YA Wednesday: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

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

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

I saw this book in a classroom library about 5 years ago, and I've wanted to read it ever since. I should have gotten to it sooner--this book rocks.

Some people have complained that this book wasn't feminist enough, but since I didn't go into it with any inklings of it being a feminist novel, that didn't bother me. It's about a 15-year-old girl who is just now beginning to realize that life isn't fair--because she's a girl. She's not a feminist. She's only beginning to be bothered by life's double standards, by the guy's-only exclusivity of her school. She has barely begun to think of these things, so how can she be a feminist?

Frankie is in love with a guy, although their relationship never feels very deep to me. Maybe it's because of all the secrecy that keeps them apart, as he's a member of the secret (male-only, of course) society on their elite boarding school campus. Frankie hates the secrecy, and the doors that are closed to her in all areas of her life, but most of all, that she can't become a member of this society and become even closer to her boyfriend, to share everything with him. Does this sound feminist?

I thought Frankie was clever and a fun protagonist to go along with. Sure, she's a bit nuts, and a bit of a stalker, but still, she was fun. I don't think this book should be some kind of guide for feminist thinking or anything, but I do think the author did a good job in showing the double standards of society, of pointing out that kind of exclusive thinking and how unfair it is. I think she does a good job of showing how it feels to be in this minority party, to show how it can drive a person nuts that they can't do anything about it.

I loved Frankie's antics, but I think if this was a feminist novel, she would have wanted to start her own club for girls, which I kept waiting for, but it never happened. Also, I think our protagonist would have had to have a better reason for wanting to join the boys than wanting to impress her boyfriend's friends and get closer to him. She would have had to be a better friend to her roommate, and the other female characters would have been better developed. Thinking of this book as some kind of intro to feminism is probably not a good idea. Thinking of it as an excellent read with a fun, engaging protagonist and a fast-paced plot, along with a bit of an examination of the unfairness women face every day in things as inconsequential as high-school bonding rituals makes for one of the most unputdownable books I've read this year. For a while, I've been running across big disappointments in the contemporary YA section. I've been waiting for a book that would suck me in and not let go, and this was the one.

Rating: 10+ No cursing, very mild sexual situations (think kissing), and no violence.




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Virgin, by Radhika Sanghani--New Adult Book Review

 I got an arc copy of this through Netgalley. In honor of it's release on August 5, here's a review. Run out and get it on Tuesday!

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

I love books that make me laugh. That's all there is to it. If a book can make me laugh out loud even once, it's pretty much guaranteed 3 stars even if it's crap. And this book is not crap.

In short, it's about a girl trying to lose her virginity. But it's also about so much more. Considering the shallow topic/plot of the book, I was expecting it to be a lot of fluff. But for someone who places such importance on such a thing as virginity, our protagonist is actually smart and somewhat empowered. It was a very female book, and even though it has a great message about accepting ourselves, it is definitely not for everyone (especially those uncomfortable with the word "vagina"). This book is all about loving oneself completely, as our protag Ellie learns to do.

But aside from the important feminist issues cloaked in the silly, candy-coated shell, this book is just real. It's like reading someone's diary--someone very honest with herself. I doubt most people are even this honest in their diaries, so I applaud the author for not shying away from squirm-inducing topics. On top of that, the characters are loveable as well as real and honest. Even when some parts get predictable or obvious(her mom walking in on her, Jack talking about someone else), they still work. You are waiting for them to happen, cringing because you know they will, but it doesn't make them any less painful when they do.

By the end of the book, when I hit the 90% mark, I was so invested that I got a bit teary-eyed when Ellie is rejected. I wanted to punch the guy...but I also wanted to say, "Yes, this exact thing happened to me!" It didn't, but this book felt so real that for a second, I thought it had. I WAS Ellie in that moment. I've had enough similar situations that it felt completely real. And that's where this book succeeds--because we've all been rejected, or misread the signs, or gotten our hopes up, or gotten crushed and had to pick ourselves up and start over (and the lucky ones have had friends as good as Ellie's to bring wine, encouragement and their own horror stories).

I would recommend this frank, hilarious book to just about all women, but especially those in the 18-30 age group. THIS is the new-adult book I've been waiting for. THIS is the book I was excited to read when I heard about the new-adult category. Not another romance with a generic plot-line and carbon-copy characters.

I could not stop reading this book. I found every excuse I could to read more of it. I used precious moments when I should have been doing other things, but all I wanted to do was keep reading. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me become the character. It grabbed me and didn't let go. All that adds up to a 5-star read. This book may not change your life, but it will make you feel good. Sometimes, that's enough all by itself. Not every book needs to be THE NEXT BIG THING. This book is like it's message--it doesn't try to be something it's not. And that's just fine with me. For what it is, it's perfect in itself.





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