is made to look like a giant boob. What's not to like? I think many girls/women who read this will share Frankie's frustrations - being underestimated, being told how to look and act, and the fear of being shut out just based on gender. It's not necessarily a tidy story, though I think I assumed a high-school prank book was going to be. But it's a story I definitely recommend.
This book left me very gruntled.
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of the most popular seniors, finally notices and takes an interest in her, Frankie is thrilled. But although Matthew finds her adorable and pretty, Frankie wants him to see her as an equal, as a force to be reckoned with. It isn't long before Frankie begins to mastermind some of the most elaborate pranks ever performed on campus, all carried out by the secret, all-male Order of the Loyal Basset Hounds. If only they knew who was giving them orders.I can't say how much I loved this book. The writing is clever, the story is fun, Frankie is a character you can't resist, there's a little philosophy and a lot of feminism in the mix, and a library is made to look like a giant boob. What's not to like? I think many girls/women who read this will share Frankie's frustrations - being underestimated, being told how to look and act, and the fear of being shut out just based on gender. It's not necessarily a tidy story, though I think I assumed a high-school prank book was going to be. But it's a story I definitely recommend.
This book left me very gruntled.
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LibraryThing member bookgal123
Excellent. Frankie is an intelligent, ambitious, and aggressive young woman, and I wish she were real so that we could be friends.
LibraryThing member kayceel
Love! Frankie is a sophomore who simply wants to prove that she *can*, regardless of the *what*. Seeing the good-ole-boy world of her very posh, very competitive boarding school as sexist, unfair and outdated, she decides to turn the school's kinda-sorta secret society, the Loyal Order of the
Just as refreshing as Frankie is the style of the book - this is not another in the long list of "I'm so quirky" first-person teen narrators. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is written in omniscient third person, and the narrator is a wise observer of the action, only very occasionally stepping in to offer comment on the story's events and persons. He/she sagely assures that only those persons and events "of actual importance to this chronicle" will be spoken of, "and it is of no concern how [Frankie] decorated her dorm room."
I would love to spend more time with Frankie, and was sad to get to the end of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
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Basset Hounds, on its head. She'll both win and lose while fighting for her beliefs, and oh, how I loved taking the trip with her! Frankie's funny, smart, and loves a good play on words, AND she's dating the hottest senior boy on campus. Who *hasn't* been tempted by that daydream? Just as refreshing as Frankie is the style of the book - this is not another in the long list of "I'm so quirky" first-person teen narrators. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is written in omniscient third person, and the narrator is a wise observer of the action, only very occasionally stepping in to offer comment on the story's events and persons. He/she sagely assures that only those persons and events "of actual importance to this chronicle" will be spoken of, "and it is of no concern how [Frankie] decorated her dorm room."
I would love to spend more time with Frankie, and was sad to get to the end of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
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LibraryThing member taramatchi
I loved the main character! I love the fact that she was strong individual even though her reasons for doing the acts may have been immature. She was flawed, but rose to see herself as more than, just a pretty girl and earns respect due to her courage and inguinuity. I loved the ending as well,
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since it was not wrapped up is a nice little ending where everyone lives happily ever after... because as most of adults know there is more teen angst to come for most 15 year olds. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephxsu
The summer before her sophomore year at the esteemed Alabaster Prep boarding school, Frankie “Bunny Rabbit” Landau-Banks grows into an attractive young woman. With her new physique comes male attention in the form of Matthew Livingston, the handsome and self-assured senior Frankie’s had her
So Frankie decides to take things into her own hands. There is a secret society at school, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, that stands for camaraderie, disorder, pranking…and masculinity, for it is an all-male club. Frankie’s ultra-WASPy father was a proud basset hound, and so, now, are Matthew and his best friend, Alpha (correlation to his “pack” status totally intentional). But lately the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound has been slipping a bit in terms of the quality of prankstership. I mean, seriously, sticking forks in the grassy quad? How lamer can you get?
When Alpha leaves campus for a few days before Halloween, members of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound begin to receive emails from the mysterious [email protected], instructing them of what they have to do in order to carry out delightfully roguish pranks. Soon the whole school is in a stir over the “social activism” of the Basset Hounds’ pranks; students laud—or just laugh—at the pranks, while the faculty is worried about these students’ mode of expression for their dissatisfaction in, say, cafeteria food.
Alpha gallantly accepts credit for being TheAlphaDog, the mastermind of the recent great pranks, but when TheAlphaDog’s identity is compromised and they must reveal who they are, who is it really? And what are the consequences for that student for usurping the brotherly bond that is the Loyal Order?
E. Lockhart takes us through a delectable romp of the secret lives of boarding school students in a lively novel that combines feminism, teenage boys, and a hearty dose of pranking.
