E. Lockhart's The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

I loved this book. Loved it. No real complaints here...no inner-prude diatribes. Reading something like a newer and more light-hearted Dead Poet's Society (please forgive this loose allusion), The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks explores one young woman's foray into private school secret societies and power struggles. E. Lockhart writes witty prose that is both accessible and complex. In other words, an adult doesn't feel like a 6th grader when reading it.

Frankie "develops" over the summer and suddenly gets noticed by her dream guy. Through her relationship with Mr. Popularity and based on things she's observed from her father and his "old boy" cronies from the same institution, Frankie finds a way to secretly get herself entwined with the Basset Hounds (an all-male secret society on campus). Fueled by a paper in one of her classes, Frankie pushes beyond pranks and into social protesting with hilarious and poignant results.

But why is she doing all of this? Well, I wont delve into that train of thought...but I will say that it has something to do with not only power, but that deep-seeded tendency we have as teens to want to be liked.

This book is a great read. It's funny and honest. A young girl definitely comes into her own and establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with while at the same time, experiencing some of the painful teenage dilemmas.

Other great things about this book - No vampires, demons, drug abuse or under aged sex...Yippee!