What a great book. I literally couldn’t put it down. Reading it over spring break, I found myself one day saying “I need to stop and put a load of laundry in”, “I need to stop and grab lunch”, “I need to stop and go get the mail”. But I couldn’t stop. I simply had to turn the page and see what happened next. I finished the book in two days.Frankie is a young woman in a man’s world. Named by a father who wanted a son, we find her at an exclusive prep academy in New England at the beginning of her 10th grade year. Unlike many teen protagonists, Frankie is both attractive and somewhat confident. After being unnoticed in 9th grade, she blossoms over the summer and finds herself invited to the “cool people” parties as her Sophomore year begins. She comes across an “initiation” by accident and quickly realizes the secret society of her father’s time still exists … but the society is male only. Being of rather high intelligence and having a curious nature, she quickly comes up with a plan to insinuate herself in the group … but I will say no more so that you can enjoy the clever twists and turns.
Like a female version of Laurie Halse Anderson’s “Twisted”, this book has short, accessible chapters. Frankie’s voice is engaging, but older readers will also appreciate Frankie’s view of the world, shaped by authors like Dorothy Parker and P.G. Wodehouse (which would seem unusual for a teen, but put in the context of the prep school, it works). She brings her own unique spin to things, which makes the story all that more enjoyable. This book has more meat to it than Lockhart’s other, fluffier, chick-lit novels, and has already been a hit with both guys and girls. A satisfactory ending doesn’t tie up every loose end but does seem realistic, and works with the overall story. A definite “favorite” of my reads this year.
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