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

Frankie Landau-Banks is smarter than the average fifteen year old girl, and she’s determined to prove it to a secret society of boys in The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. Frankie is known as “Bunny Rabbit” to her a family, a name that annoys her because she feels that they underestimate her. 

When she returns to Alabaster boarding school for her sophomore year, she is minus her older sister (who graduated) and plus some new curves that developed over the summer. Suddenly the boys on campus find her attractive, and she finds herself being asked to a party by Matthew Livingston, a senior who she’s had a crush on since her freshman year. Matthew is sweet and loving, but she soon finds that he will cancel plans with her in favor of his friend Alpha. Frankie deals with this until Matthew cancels a much-anticipated date night. Upset, she follows him, and finds that he is meeting with the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds—an all male club her father belonged to during his days at Alabaster. Frankie becomes increasingly obsessed with the club and being able to be a part of it. She takes it upon herself to find the club’s history, entitled “The Disreputable History of the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds.” Upon finding it, she master-minds several campus-wide pranks which she gets the boys in the club to execute by masquerading as Alpha. Alpha goes along with her plans and takes credit for them, but soon the school is calling the pranks “vandalism” and someone is going to have to take the fall.

Frankie is a believable teenage girl with insecurities and a brilliant mind. The story is told from a third person perspective, by a narrator who is very matter-of-fact, which makes the book feel almost like a police case of psychology study at times. There is adventure and romance galore, all rolled into the feeling of exclusiveness that seems to automatically accompany a boarding school setting. The rule breaking that is performed by the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds often has a deeper meaning behind the surface of the prank, but it is never anything too dark or serious. Indeed, the pranks are often a call for some sort of improvement to Alabaster or to do away with the “old boy” mentality. This book is a wonderful read, and girls who have been waiting for a female with the capability of being an evil genius to emerge will be pleased. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Reviewed by Mrs. Fribley