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eye on for a while; admittance into his enviable group of friends…and not much else, she soon begins to realize. For everyone only knows her as “Matthew’s Girl,” and if she even tries to make a semi-intelligent comment or argument, no one seems to really hear her.So Frankie decides to take things into her own hands. There is a secret society at school, The Loyal Order of the Basset Hound, that stands for camaraderie, disorder, pranking…and masculinity, for it is an all-male club. Frankie’s ultra-WASPy father was a proud basset hound, and so, now, are Matthew and his best friend, Alpha (correlation to his “pack” status totally intentional). But lately the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound has been slipping a bit in terms of the quality of prankstership. I mean, seriously, sticking forks in the grassy quad? How lamer can you get?
When Alpha leaves campus for a few days before Halloween, members of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hound begin to receive emails from the mysterious [email protected], instructing them of what they have to do in order to carry out delightfully roguish pranks. Soon the whole school is in a stir over the “social activism” of the Basset Hounds’ pranks; students laud—or just laugh—at the pranks, while the faculty is worried about these students’ mode of expression for their dissatisfaction in, say, cafeteria food.
Alpha gallantly accepts credit for being TheAlphaDog, the mastermind of the recent great pranks, but when TheAlphaDog’s identity is compromised and they must reveal who they are, who is it really? And what are the consequences for that student for usurping the brotherly bond that is the Loyal Order?
E. Lockhart takes us through a delectable romp of the secret lives of boarding school students in a lively novel that combines feminism, teenage boys, and a hearty dose of pranking.
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LibraryThing member emilyjean
It's so nice to read a teen novel that has a strong female character. In this story, Frankie (nicknamed as such because her father had hoped desperately for a boy) has what every teen girl wants: boobs, a boyfriend, and nice clothes. Except this kid is smart enough to realize that there is a ton
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more to life than lip gloss, and sets out to infiltrate a male-dominated secret club at her prep school. It's fast and fun, and the kind of book this adult reader needs in order to de-stress at the end of a long day. I can't wait to recommend this book to a couple of young women on my staff. Show Less
LibraryThing member Liviania
THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS features what I've come to expect from E. Lockhart - comedy, characterization, and competent writing. However, THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY is no fluff book. Frankie struggles to be recognized as an equal by her male peers and her family. She does this
She pushes things to the limit. She enjoys power. Her plans, while well-executed, do not have the expected effect on the populace. She's high-minded, reckless, and many of her actions should not be emulated. For all that, she's a wonderful heroine. She doesn't play nice, but she plays for the right things. Girls should be frustrated with being condescended to, and they shouldn't be underestimated due to a lack of a Y chromosome. (Actually, one of the book's few flaws came after the climax, so I don't feel right discussing it in the review, but it has to do with this concept.)
I also like that the boys who make Frankie so frustrated in THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY aren't bad people. They're just average boys. They make mistakes, but they aren't simply evil male chauvinist pigs.
Lockhart also plays with the way she tells the story. She begins with a framing letter and anecdotes, building an excitement for what Frankie will become despite a rather innocuous beginning. The tone is playful, but ominous. Lockhart plays with language not only through the structure, but with the dialogue. Both Frankie and her boyfriend Matthew enjoy wordplay. Frankie's is inspired by P. G. Wodehouse; Matt's comes from his inner copyeditor. Lockhart's choices come together to create a unique voice that helps THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY rise above her other novels just as much as the unconventional Frankie.
I highly recommend this novel. It's not perfect, but it has a spark to it. It sticks out in my mind from the other novels I've read recently. There's hijinks, anger, love, and plenty of food for thought. Frankie has good ideas and bad ideas, but many are ideas that should be heard and then pondered further.
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by orchestrating grand pranks at the Alabaster Preparatory Academy using the manpower of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. Frankie is clever, ambitious, strong, and feminine. But E. Lockhart does not paint her as perfect. She pushes things to the limit. She enjoys power. Her plans, while well-executed, do not have the expected effect on the populace. She's high-minded, reckless, and many of her actions should not be emulated. For all that, she's a wonderful heroine. She doesn't play nice, but she plays for the right things. Girls should be frustrated with being condescended to, and they shouldn't be underestimated due to a lack of a Y chromosome. (Actually, one of the book's few flaws came after the climax, so I don't feel right discussing it in the review, but it has to do with this concept.)
I also like that the boys who make Frankie so frustrated in THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY aren't bad people. They're just average boys. They make mistakes, but they aren't simply evil male chauvinist pigs.
Lockhart also plays with the way she tells the story. She begins with a framing letter and anecdotes, building an excitement for what Frankie will become despite a rather innocuous beginning. The tone is playful, but ominous. Lockhart plays with language not only through the structure, but with the dialogue. Both Frankie and her boyfriend Matthew enjoy wordplay. Frankie's is inspired by P. G. Wodehouse; Matt's comes from his inner copyeditor. Lockhart's choices come together to create a unique voice that helps THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY rise above her other novels just as much as the unconventional Frankie.
