College life can be complicated—challenging, rewarding, downright frustrating—and a lot of fun. Warren University freshman Cassandra “Cassie” Davis is more than up for all of it. Which leaves Cassie facing the dreaded F-word… Fraternity—specifically Delta Tau Chi, a frat house on the verge of being banned from the school. Accused of offensive, sexist behavior, they have one year to clean up their act. With one shot at a scholarship to the school of her dreams, Cassie pitches an unusual research project—to pledge Delta Tau Chi, take on the boys’ club and provide proof of their misogynistic behavior. It’s different, but it’s not against the rules, and she’s pretty sure she knows exactly what to expect once she gets there. Which means the DTC brothers will have to face the dreaded F-word… Feminist—the type of girl who thinks they’re nothing but tank-top-wearing “bros” and is determined to see them booted from the school. But Cassie soon realizes things aren’t as simple as they appeared. Some of the DTC brothers, including her fellow pledge, Jordan Louis, are much more than she ever expected to find in a frat house. With her academic future on the line, and her heart all tangled in a web of her own making, Cassie will ultimately have to define for herself what the F-word is all about.
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- YA Fiction & Indies
- Young Adult Fiction
- Frat Girl
Frat Girl
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Age Range
14+
Release Date
March 27, 2018
ISBN
978-0373212347
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Editor reviews
2 reviews
A Feminist Joins a Frat!
Overall rating
4.3
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College life is rarely (if ever) simple, and in Kiley Roache's FRAT GIRL, Cassie Davis makes things even harder on herself by tying her full-ride scholarship to an elite school to a controversial secret research project: Cassie becomes a pledge at a fraternity, and she documents everything that happens over the course of her first year there in an effort to expose the misogynistic behavior she expects to find. And she doesn't choose just any frat. Cassie is determined to join Delta Tau Chi as a legacy (her dad was a DTC), and it's a fraternity that is on probation specifically for its treatment of women.
The premise of FRAT GIRL had me at the get-go, and I loved Cassie's voice from its opening pages, too. Cassie is a girl who is desperate to break free of her strict, middle class, Midwestern, Catholic school upbringing (and the expectations that come with it), and she wants to find freedom in the form of an expensive California college education. It's a bonus that her school of choice is home to one of her feminist heroes (who is also the faculty advisor on Cassie's research project).
FRAT GIRL could have been trite. Cassie could have been a walking talking feminist cliché. Thank goodness author Kiley Roache wrote Cassie as a nuanced, sympathetic, strong, and awesome character. Although the ancillary characters in the book could have used some more depth, Cassie and the story line carry the day along with the teaching moments that spring up throughout the novel. FRAT GIRL manages seminars on feminist theory and female sexuality while also discussing the difficulties of being part of a complex social movement. The book also offers a good portrayal of college life in general, though I can't speak to its accuracy when it come to being in a fraternity or a sorority since I've never been involved in either (outside of attending parties, of course). The inevitable romance is also well done, although a little too perfect.
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm passing FRAT GIRL on to my feminist teen daughter because I want her to read it as a springboard to discussions on all of the issues that arise through the course of Cassie's story. I highly recommend the book to parents and teens headed into college, but it's also an entertaining read to darn near anyone.
My thanks to YA Books Central and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
The premise of FRAT GIRL had me at the get-go, and I loved Cassie's voice from its opening pages, too. Cassie is a girl who is desperate to break free of her strict, middle class, Midwestern, Catholic school upbringing (and the expectations that come with it), and she wants to find freedom in the form of an expensive California college education. It's a bonus that her school of choice is home to one of her feminist heroes (who is also the faculty advisor on Cassie's research project).
FRAT GIRL could have been trite. Cassie could have been a walking talking feminist cliché. Thank goodness author Kiley Roache wrote Cassie as a nuanced, sympathetic, strong, and awesome character. Although the ancillary characters in the book could have used some more depth, Cassie and the story line carry the day along with the teaching moments that spring up throughout the novel. FRAT GIRL manages seminars on feminist theory and female sexuality while also discussing the difficulties of being part of a complex social movement. The book also offers a good portrayal of college life in general, though I can't speak to its accuracy when it come to being in a fraternity or a sorority since I've never been involved in either (outside of attending parties, of course). The inevitable romance is also well done, although a little too perfect.
I really enjoyed this book, and I'm passing FRAT GIRL on to my feminist teen daughter because I want her to read it as a springboard to discussions on all of the issues that arise through the course of Cassie's story. I highly recommend the book to parents and teens headed into college, but it's also an entertaining read to darn near anyone.
My thanks to YA Books Central and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Good Points
Feminist theory in a fictional setting
A smart and likeable main character
A smart and likeable main character
User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
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Characters
4.0(1)
Writing Style
5.0(1)
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A fun read
Overall rating
4.0
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The writing style is what really stands out in this book-- SO easy to read, conversational, believable character interactions. It wasn't quite as politically strong as I'd hoped but was a quick and well-written read.
Good Points
Really readable
Pacing was good
Descriptions drew me in
Pacing was good
Descriptions drew me in
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