Publisher:
Hot Key Books
Release
Date: 6th
November 2014
Edition:
UK paperback,
purchased
Other
Titles by this Author: The Boyfriend List, The Boy
Book, The Treasure Map of Boys, Real Live Boyfriends, Fly on the Wall,
Dramarama, We
Were Liars
Frankie
Landau-Banks attends one of the most privileged schools in the country.
She
is popular, cute and funny.
Her
main preoccupation is the gorgeous Matthew Livingston.
But
that’s not all there is to Frankie.
She’s
also smart.
Then
Frankie discovers Matthew has been keeping secrets from her.
What
will she do to get even? How far will she go?
It’s
up to Frankie...
Before the fuss about We Were Liars I had fallen in love with
Ruby Oliver so I knew that E Lockhart could write kickass, interesting and
brilliant leading ladies. Frankie Landau-Banks is the queen of kickass,
interesting and brilliant leading ladies.
From the get go it is
established that Frankie’s leading trait is intelligence and the transformation
that occurred over her summer between freshman and sophomore year. Though gaining
curves, taming the mane and growing into your face is a regular occurrence is a
regular YA trope, but a female lead defined by her intelligence? A worryingly
rare thing.
Something that came of Frankie
intelligence was her self-awareness. I have never seen a relationship depicted
in a novel where one of the characters remains thoroughly in love with the
other person but also realises how different they have been made. Frankie can
see how being with Matthew is affecting her, how he unconsciously tries to
mould and change her into what he thinks she is or should be. And she fights it
in the most epic way she can thing of – beating him at his own games behind his
back.
The pranks that Frankie
engineers through The Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds are more than just disruptive
ingenuity, they say something. They challenge the sexist, elitist and
religiously exclusive traditions of Alabaster (the name of the school tells you
all you need to know...) that have been ignored or pushed aside because they
don’t bother the majority of staff and students who are male, white, affluent,
Ivy-bound and secure that nothing can touch them. Frankie and her Bassett Hound
exploits are a fantastic introduction to feminism, strong and capable heroines
and incredible contemporary YA.
The
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is a must-read and I can’t believe it took me so
long to get to it, and for it to be published in the UK. I actually prefer it
to We Were Liars.
Sophie
I loved this young-feminism twist, Frankie was one amazing heroine!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this. If only I had a bit more time! Grumble grumble.
ReplyDeleteSounds ace, great review!