The Clique (series)

Cover of The Clique, the first novel of the series, released on May 5, 2004

The Clique is an American young adult novel series written by Lisi Harrison and was originally published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group, but got reprinted by Poppy books. The series revolves around five girls: Massie Block, Alicia Rivera, Dylan Marvil, Claire Lyons, and Kristen Gregory collectively make up The Pretty Committee, an A-Lister clique at the fictional, all-girls middle school, Octavian Country Day, or as Massie likes to call it, OCD. The fifth girl, Claire Lyons, is a misfit from Orlando, Florida. She shops at stores like Wal-Mart and Target and has no clue what life in Westchester is like and what is expected of her there. Massie is the head of the popular clique, and likes to dress in Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton, and Miu Miu, while Claire, a newcomer to the area, is initially considered an outcast due to her financial and fashion status. As the series progresses, Claire slowly develops a friendship with Massie, realizing that she must earn her friendship, and eventually becomes a member of the group. She soon finds out though, life in The Pretty Committee isn't all what it's cracked up to be...

The first novel, The Clique, was released on May 19, 2004. As of June 2012, 14 novels have been released in the main series.[1][2] On October 4, 2006, a box set called "The Clique Collection" was released containing the first three novels of the series.[3] A second set was released in November 2006 containing books four through six.[4] From April to August 2008, five novellas named after the five main characters were published in a subseries called "The Clique Summer Collection." The novellas focus on each titular characters' activities during the summer between their seventh and eighth grades in school.[5] Harrison composed a guide to the series' "teen speak" terminology and trivia, Cliquetionary, which was released on November 16, 2009.[6] It was announced on Lisi Harrison's website that the fourteenth book (which was released February 15, 2011) would mark the end of the series.

In 2007, Warner Brothers announced that it had partnered with publisher Alloy Entertainment to create a series of direct-to-DVD films based on the books. A film, based on the first novel The Clique, was released on November 18, 2008.[7] The novels are being adapted into a series of graphic novels by Yen Press, with the first volume released July 2010,[8] with art by Yishan Li.[9] The video game The Clique: Diss and Make-Up is based on the book series.[10] The books have a spin-off series, Alphas.

History

The book-packaging subdivision of Alloy Online, which focuses on the teen market, conceived the stories for its novel series, and is responsible for hiring writers and editing the novels they produced.[11][12][13] They approached Lisi Harrison, who was working as a writer for MTV, about producing a series of young adult novels. She said of this proposal, "Always being a closeted wannabe author - I jumped at the opportunity. I loved the idea." Lisi actually wrote this book as a "joke," she said, as she even named OCD after a disorder that some people had. She created this series to show everyone that popular people aren't perfect and that everyone has flaws.[14] Alloy's involvement in the process of writing varies from series to series;[15] Harrison said that in her case they functioned as a sounding board, but otherwise, "they left me to my own devices. It's very much my book."[14] The end result was the first novel in the series, The Clique, which was published in May 2004 by Little, Brown and Company.[16][17][18]

