The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

I am feeling so tired today. My brother and his family are here, and while I love them dearly, I'm exhausted since I haven't been able to sleep much. The baby has been in the bathroom sleeping and she wakes up in the middle of the night and jabbers away. Since the bathroom is in my bedroom...wow, let's just say that I haven't been in a bad mood like this in a long time, and I am doing my best not to let everyone know how grumpy I am. I get emotional, but I'm hardly every grumpy. Grumpy is something I got over several years ago.

Anyway, because I'm so tired, I thought I would post another older book review. I've made no secret that I adore most of E. Lockhart's books. I think this is my favorite thus far. I hope she comes out with something new...soon! And I would love it if she wrote another Frankie novel. It is soooooooo good!!!

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


E. Lockhart is quickly becoming my hero. I love her characters and her sense of style. Her young heroines are flawed, bold, funny, and definitely unique. I like it when a character comes alive. And Lockhart's characters are just that...alive.

So Frankie is dating the most popular boy in school. She's pretty and she's smart. But she has a few things to figure out about herself (like most sophomore high school girls do). Like what to do when your super hot, popular and even nice boyfriend wants you to be just adorable, naive, fun loving, easy going? Or what if you discover that you are clever and can be brash and bold but others expect something different of you, something quieter, more predictable? How do you balance wanting that super hot, popular, nice boyfriend with wanting to be true to who you are? Can you be true to both? Can you totally care for someone but recognize that they just aren't right for you and still be happy? Sort of reminded me of The Way We Were. A girl falls in love with a guy that she thinks could be everything she wants, but he seems fine with the status quo. He doesn't want the "more" that she cannot live without.

And that is what I loved about this book. Beyond the hilarious pranks that Frankie is able to pull off through the genius of her imagination and a little (or maybe a lot of) manipulation, Frankie has to make a difficult decision. She really struggles to figure out what matters most to her. I found I could totally relate to her. I think any girl who has wanted to be both - both the pretty, sweet, demure girl and the bold, smart, sassy girl - can relate. And since that is most women, I think that is what makes this a true feminist's book. It presents the dilemma honestly. Frankie isn't dating the biggest jerk on the planet, which I really appreciate. I don't like stereotypical "popular" boys who are bad and so obviously wrong for the "perfect" female protagonist. And Frankie doesn't come to the right conclusion every time. She fumbles around a bit while she's figuring it out. As a result, the conclusions Frankie comes to are a bit painful and left me feeling slightly uneasy in the end. I'm not sure I would have done the things that Frankie did. But I sure want believe I have the guts to do them.

That and I want more Frankie books :)!


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