Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Megan

The fourth book in the Clique series begins with a secret. Massie knows Claire is moving away, although Claire has no idea --- and it's killing Massie! Claire is the sister Massie never had, and Massie already misses her. So when Claire's father announces the move, Claire is the shocked one.

However, Massie's father talks them into staying by offering more pay and a totally rebuilt guest house. In the meantime, Claire's family will stay in Massie's house during the renovation. Massie is thrilled that Claire is staying, but she is NOT thrilled to have a roommate. She loves her room the way it is, plus she knows her other friends will be envious of the new living arrangements.

Speaking of envy, Alicia's cousin, Nina, is visiting from Spain. She is too beautiful and way too flirtatious with Massie and Claire's crushes. All the boys are very impressed. Some of Massie's clique are also impressed with Nina's fashion style and experience with boys --- and that burns Massie up.

As the Valentine's Day dance approaches, excitement bubbles through Massie's group. In order to take the guy they like to the dance, they must shoot him with a Velcro-tipped arrow. Of course, Massie has her eye on not only going with Derrington, but also for them to be crowned as the most popular couple, with the prestigious Cupid Award. However, Nina announces she can (and will) arrow every one of their crushes if the clique isn't nice to her.

As the roommate situation worsens, Massie's things start vanishing. Massie turns accusatory. Can she discover who the thief is? Will she dethrone Nina?

Once again, the mean girls make for intriguing reading. Although many of their actions continue to be cringe-worthy, they occasionally show a hint of heart. The frequent brand name dropping is fun (although it may date the series in the near future): Massie describes the feeling she gets around her crush as "...weak and tingly, like all the cells in her body had turned into Diet Coke bubbles...." Other amusing bits of whimsy include Claire telling fortunes with candy hearts and Kristen speaking in word jumbles ("Rorsy" for "Sorry"). The situation with the newcomer sets up some explosive reactions. It all makes for another installment of fun escape reading for Clique series fans to devour with gusto.