The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Released: March 2008
Rating: 5 stars

Frankie Landau-Banks is a 16-year-old girl who attends a boarding school called Alabaster Preparatory Academy. To her family she's known as "Bunny Rabbit". Her mother thinks she can't do anything by herself. Everyone considers her to be a young girl who basically can't do much of anything by herself. Frankly Frankie is sick of this.

This year at APA Frankie is returning as a sophomore. She has her eye on a senior, Matthew Livingston. She also wants to find out more about the secret all male club at APA called The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds. This little so called club has been around for many years. Frankie's father was a member and is very proud of that fact. Frankie would love to be a part of the loyal order but of course because she's a girl this isn't possible. She knows Matthew is involved and once they start dating she starts following him around to try to get details. Soon Frankie finds herself in love with Matthew. She wants to be accepted by him and the only way she thinks that can happen is to be a part of the loyal order.

After she finds out which guys are in it and how lame the whole thing is she decides to take things in to her own hands. Frankie takes on a whole new identity (well, not completely new) and comes up with some crazy awesome ideas for pranks. Pranks that are intended to make people think. But soon Frankie may find herself in over her head. Will she ever get the attention that she wants from matthew or will it all blow up in her face?

This book was pretty amazing. It's told in third person narrator which was a switch from the first person narrator that I'm used to, but it made the book that much better. I forgot how awesome third person can be. Frankie's character was great. I'm sure there are girls out there that could relate to her. Every girl wants to be loved and accepted by her boyfriend and Frankie just knew that the only way to really be in with Matthew was to be in the Loyal Order. So she just had to do something. And of course she was sick of the old Bunny Rabbit name that had been following her around since she was little. This would be the perfect book for most any teenage girl I think. E. Lockhart's writing is truly just amazing (for lack of a better word). This was the first thing I've ever read by her and I can definitely say that the rest of her books are going on my "to read" list asap. :)

Mackenzie, Lost and Found

Mackenzie, Lost and Found by Deborah Kerbel
Released November 2008
Rating: 4 stars

15-year-old Mackenzie Hill is still recovering from the loss of her mother when her father announces that they're moving to Israel because he was offered a position at a university there. Being torn away from the only home she has ever known in Toronto, Canada is not Mackenzie's idea of a good time. Her father promises that if after three months she still doesn't like it there she can move back to Canada, and she plans to do just that.

But soon Mackenzie meets an American girl named Marla who has lived there for a few years. She helps to show Mackenzie around and in no time at all the two become best friends. Also, Mackenzie discovers an amazingly cute boy named Nasir that works at a little shop near her apartment. Soon (even though Nasir's parents would forbid it if they knew) Mackenzie and Nasir start dating little to the knowledge of Mackenzie's father and Nasir's parents. Soon the 3 month period is up and Mackenzie doesn't mention going back home. Things are going so well and Mackenzie is actually happy with her life. But one day something happens that will quickly change everything..

First off I have to say that this book was pretty intense. There was indeed a point where I cried. The whole book moved at a pretty fast speed and near the end it was pretty action packed which was a surprise but it was a good surprise. Not one part of this book was dull to me. After the first few chapters of just Mackenzie talking it switches and most every other chapter after that is a chapter based on Nasir. So the story is told from two different point of views which I always like. Deborah is a strong writer and I definitely look forward to reading something else by her. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's interested in what's going on in the Middle East and to people who don't mind a heartwrenching a story.

The Debs: Love, Lies, and Texas Dips

The Debs: Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride
Release Date: June 9th, 2009.
Rating: 5 plus stars!

Well they did it. Laura, Mac, Ginger, and unfortunately Jo Lynn were four of the handpicked girls to become rosebud debutantes of The Glass Slipper Club. But the only thing harder than getting in to the GSC is staying in it...

Laura's dream is finally on it's way to becoming true! Or at least that's what she thought at first until an awfully nasty lie was spread around about her by who she can only assume was Jo Lynn or one of her followers. She just seems to keep getting herself in to more and more trouble by talking to Dillon and Avery and Jo Lynn just won't have it anymore. Will this heinous lie get Laura kicked out of the GSC for good?

Mackenzie aka Mac still isn't psyched about becoming a rosebud. Now that she actually is one she keeps referring back to her late mother's letters for inspiration and guidance. She especially needs the extra guidance now after realizing how shallow girls can really be what the whole Laura and Jo Lynn stuff going on. To top it all off the new girl in town, Cindy Chow, has her eyes on Mac's oldest pal Alex who has always been there for her. Now that he's spending time with Cindy Mac may be starting to feel a little bit jealous. But will she ever be able to confront Alex about how she thinks she may feel?

Ginger having finally put what happened with the college boy behind her is ready to move on to bigger and better things like of course being a rosebud, social activism, and fine art. But when her grandmother wants her to sit for a portrait in her gown by the son of a local artist she realizes that she already knows the guy. And what she remembers isn't good at all. Why oh why must she attract the bad guys? But wait, is he really as bad as Ginger can remember him to be?

All Jo Lynn wants to do is take down Laura once and for all. After finding Laura's number in Dillon's phone she has just had it. According to Jo Lynn the girl has to go down. There is no way that Laura is taking Dillon from her, and she sure as hell is not getting back with Avery yet again.
She just has to think of the perfect rumor that will get her kicked out of the GSC and ruin her reputation for good.

This is the second book in THE DEBS series and I have to say that it is amazing! It's even better than the first. In THE DEBS you're introduced to Laura, Mac, Ginger, and Jo Lynn but this book goes much deeper in to their relationships and of course there's scandal. Each chapter draws you more in to the story, and each chapter is told by one of the four main characters so you get a different point of view in each. It's pretty easy to sympathize with Laura, Mac and Ginger. And Jo Lynn is just a girl you love to hate. She is the perfect bad girl in this story and despite her witchiness I love her character. I'd recommend this to anyone who has read THE DEBS of course, and for anyone who likes to read about teen girls, relationships, and scandal. I bet if you pick up this book you won't be sorry.