Relating to Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is a story about a high school girl who undergoes a physical and emotional transformation over the summer. She changes from "a homely child to a loaded potato" as her figure fills out and she gains a high sense of self-confidence. Armed with this new personality, she returns to her school, Alabaster Prep and immediately snags the unattainable Matthew and begins to unload many baffling pranks on the unsuspecting students of the school. She begins to take command of all those around her as she tries to invade the all-male secret society of which her boyfriend is a member. Soon she is controlling its members like pawns in a chess game.

If I had to recommend one demographic to read this novel, I think it would be males (high school boys if young, fathers of young girls if old). The main reason for this is the valuable insight which it gives into the psyche of a young adolescent girl and in a sense all young adolescent girls. While Frankie might have more Machiavellian ambition than most high school females, she still acts like a lot of them. She swoons over Matthew in the same way that many girls do. This would help boys understand that just how different girls may view relationships with the opposite sex and what is really valuable to a high school-aged girl. Also, it could open a whole new field of understanding for fathers. If a young girl's dad just doesn't get why their daughter spends so much time focused on the minutiae of their outfit, looks or boys, perhaps reading this book can let them in on what high school looks like through female eyes.

Of course, that is not to say that girls surely won't get a lot out of this novel. In fact, it is specifically targeted for them. For all females who have ever experienced a double-standard or the unfairness of the opposite sex, they can certainly reap the benefits of Frankie Landau-Banks. But maybe it can unlock a surprising door into the female mind for the male readers.

Recommendation: For many different aforementioned reasons, a good read for each individual demographic.