imperfectletter | Entries tagged with e. lockhart

158. *The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart
Young Adult, Fiction, 342 pages
SantaThing gift

Frances Landau-Banks, aka Frankie, aka Bunny Rabbit (to her family), is going to be a sophomore at boarding school this year. It's the same boarding school that her older sister went to (they overlapped last year), and the same boarding school that their father went to when he was their age (and he hints at stories that pique Frankie's curiosity). She decides rather unexpectedly to make her mark at the school.

This has got to be one of the best-written books I've read, possibly ever. Even when the story didn't particularly interest me (I mean, boarding school? really?) or when I didn't especially care for the characters (I've never cared for "popular" kids, or for pranks either), I still wanted to keep reading it, just for the wonderful way the book was written. My sister recently lent me two other books by Lockhart and they are now at the top of my TBR pile.

159. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Young Adult, Science Fiction, 335 pages
SantaThing Gift

I read this first in March and reread it just now. It was nearly as creepy and just as amazing the second time through.

159 / 159 books. 100% done!

81 / 81 *new books. 100% done!

5 / 10 ^non-fiction. 50% done!

47106 / 47106 pages. 100% done!

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46. The Boy Book by E. Lockhart
Second book in the Ruby Oliver series and I loved just as much as the first one, if not more. I cannot wait for the next book(s) in the series. The Boy Book delves a bit deeper into Ruby's troubles, and the problems that she has (both her fault and the fault of others). I really like everything about this series. I'm not sure if it's because my high school was pretty painful (to me, apparently other people don't feel this way) or just because Lockhart's story telling is brilliant. But I found myself just devouring these books.

47. Everlost by Neal Shusterman
I seem to pick up Shusterman's books without reading about them. I did that with Unwind and now with Everlost. Both books are excellent. Everlost is the story of a car crash and the adventures of two teenagers, Nick and Allie. Instead of going where people go after they die, the teens end up in a place called Everlost. In what is in some ways a quest novel, Nick and Allie have to solve a series of problems in order to get to their goal. Along the way they make and lose friends and fight monsters. While the book might sound slightly juvenile, it is not. There is violence, love, and loss. Shusterman's writing is strong, as is the story.

48. Dramarama by E. Lockhart
Another Lockhart book that I read on recommendation from a friend. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book nearly as much as her others. It was a good book. The plot was strong, but the characters were slightly disappointing. Not in that they were poorly drawn up, but that both Sarah and Demi were such big let downs. While the ending attempted to gather up the loose threads, I didn't think it worked at all. Perhaps it was the abrupt way drama camp ended for Sarah, paired with the fact that Lockhart's Sarah was far, far too much like myself, but whatever it was, the ending didn't really do anything for me. What I was left with was what could be a good book, but was instead mediocre at best.

48 / 100 words. 48% done!

blue_ant

43. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Read this book on a recommendation of a friend of mine. I hadn't read any of Lockhart's other books before reading this one, which turns out to be a mistake. Why? Because this book is excellent and everything else pales in comparison. That's not to say I didn't like her other books, but I loved Frankie best. The character, writing and plot are strong. I'm not a big fan of prep school books, but the more YA ones I read, the more I like them. Frankie is no exception. Highly recommended and lots of fun.

44. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin
I've read some criticism of this book, in that it focuses far too much on boy + girl = the goal. I do agree that that's probably the biggest fault and problem with this book. Unlike her previous novel, Elsewhere, there weren't as much holes in the plot. Naomi falls, hits her head and has (what her doctors, friends and family hopes) temporary amnesia. She remembers her past -- up to a point. She loses something like four years of her life, including her boyfriend, best friend and high school. She falls in something akin to love along the way, only to realize that things aren't quite what they seem. I found this book to be both moving and quite good, even while the focus of the book is centered far too much around girl + boy. Although, when you're in high school, often that's the only thing that really matters.

45. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
I fell in love with Lockhart with Frankie, but knew I'd keep reading her books after The Boyfriend List. I loved this book way more than I thought. I'd passed over it numerous times in the past, but when I finally picked it up, I scolded myself for not reading it before. Basically it's a high school story where everything goes wrong, but in a way that the reader can identify with. There's no drama car crash or alien abduction or whatever (not that I don't like those, I do), it's just normal teenage stuff. And I love Lockhart for both the frank way she deals with therapy and how really, absolutely hard it is for some of us in high school, even when we're just trying to do the right thing.

45 / 100 words. 45% done!

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Entries tagged with e. lockhart

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