I highly recommend this novel. It's not perfect, but it has a spark to it. It sticks out in my mind from the other novels I've read recently. There's hijinks, anger, love, and plenty of food for thought. Frankie has good ideas and bad ideas, but many are ideas that should be heard and then pondered further.
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
This is a great book for any girl who ever felt she'd been underestimated or ignored or treated as a fluffy object to be looked at and held.
"Matthew had called her harmless. Harmless. And being with him made Frankie feel squashed into a box - a box where she was expected to be sweet and sensitive
This quote sums up the actions of the main character, Frankie Landau-Banks. She manages to find a book that has been lost for thirty years. It details the activities of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, a club that until now had been just boys. When she starts to read it, she is struck by the sense of togetherness the boys have as a result of pulling pranks. She feels very much alone. She also finds a key, stuck to the back jacket of the book. The key is to the library basement. Later that day Frankie finds out that Alpha (who is the chief prank planner) is going to be away for four days, and she decides it is the perfect opportunity for her to orchestrate her own prank in his absence. She does, but when he returns, he takes the credit. Frankie then starts masterminding a whole bunch of other pranks involving basset hounds and Alpha still has no idea who she is. She's really happy with what she is doing. It fulfills her feminist nature. Even at home, they think she needs a boyfriend to take care of her, and she doesn't like that. She also comes to a realization that Matthew is never going to let her in on his secret and that really bothers her. Later, when everything unravels, she says, "I wanted to - prove myself. I wanted to make things happen, wanted to show that I'm as smart as any of you, or smarter eve, when all you ever think is that I'm adorable." I liked everything about the book except the very ending when she seems to have regrets, extends an excuse to Matthew to come to her room, gets rejected and then acts like she didn't want it in the first place. I'd have definitely left out the regret and the tears if I'd written the book.
"Matthew had called her harmless. Harmless. And being with him made Frankie feel squashed into a box - a box where she was expected to be sweet and sensitive
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(but not oversensitive); a box for young and pretty girls who were not as bright or powerful as their boyfriends. A box for people who were not forces to be reckoned with. Frankie wanted to be a force." pg 214 This quote sums up the actions of the main character, Frankie Landau-Banks. She manages to find a book that has been lost for thirty years. It details the activities of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, a club that until now had been just boys. When she starts to read it, she is struck by the sense of togetherness the boys have as a result of pulling pranks. She feels very much alone. She also finds a key, stuck to the back jacket of the book. The key is to the library basement. Later that day Frankie finds out that Alpha (who is the chief prank planner) is going to be away for four days, and she decides it is the perfect opportunity for her to orchestrate her own prank in his absence. She does, but when he returns, he takes the credit. Frankie then starts masterminding a whole bunch of other pranks involving basset hounds and Alpha still has no idea who she is. She's really happy with what she is doing. It fulfills her feminist nature. Even at home, they think she needs a boyfriend to take care of her, and she doesn't like that. She also comes to a realization that Matthew is never going to let her in on his secret and that really bothers her. Later, when everything unravels, she says, "I wanted to - prove myself. I wanted to make things happen, wanted to show that I'm as smart as any of you, or smarter eve, when all you ever think is that I'm adorable." I liked everything about the book except the very ending when she seems to have regrets, extends an excuse to Matthew to come to her room, gets rejected and then acts like she didn't want it in the first place. I'd have definitely left out the regret and the tears if I'd written the book.
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LibraryThing member welkinscheek
I love Frankie's honest, clever and authentic voice, though the boys' interactions seemed, at times, forced. It is so wonderful to read a feminist teen book.
Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Young People's Literature — 2008)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2010)
The Morning News Tournament of Books (Short List — 2009)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Teen — 2011)
Gateway Readers Award (Nominee — 2011)
Green Mountain Book Award (Nominee — 2011)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2011)
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2011)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Recommended — 2011)
Florida Teens Read Award (Nominee — 2010)
Printz Award (Honor — 2009)
Isinglass Teen Read Award (Nominee — 2010)
Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers (Nominee — 2011)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2010)
CYBILS Awards (Winner — Young Adult Fiction — 2008)
South Carolina Book Awards (Nominee — Young Adult Book Award — 2011)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2009)
CCBC Choices (2009)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2008)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2009)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2010)
OYAN Book Rave (2009)
Language
Original publication date
2008-03-25
Physical description
352 p.; 8.44 inches
ISBN
9780786838196
Local notes
Over the course of one summer, Frankie Landau-Banks, a somewhat geeky girl with an unassuming nature, has developed into a 15-year-old with an attention-grabbing figure, a new attitude, and sights set on making changes at her elite boarding school.
Other editions
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Hardcover)