SLIDER

Nobody Puts "Bunny" in a Corner

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

Release Date: March 2008
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 342 pages
Source & Format: Library; Hardcover
Amazon | Goodreads

Sum It Up (from Goodreads)
Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father's "bunny rabbit."
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer.
Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.
Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew's lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frank Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

Amen, Sister Friend
Having recently finished the Ruby Oliver books, I can honestly say that I love E. Lockhart's heroines. In fact, I think I may love Frankie best of all. She's smart and clever, and she knows it. She's comfortable in her skin and confident in her abilities. I love that she's tired of being underestimated and decides to take matters in to her own hands.

I absolutely loved getting to know her and seeing how her mind worked. This is one heroine I won't soon forget!

Literary Love: Don't Underestimate Her

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Frankie snags Matthew Livingston. He's got it all: wealth, status and power. He belong to a journalism empire, which means he's got a rich future ahead of him. He's a senior and one of the most popular guys in the entire school, so you know he's a total status symbol. He's also the leader of The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, Alabaster Academy's illustrious secret society. And entire group of guys will do his bidding. So, he's definitely a good catch. But he doesn't see Frankie's true value. He underestimates her, and he never sees beyond the box he's put her in.

Then there's Alpha. He's a legend at Alabaster. His bad behavior and escapades have earned him the respect and admiration of the entire school body. However, Frankie doesn't know where the rumor ends and the truth begins. There's some chemistry here, but you'll have to read the book for yourself to see if anything comes of it.

Word Nerd: Standard Lockhart & Loved It
I really love Lockhart's writing. It's clever and draws you in. She writes charming and believable heroines. Her setting comes alive. I don't even think I need to say more.

By far my favorite part of this writing in this book was the presence of imaginary neglected positives. While doing research in the library, Frankie discovers P.G. Wodehouse's "Code of the Woosters." So begins her obsession with neglected positives. If being disgruntled meant you were discontent, wouldn't gruntled mean the opposite? Frankie begins created "imaginary neglected positives." These INPs made for such a fun addition to the book, and it added a really adorable aspect to Frankie's personality.

Extra, Extra: Preptastic
I loved that this book was set in a boarding school, and Lockhart did such a great job of making it come alive. I honestly felt like I was a student there, and I was picturing everything in my mind. I could also imagine the entire social order. This is a world where wealth and popularity matter, and you can really see that as the book progressed.

Extra, Extra: Pranks
The pranks were absolutely one of the best part of this book. I couldn't wait to see what Frankie was going to come up with next!

So Quotable
"Secrets are more powerful when people know you've got them."

"Frankie appreciated both the accolades and the rejections equally, because both meant she'd had an impact. She wasn't a person who needed to be liked so much as she was a person who liked to be notorious." 

Bottom Line: SO GOOD!
This is all I've got left to say: I love Frankie Landau-Banks. Don't underestimate this girl (or this book).

11 comments

  1. Hooray for Frankie! I loved this as much as the Ruby books, Emily is such a fantastic writer and I especially enjoyed the INPs that Frankie used all the time, clever girl!

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    1. I wondered if Frankie would even be able to compete with Ruby, but I was so impressed! She was awesome!

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  2. I'm so glad that you reviewed this one and that you liked it so much! I've actually had this on audio for a couple of months now, but for some reason I wasn't motivated to try it out. You've made it sound totally intriguing, and I think I'll probably listen to it next! What can I say, I'm a sucker for boarding schools. :P

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    1. I'm a total sucker for boarding schools, too. I don't know what it is because I wouldn't ever want to live in one, but they are SO FUN to read about. And Frankie is unlike any character I've ever read before. She's definitely a girl all her own. Such a fun read!

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  3. Frankie! I love her. She's one of my all time favorites and so is the book!

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    1. She's so unique! I just loved her and her pranks.

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  4. Lately we've been reading tons of the same books! I am reviewing this one in a couple of weeks. I also loved the neglected positives -- I really want to read P.G. Wodehouse! Frankie was such an awesome character -- I wish she'd been my roommate in college, haha.

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    1. I know - we have been reading a ton of the same books! And I'm loving it because it's made it that much more fun to read your blog. I love being able to compare our thoughts on books :) Plus, you have great taste in books so if you read a book I haven't gotten to yet & enjoy it - I'm that much more motivated to add it to my list!

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  5. I'm so glad you loved this book. I loved it as well, but a couple of my friends weren't crazy about it because they thought the ending was kind of meh, but we had a good discussion about it! I loved Frankie and how boss she was, taking charge, making things happen. And the boarding school bit was awesome, too.

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    1. I can see why your friends might say that, but the ending didn't detract from the book in my opinion. I thought the whole thing was really fun! Frankie is the bomb.

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  6. I started this book, thought it was DARLING, then flipped to the end and lost all my desire to finish the book, haha. Your review makes me want to pick it up back up again! Judging from the previous comments, maybe the ending makes better sense in context? I really did like Lockhart's writing.

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