The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Bankes, E. Lockhart

Frankie Landau-Banks is fourteen years old at the beginning of the novel, a freshman at Alabaster Prep, a prestigious boarding school. Frankie is nothing special, but over the summer she grows into a beauty and manages to snag Matthew Livingston, one of the most popular senior boys at Alabaster, in her sophomore year. Matthew and his friends, most noticeably his best friend, a boy named Alpha (for being the alpha dog), are members of a secret society. When Matthew refuses to even acknowledge the existence of the secret club to her, Frankie decides, rather than getting even, she'll prove to Matthew and the others that she is worthy of becoming a member. In an ingenious plan, she soon has the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds doing her bidding, pulling off such memorable pranks on campus as the Ladies, the Doggies in the Window, and the ultimate heist of the Guppy, the traditional symbol of the campus.

Along the way, Frankie learns a lot about herself, relationships, the politics of gender, and power; most importantly, however, Frankie learns that she'll never be part of the good old boys club, simply because she is a girl.

I really enjoyed this book. Frankie Landau-Bankes is a strong, smart, capable female hero, one who thinks for herself and isn't afraid to try to get what she wants. I really enjoyed the verbal banter between the characters, but particularly in the way that Frankie uses words. The way she manipulates the boys into carrying out her pranks is truly devious. I wish she weren't quite so willing to be the girl she thinks Matthew wants her to be, but in the end she has decided to be just who she is -- with or without a boyfriend.

2008, NY: Hyperion