The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

I thought The Disreputable History was a quick, good read, but I don't feel the affection for it everyone else seems to.

Part of my issue is Frankie herself. Now, don't get me wrong. I know what it's like to be a teen feeling conflicted about herself and completely sure you're right (that's not to say you're wrong, but I often look back at myself and just shake my head a bit). So, I can really understand that aspect of her, but I still don't particularly like her.

I was kind of cringing watching Frankie go on and on about feminism while staying with a guy who so apparently thought little of her. Sure, she would acknowledge this -- she wasn't blind to it -- but she didn't do anything until the end. And, while I think Matthew's reaction was overblown, I couldn't really understand why it surprised her so much. He constantly shut her up when she was attempting an intelligent conversation by telling her she was adorable -- and not in the cute looks way.

I didn't like the way counselling was just thrown in at the end and then subsequently brushed aside. I didn't like that the narrator made Frankie seem above or better than counselling. Now, I don't think we should just throw kids at counselors whenever they do something we don't understand, but it shouldn't be treated as a slight to one's person-ness. I mean, Frankie was all about how nobody understood her, but she wouldn't tell anyone how she felt.

As for the other characters?
Porter: There's no excuse for cheating, but from what we see of his character, he's a much better guy than the other two options.
Alpha: Guy with a giant ego who's a little bit of a douche-face. I found it interesting that Matthew and Frankie were the only two characters who really showed true, unabashed admiration for him.
Matthew: Insecure guy who needs other people to be around him and validate his coolness. Also a bit of a douche-face.
Trisha: Pretty much an all-around great friend. Always there for Frankie besides the fact that Frankie is kind of a crap friend throughout the book.

So, it sounds a bit like I hated it, I know. I didn't, though. It was a pretty good read, but the problem is that I have nothing in particular to point out that I really enjoyed.

The Nutshell: The Disreputable History didn't live up to my expectations put on it by the many bloggers singing its praises. I wanted to like it more, but I didn't find Frankie at all relatable, nor any of the other characters. Relatability isn't exactly a requirement for me to like a book, but I should at least feel some way or another about the character (and preferably not a constant state of annoyance). I don't think my time spent with this story was wasted, but I likely would not have picked it up had I known I'd feel pretty indifferent with a hint of annoyance after reading it.

Miss

Reader reviewed by moonymaster

So, This book was pretty good until the end. That is where it died for me. It was interesting how Frankie evolved into who she became. The popular girl and all that. But at the end it basically had gone round circle and just stopped. Except for a few minor lessons for Frankie and a very distressed Matthew wasn't she back where she began. Yeah I guess she was kinda a legend or something but for me it felt very irritating for the book to end the way it did and that is why it just barely deserves 2 stars.