Review: The Disreputable story of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Title: The Disreputable story of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Published March 25th 2008 by Hyperion
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While I liked some parts, and the story-line, and Frankie was definitely a good character (at the start of the book at least), I was very disappointed with the ending.

I was so excited to dig in, Frankie goes to a very upscale, very preppy school where everyone is son of the president and stuff. Frankie is not rich but her father is an old-alum and he was able to get Frankie and her sister Zada in. In her freshman year, Frankie is always in her sister’s shadow; tall, lanky and frizzy-haired, Frankie was invisible.

But a year later Zada is off to college and Frankie returns to school all grown up (if you know that I mean). This of course attracts attention from the guys there, including Matthew Livingston, the most popular senior in all school. But a relationship with Matthew also includes a relationship with his inseparable friends Alfa and whats-his-name.

The three guys are part of a secret, men-only society called The Hound dogs and Frankie, a feminist and also a bit of a jealous girlfriend, finds a way to secretly lead all the Hound Dog boys into doing some creative (and socially conscious) pranks.

Now it had all the potential to be an amazing book. Frankie started off great, all witty and sassy and putting men in their place, but as the story progressed and she fell more for Matthew she got kind of pathetic.

All through the book I was waiting for the moment Frankie would find a way to show everyone that she was the mastermind behind the pranks, that she is as (or even more) intelligent than the Hound Dogs and that she doesn’t need Matthew to be awesome. It was kind of dissapointing that she blamed it on love, but really, how much in love can a 15 year old be? and maybe she was just in love with the idea of Matthew. I don't know, all I know is that when she was around him she was kind of an airhead, and when she wasn't with him she was Brain.

But sadly, she let me down and with her, all the book went. I loved some parts of course, the emails she sent her ex-boyfriend Porter were genius, and I wish she had stayed that awesome through the whole book. Also, she deserved much better than Matthew Livingston (son of the owner of the biggest newspapers in America) and it made me so sad she couldn’t see it.