Characters

List of novels

Title Date Length ISBN
The CliqueMay 5, 2004[1]224 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-70129-7
7th-grade student Massie Block has everything going for her, until her father's college friend Jay Lyons moves his family from Orlando, Florida to Westchester, New York. Jay, along with his wife, Judi and daughter Claire; and though Claire attempts to befriend Massie, she (Massie) feels she is not suitable for being part of the clique led by Massie and that includes her friends Alicia, Dylan, and Kristen, called the Pretty Committee. Claire decides to get revenge by pretending to be Massie and using her IM account to lie to Massie's friends. Once Massie learns the truth, they have a five-way phone call where Claire has to confess. At the end of the novel, Massie questions her possible friendship with Claire. 
Best Friends for NeverOctober 4, 2004[19]197 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-70131-0
After the Committee wears inappropriate Halloween costumes to school, Principal Burns has a new dress code: uniforms. This still doesn't stop Massie from throwing an OCD boy/girl Halloween party. Massie also makes a bet with Claire that Claire cannot wear the same outfit and Massie cannot buy any new clothes for a month. They decide to put aside their differences and team up to win the uniform contest. In the meantime, Alicia becomes friends with a girl who has been absent for a while, whose name is Olivia. She teams up with her in the contest instead of joining Massie, Kristen, Dylan, and Claire. Alicia and Olivia change the labels on the voting boxes of the uniform contest and win the contest unfairly. 
Revenge of the WannabesMarch 2, 2005[20]296 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-70133-4
After leading her dance class, Alicia, full of confidence, decides to throw her very own sleepover and invite a few of her dance classmates which makes Massie furious and she kicks Alicia out of the Pretty Committee. Meanwhile Massie tries to ruin the photo shoot Alicia and Olivia won in the uniform contest because they cheated. Claire is trying to get Cam to notice her. When she gets 'in' Massie makes her break Cam's heart. Alicia gets dumped by Cam's brother Harris and her Clique falls apart. 
Invasion of the Boy SnatchersOctober 5, 2005[21]256 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-70134-1
Alicia's cousin Nina is in town to spend the rest of the semester in OCD. Massie doesn't like her from the start, but things get worse when she starts hanging out with Massie's crush, Alicia's crush and Claire's boyfriend . The Pretty Committee tries to get their boys and their 7th grade Alpha status back. Alicia takes over Comma Dee's job at the broadcast booth to make morning announcements. 
The Pretty Committee Strikes BackMarch 1, 2006[22]272 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-11500-1
The girls go on a class trip to Lake Placid. On the campground, the Briarwood boys are just cabins away. Massie works up the nerve to kiss Derrington in front of the girls in Massie's Underground Clinic for Kissing ("MUCK"). Meanwhile, Claire desperately tries to get Cam back after he saw her kissing Josh Hotz at the end of "Invasion of the Boy Snatchers". She simultaneously tries to keep Alicia from finding out that she kissed Josh. But she finds out and Claire catches her about to kiss Cam. 
Dial L for LoserAugust 23, 2006[23]272 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-11504-9
Dylan invites the Pretty Committee to her mom's show called the Daily Grind. A secret about an actor dating her costar's boyfriend is leaked and she quits the movie she was supposed to star in. The director of the movie invites Massie, Claire, and Alicia go to Los Angeles to audition for a part in an upcoming movie called "Dial L for Loser". When Claire snags the lead part, Massie and Alicia are far from happy for her. So when Claire is filming the movie, Alicia and Massie, who have become the hosts of the segment about "Dial L for Loser" on Merri Lee Marvil's show, humiliate her on Live TV. 
It's Not Easy Being MeanMarch 7, 2007[24]193 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-11506-3
The Pretty Committee competes for access to an 8th grade oasis (currently owned by 8th grade Alpha, Skye Hamilton) that will make them top of the 8th grade. Layne, Claire's friend gets access first so she trades Claire's remittance in to The Committee for the key. 
Sealed with a DissJuly 2, 2007[25]272 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-11506-3
After gaining the key to the 8th grade oasis, The Pretty Committee finds out they must get dates to the biggest 8th grade party of the year, as well as get the one guy who wouldn't date 8th grade alpha Skye Hamilton to be there at her side...or the key is gone forever. 
Bratfest at Tiffany'sFebruary 5, 2008[26]227 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-00680-4
After seeing the entire Pretty Committee dumped at Skye's party, Massie Block decides she and her friends need to give up on boys. Massie declares a 'boyfast,' and The Pretty Committee is transformed into the New Pretty Committee (NPC). The NPC's popularity plummets, though when Briarwood boys storm into the school, and the boys become the new alphas. But, as everyone knows, Massie and her crew will never be at the bottom for long. 
