There is nothing more magical in literature than when an author takes an ordinary concept, turns it on its side and transforms it into something entirely new and different. To me, “Frat Girl” by Kiley Roache is a great example of this — she takes Greek life and twists it just enough to create an entirely new idea. Cassie, the “frat girl” in this story, pledges the problematic fictional fraternity Delta Tau Chi to expose their misogyny for a research project to win a scholarship.
The author, Kiley Roache, is a prime example of a young literary voice. “Frat Girl,” her debut novel, was published in 2018 when Roache had just started her first year of college. She signed with a literary agent before she even graduated from high school. Having accomplished this at a young age, the voice of “Frat Girl” is that of a teenager, not a polished adult. There are times throughout the novel where it indeed reads like a young adult’s voice, but I don’t necessarily see that as a problem — especially considering Cassie, the main character, is supposed to be a young adult. Still, not all readers are going to mesh with the writing style and themes, from which many of the novel’s criticisms stem.
“Frat Girl” is a novel in the young adult genre that attempts to blend both the serious and the fluffy in a story about feminism and romance. Herein lie complaints: successfully tackling real issues with humor can be incredibly difficult for a writer to accomplish, especially for a debut author like Roache. On the one hand, this story addresses misogyny, hazing and the darker sides of Greek life. On the other hand, it is a rom-com. Balancing two very different messages is bound to leave some readers upset one way or another. On Goodreads, a lot of the issues readers have with the novel are about Cassie completely flipping from an “all frats are bad” ethic to a “frats aren’t as bad as you think” mentality. Other readers complained that Greek life is portrayed unrealistically in a movie-esque way, and that the characters associated with Greek life are too one-dimensional.
Beyond the criticisms, the novel is a fun read. Cassie experiences a lot of character growth and is an overall entertaining character to follow, even through her very obvious flaws, such as viewing all sorority girls as uniform and lacking intersectionality at the start. She isn’t meant to be a perfect character, and it’s obvious through the many ways she might annoy the reader with her mindset on certain things. However, some scenes lean into the comedic element of the novel too, particularly when Cassie hosts a sex-ed lesson for the frat boys at Delta Tau Chi. This scene encapsulates the beginning of Cassie truly becoming a brother and realizing that her prior judgments on Greek life were too broad and harsh.
And, of course, there is the inevitable romance to consider as well. Cassie’s love interest is none other than Jordan Louis, a Delta Tau Chi brother who surprises Cassie by having more depth than the “frat bro” stereotype she was expecting when she met him. Their romance is the typical YA romance, but it’s good at breaking up the heaviness of the rest of the novel while not detracting from those points by making the entire story about their relationship.
One of the unique aspects of this novel is how well it stays within the YA genre while also adhering to a college setting. Usually, YA novels take place in high school, while new adult novels are marketed towards college-aged audiences. However, new adult novels typically address relationships and drama, so it’s refreshing to have a college story that isn’t centered around a romantic relationship as much as it is a coming-of-age arc.
All things considered, “Frat Girl” by Kiley Roache is what I would consider to be a beach read. While it doesn’t shy away from its feminism, it doesn’t try to do too much either. It is not an essay on everything faulty in college Greek life, but at the same time, it has more substance than just the average fluffy rom-com. That is the type of story to kickstart this summer. Not too heavy, not too light — “Frat Girl” delivers the perfect combination of both.
Rating: 4/5
