Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Jokester Characters

Something new on the blog again! I know I used to do just review, but I figured that gets a bit old and boring. I'll still do reviews, but I'll try to mix it up with more fun and random posts - like the Top 5 Wednesday's posts that can be found in this Goodreads group.

So in honour of April 1st, here are my top 5 Jokester characters (which are honestly just the funniest characters I read, not the pranksters):

1. Astrid Krieger from Firecracker by David Iserson

Oh my gosh. At the time of writing this post, I've only read a few chapters of this book and already she is my number one. This narrator is hilarious in a total not trying to be hilarious way. She's funny and spunky and 

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2. Frankie Landeau-Banks from The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

I mean, does anyone do pranks better than Frankie? Yeah I think not. Frankie is the ultimate prankster and does it with a feminist agenda as well - what is not to love?Some of my favourite moments in the book are the pool prank and of course the final prank - which is a massive spoiler so I'll stay hush - that really shows the whole school that you cannot mess with Frankie.

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3. The Weasley Twins from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

I think these are on everyone's list. They even opened a joke shop because they are known to be so funny. My favourite moment is when the twins finally decide to leave Hogwarts and literally go out with a bang. I thought (and hoped) poor little Umbridge would pee herself! 

Though this list is not made for prankster and joke-tellers, Fred and George Weasley are both normally funny and pranksters.

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4. Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson series by R.R. Riordan

I know. I can't make a single list without including Percy. He might not do pranks or really joke all that much, but he has sarcasm  down. Like perfectly down. He made me laugh several times while reading the series and I think it's one of the main reasons why so many people love the books.

My favourite moment? I don't have one. It's just every single thing he says. Especially when he tries to be romantic - and fails miserably at it.

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5. Levi from Fangirl

Oh Levi - you are such a cutie. Your sense of humour made Cat, and every Fangirl reader, fall in love with you. You might not be the funniest character ever, but your sense of humour combined with your amazing personality means you deserve a spot on this list.

So that's my list. Who did I forget? Who shouldn't have been on here? You can always let me know in the comments :) 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E Lockhart

Rating: ★★★★★

I think We Were Liars was possible one of the best books I have read this year. It had a great narrator, an amazing setting and the plot twists were out of this world. So when I saw The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E Lockhart, I immediately bought it and started reading it on the tube ride home. 

Frankie is my new favourite narrator

I love YA books (obviously), but at times I get so annoyed by the females in the book. They are either heart-eyed naive girls who get used or bitches who don't let anyone close to them. That's not real life - real life is about girls who are both; they fall in love, but are still strong.

Cue Frankie, the teenage narrator you can't help but fall in love with. She goes to a prestigious boarding school called Alabaster and discovers that there is a secret society there. How to become a member? Be from a wealthy family (think Nate Archibald from Gossip Girl) and be a man. Yup, even though the school is mixed, only guys are allowed to become members of The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds and Frankie's dad used to be a one of the important members. 

Nowadays the society doesn't really do much, but Frankie's new boyfriend Matthew Livingston is still a member and refuses to tell Frankie that the society even exist. Unfortunately for him, Frankie isn't the average girlfriend that takes no for an answer. She decides to follow Matthew to a society meeting and then even decides to get secretly involved... 

Which is why I love Frankie so much; she doesn't dump Matthew, because she is strong and doesn't need a man blabla, nor does she just accept his "no there is no society" as a truth. She keeps him, because she likes him, but also goes digging for answers herself. 

Feminism

My timing of reading this book is perfect, since it centres mostly about feminism and that has been the hot word of the past few months. Frankie is not happy with the patriarchy in her school, which is very strongly present, and decides to change things. She doesn't label herself a feminist, she's not even consciously doing things to improve the position of women, it is just her nature. And that's a true feminist for me. She's just not happy being the underdog, only being 'cute and sweet', but not worthy of the secret society. When I have children, I'll give them this book to show them how unfair the world can function and how you can change it. Don't just talk about it, but do stuff in your own environment to open people's eyes.

E. Lockhart

Though this book still has plot twists and unexpected events, it was a lot more predictable than We Were Liars, which means (at least for me) that a lot more of the reading experience had to come from good writing. With We Were Liars, you wanted to keep reading because you had to know what was happening. With The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks I kept reading, because the writing was so good. Besides a strong Frankie, the side-characters were all well-rounded too. Matthew is the cool guy, who then clearly seems to have some issues. There is his friend Alpha, who is (surprise!) the alpha male of the Basset Hounds and who is just a mess of contradiction. We see, through Frankie's eyes, how contradicting Alpha is, but there is enough mystery left to keep you wondering - and praying for a book about Alpha! To get a reader involved with all the characters in a book is the ultimate sign of a good writer and E Lockhart doesn't disappoint. 

Empty feeling after finishing it

However, do you know that feeling that you just finished a book and feel empty? You put the book down and feel like the story wasn't, couldn't, be done. There was so much more left and you needed more resolution. This is what I got from this story. Now I know this is often a deliberate choice from the author (Gone Girl is the perfect example of this), but I just don't like it. Frankie does whatever she does and then we get a small glimpse in her life after that, but that's it. I wanted so much more. Does she go off to college? Does she change the world? What does Frankie do?! I just wanted a bit more at the end of the book.

Conclusion

Is it really a surprise that this book is a five out of five? I ADORED Frankie, I loved the feminist undertone in this story and my only complain is that I didn't get enough of the story, which only means I really loved it. I think it is a must-read for every YA lover and just every person who wants to see their world a tiny bit differently.