Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The Disreputable History of Frankie-Landau Banks


 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It’s light, fun, and the main character is delightful. I found some of it a bit hard to believe, but I don’t think realism is the main point of the book. It was full of teenage hijinks and shenanigans, and was surprisingly clean in a genre that is increasingly graphic and gritty. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to any reader at any age level if they are looking for a book that is fun, and that also has some interesting points about the nature of society. I particularly like the comparison of society to the Panopticon, a prison that allowed the inmates to be seen without seeing their observers. Society is similar, and therefore people keep in line whether or not they’re being watched. I like the idea of questioning the Panopticon, pushing back against it, and challenging those systems that are governed by sets of rules so old that nobody remembers why the rules came about in the first place. It’s a good book, I liked it, but it’s not something earth shattering or life altering.

Score: 8/10 
Read this book if: You want an entertaining and light read, or you want a story of a young woman finding the courage to question existing social conventions through subterfuge, pranks, and hilarity. 
Don’t read this book if: You have no tolerance for predictable writing or somewhat shallow plot lines and character development. The book is fun, but it certainly lacks the depth of more mature works. Also if you are unwilling to suspend your disbelief regarding certain plot elements. Some of the novel makes one a bit incredulous.

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