Darlings,
I just couldn’t wait any longer. I know the year is not yet over, but I’ve received galleys taking me all the way up through the end of December, and while there have been many, many fantastic books this year, none have captivated me as much as E. Lockhart’s incredible story of a 15-year-old girl who crosses social boundaries when she infiltrates an all-boys’ secret society.
Frankie begins her sophomore year at Alabaster Preparatory Academy and is almost instantly noticed by one of the hottest guys on campus — one who never seemed to know she existed the previous year, though she crushed on him even then. It’s an auspicious start to the school year: she is “in” with the most goofy, glamorous, interesting crowd on campus. Only she isn’t, really. Because she is nothing more than a girlfriend. She can never be a full member of the tribe, and she knows her boyfriend is keeping secrets from her. He asks her not to be so “sensitive,” tells her how cute she is, and generally treats her like gold.
But Frankie isn’t satisfied. She wants to be known as brilliant and funny. She wants to be respected. And so she infiltrates the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, a secret society to which her own father once belonged.
The Disreputable History gets right to the heart of what it means to be only a girl, even in these supposedly liberated times. But while Lockhart explores social issues that we could debate for hours on end, her work is by no means overwrought. It’s funny, insightful, and honestly the best book I’ve read this year. Indeed, it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. (The evidence of this novel’s awesomeness is quite compelling, and clearly an opinion shared by many others: not only did Oprah choose The Disreputable History as one of her inaugural picks for her teen book club, but the novel is also a National Book Award finalist.)
Back in the good old days, I wrote a newspaper column on the best “trashy” books out there. I focused mainly on chick lit and some of the more goofy teen books. Just before Lockhart’s novel The Boyfriend List came out, a publicist was kind enough to send me a copy. I remember reading it and thinking, “This won’t do. This won’t do at all. It’s just not trashy enough. It’s too good.”
And as her career has progressed, Lockhart has proven to be extremely skilled in writing books that get to the heart of things. Important things, like why young women are so often treated like dolls rather than equals. Fly on the Wall, one of Lockhart’s other awesome books, examines some of these same issues with a clever twist in which the protagonist, Gretchen, turns into a fly after reading Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, then spends most of her time on the wall in her high school’s boys’ locker room.
The Disreputable History takes Lockhart’s exploration further, and it’s not only an interesting dissection of teen social boundaries, it’s also a genuinely enjoyable read. Frankie’s pranks — which I’ll leave you to find out about for yourselves — are brilliant and funny and generally make you wish you could pull some of them off yourself.
In fact, I have to say that if it weren’t for the fact that this novel is pretty much perfect as it is, I would be begging for a sequel. Thanks, E., for sharing such an awesome story with us.
Oh, and if you haven’t already gotten yourself a copy? Do so immediately. I mean, even Oprah says to read it. So hurry up, and then come tell me what you think.
Much love,
brina
I loved this book too and hopefully Little Willow and I will be doing a discussion on it for GuysLitWire eventually. It’s such a good book. You did a great review!
I’m so glad you’re back.
I. Loved. This. Book. So very much.
I mooched a copy of this yesterday!
I absolutely adored The Disreputable History. Fly on the Wall is next on my list
And Kafka is usually an absolute nightmare for me, so I’m interested in seeing where this will go…
Nina, you won’t be disappointed in Fly on the Wall:The students are studying Kafka, but Lockhart really uses that as a jumping-off point for her own story.
Alea, please do come back and tell us what you think!
As for the rest of you, precisely what about The Disreputable History did you love? Over the summer a friend of mine asked for book recommendations, and I highly praised this particular tome. She read it, then e-mailed me that it was okay, but not that great and why did I recommend it to her? (Looking back, said friend is a wonderful, intelligent person, but not so big on social change or being, you know, subversive.) And if there is one word to sum up The Disreputable History, it is subversive.
So let’s get a little discussion going here, yeah? This is THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR. I want y’all to to tell me why.
Fly on the Wall was seriously excellent. I got it this afternoon and read it in one sitting. B-e-a-u-tiful.
Nina, I’m so glad you liked it, in spite of Kafka usually being a nightmare for you. I told you it was only riffing on and not rewriting The Metamorphosis.
Even my boyfriend read Fly on the Wall — without telling me! I woke up one morning and found the book oddly sitting on the dining room table, when I knew it had been on my bookshelf the day before. It turned out he was reading it for twenty minutes at a time when he got home at night (this was when he was finishing grad school, and generally getting home long after I’d gone to sleep myself). I seem to recall him saying he enjoyed it.
Three cheers, two thumbs up, and a big HURRAH! for this book. LOVE it.
I thought Graceling was my fav of 08 but in plopped The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks onto my lap. How could a novel be so flawless and funny and refreshing and brilliant? Right on for picking it as your best of 08. I couldn’t agree more!
This is was such a fantastic book. I really enjoyed it. I recommend that everyone reads it.