The Clique (The Clique #1)

Reader reviewed by Denise

Popular and rich Massie is devastated when she learns that not only is
her father's significantly less wealthy friend planning on staying in
their guest house, but he also has a daughter Massie's age whom Massie
is expected to befriend. When Claire appears wearing Keds and
non-designer clothes, Massie is determined to shun Claire at every
opportunity. Enlisting the help of her clique, Massie proceeds to
mercilessly mock and torture Claire. Claire might be a nice girl, but
she isn't about to go down without a fight. Mean girl cattiness ensues.



Targeted toward the middle school age bracket (though fine for high
schoolers as well), The Clique is closer to the movie Mean Girls than
the other "Lifestyles of the Rich and Cruel" type book series. Unlike
books like Gossip Girl, The Clique characters don't engage in any risqué
behaviors with sex, drugs, or alcohol. Instead, the focus of the book
revolves almost exclusively around the interpersonal dramas of female
friendships. Loyalty, taunting, embarrassment, secrets, backstabbing,
friendship, and insecurity are all featured. The inner thoughts and
feelings of the characters are not really explored, so there isn't any
moral or psychological message about the motivations of the characters.



The book is straightforward and serviceable, but neither the plot
nor the characters stand out in any way. The characters are all
two-dimensional and resemble caricatures more than fully-formed
characters. Still, they are familiar caricatures who most girls probably
have some experience knowing or being, so it is easy to relate to the
actions and feelings the characters experience. Though The Clique is now
a lengthy series, the first book can easily be read as a stand-alone.
Not bad, but not memorable.

Reprinted with author's (my) permission.

Reader reviewed by Jordana

OK first I would like to address some grammatical errors, such as forgetting periods at the end of a sentence and using the wrong verb tenses in one or two cases.

Second,  I just want to slap Massie's little face off.  She is such a snobby, stuck-up b*tch!  And all the other girls (who would have been alright) just follow Massie around like little DOGS just doing whatever she says.....if Massie says it's cool, it's cool, and if Massie says it's not cool, it's soooooooo out.  Like Claire, who's out faster than you can say "Not a G.L.U."

Claire was the best character, but I think she should have gotten back at Massie via public humiliation.  Not JUST the sly, sneaky stuff, but maybe pour red paint on HER white jeans.
And being nice to Massie in the end?  Bull c r a p.

Reader reviewed by sara

the clique follow a group of seventh grade a listers.  They all wear designer clothes and  love gossip.  A new girl Claire tries very hard to get into this tight knit group.  Claire is not snobby rich or a dirty fighter, so how will she wiggle her way in.  and in the process will she lose who she really is.  a funny look into teenage culture today but not a very deep book.  is very good for a few hours of entertainment and not much more

Reader reviewed by Chioma

The book the Clique is a very good book. Usually this is not the kind of book I would usually read. It is about a spoiled rich little 7th grade brat named Massie. She is pretty much Queen Bee of the 7th grade. One of her dad's old friends is having trouble finding a new house so Massie's dad decides to let them live there, until they get settled into a new house. Massie being the drama queen she is immediately hates her (since she is of the lower class to her). So Massie makes it her duty to make Claires life at school and her new home a living hell. While Claire secretely plots to get into Massie's exclusive Clique. This is a good read for anybody into teen girl drama.

Reader reviewed by Chioma

The book the Clique is a very good book. It is about a spolied rich little bratty 7th grader named Massie. She is basically Queen Bee of the Seventh Grade. One of her father's old friends is having trouble finding a new place to live so Massie's father decides to let him stay in their mansions pool house. The couple now staying in Massies house has a daughter also in the seventh grade named Claire. Massie immediately decides sher hates Claire because she is of lower class to Massie. So Massie decides to plot to make Claire's life at home and at school a living hell. While Claire secretely plots to be accepted into Massies extra exclusive clique. This book is a great read for anyone who likes teenage girl drama.

Reader reviewed by Kit-Kat

The first time I read "The Clique" I was hooked. It was the best book I'd read in a long time.
The book is about a group of rich, pretty girls who are the most popular clique in their school. And even though these girls are very mean to everyone else, underneath the book, there is truth.
They treat others like many other seventh grade girls treat each other. It raises important issues like friendship, self-esteem, etc.

Reader reviewed by Danae

The Cilque has a pretty simple storyline. A group of girls at the top of the social chain, and their lives. But there are many unexpected twists and turns along the way.

I didn't like this book as a real book that I would read, but it was fun to waste time with every once in a while. But while the story was amusing, I didn't like how the story seemed to try to portray how "hard" the lives were of these A-List girls. They were spoiled and had no real troubles. At times the book would even make me mad because I would think "How can they be so shallow!" or "Don't they have any real problems???"

I don't think (or at least I hope) there are no girls like this in the real world, because that would just be pitiful. I hope anybody so rich at least has some compassion and better things to do than whine about how you only have 10 Coach bags. But as a book, this was a funny, light read. I recommend it to pass the time, but not as a real serious book that you plan to read for some "quality literature" if you know what i mean! :-)

Hope this helps!

Reader reviewed by Sophie

Massie Block has it all: the money , the clothes, the friends, and the ability to talk her way out of every situation and get whatever she wants. However, when a new girl with Keds moves into the guesthouse on her property, on account of her father being 'old college buddies' with her dad, Massie is forced to miss her shopping trip with her friends and greet the new girl.

Claire Lyons is new, and has just moved from Flordia. She surpised by Massie and her new school, where fashion design is a required course and there Starbucks kiosks all over the place. She is hurt by Massie's strange behavior toward her, and doesn't understand why they can't just be friends.

Ehmogod! Thinks Massie. The new girl is totally unlike her and her shopping obsessed friends, the popular girls of Octavian Country Day. Why can't this new girl just get her own friends anyway!

This book is a good one to read when you want a feel good book where you just want to sit back and read. I enjoyed it, but the book has no rell point or substance, you know?

Reader reviewed by megan

this was a pretty shallow book. every one at OCD is all obsessed with how they look and they care too much about being skinny and being rich and what clothes they wear twice in the same year. it's really ridiculous how prissy they all are. they act like snobs who are too good for everyone else. and when Clair trys to fit in, Massie totally just dismisses her. if you were trying to move into Westchester, you would probably try to fit in like Clair did. and you would get the exact treatement she did.

Reader reviewed by noxzeema

This book revolves around five girls: Massie Block, Kristen Gregory, Dylan Marvil, Alicia Rivera, and finally Claire Lyons, the "new girl."

Claire desperately seeks the approval of the "pretty committee" i.e, Massie, Alicia, Kristen and Dylan. Especially Massie's. In return the pretty committe shows their disdain for Claire through nasty pranks. But Claire finds a way into this dream world, even though she can't sleep at night, and always has a stomachache for fear that the whole thing will fall through. Even though the book is about middle-schoolers, the characters seem a lot older, so teens of advanced years will enjoy the book too.