P.S. I Loathe YouFebruary 10, 2009[27]224 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-00681-1
When Layne and Massie want the same boy, Kristen must decide which friend to help, meanwhile the boy falls in love with her. Massie makes her own cheerleading squad, but Alicia doesn't like how Massie rules the squad and creates her own. Dylan falls in love with Massie's ex-boyfriend Derrick and is determined to get him behind Massie's back. 
Boys R UsJuly 7, 2009[28]272 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-00682-8
Alicia forms Briarwood Octavian Country Dayschool's (BOCD) first boy-girl clique, The Soul M8S. Meanwhile, Massie hires a group of four actress-models and creates her own enviable clique to steal the spotlight from Alicia. Claire is forced to choose between Massie and The Soul M8S, while Alicia and Massie are planning different parties with the most coveted invitations in town. 
Charmed and Dangerous: The Rise of the Pretty CommitteeOctober 27, 2009[29]192 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-05537-6
In the prequel to the series, Massie is stuck as a beta in a group, Alicia obsesses over her group's new dance routine, Dylan realizes she isn't as skinny as she thought, and Kristen babysits for money. The four girls meet for the first time. On the other side of the country, Claire almost gets a kiss from her favorite boy band, but gets pulled away by her mother at the last second. 
These Boots Are Made for StalkingMarch 9, 2010[2]272 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-00683-5
Dylan, Alicia, and Kristen decide that like Massie, they want 9th grade crushes. They try to get Claire to do the same, but she is fully satisfied with Cam. Meanwhile, Massie is on the search for a mysterious girl with a bird tattoo on her ankle...and nothing turns out to be what it seems! 
My Little PhonyJuly 3, 2010[30]ISBN 978-0-316-08444-4
After Claire and Massie get into a fight, Massie feels insecure and nervous about kissing Landon, her 9th grade boyfriend; she realizes that Claire would be the only one who wouldn't laugh or tease her if she told Claire about her insecurities. In the meantime, The Pretty Committee (Alicia, Dylan, Kristen) are all on a ban on spending money. After Massie humiliates herself in front of Landon's grandparents, her parents reveal to her that they're losing money-thus, as Claire is living in the Block Estate-she finds out. Claire has a total chance to take revenge on Massie-but does she use it? 
A Tale of Two PrettiesFebruary 15, 2011ISBN 978-0-316-08442-0
Massie Block - pretty, enviable and charming as ever, has to keep the huge secret that her used-to-be-rich family is now broke. Apart from the Lyons, no one knows, not even the Pretty Committee. After a lot of begging from Claire, Massie decides to tell her friends the truth. Although she is worried that they will ditch her, she finds out that her friends really do love her, and will stay by her side no matter what. It also turns out that she hasn't been the only one keeping a secret. Dylan's family is starring in their own reality show and if Dylan told anyone, she could go to jail,Kristen has joined an elite soccer team and she won't be able to go to Friday night sleepovers anymore and the psychic Hermia has predicted that Alicia will become an alpha - although she doesn't want to be. Then Massie finds out that her father has got a new job, which would make the Block family rich again. Unfortunately, the job is in England. Then Massie goes to Hermia and Hermia tells her that her destiny includes some boy named James. When Massie gets to choose either stay in Westchester or go to England, Massie chooses England because it's her destiny. Then she meets a boy named James on the plane. Along with Claire moving out of the Block's guesthouse and across the street from Layne, things are never going to be the same for the girls. Will the Pretty Committee get through this? The CLIQUE... the only thing harder than getting in is saying goodbye.... 

The Summer Books

Title Date Length ISBN
MassieApril 1, 2008[31]144 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-03210-0
Massie is kicked out of the Galwaugh riding camp and her parents aren't happy. They decide that Massie should get a summer job to pay for the tuition. Massie eventually decides she wants to work as a salesgirl for the cosmetic company Be Pretty to earn her money and the legendary purple streak, which grants priority status to any girl. She accomplishes this by telling her clients the brutal truth about how they look, and breaks the sales record using this tactic. When the owner of the company learns about this, she forces Massie to apologize, but she instead says she is "retiring," and steals the owner's hair streak device to give herself one. 
DylanMay 6, 2008[32]144 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-03565-1
Dylan and her TV-host mom go to Hawaii for the aloha tennis open so Merri-Lee can interview the teen tennis sensation, "tennis the menace" Svetlana Slootskyia, who happens to have an uncontrollable temper. Dylan gets off on the wrong foot with Svetlana immediately. But Dylan needs Svetlana's help to learn the game of tennis in order to impress her summer crush, J.T. When the sadistic Svetlana humiliates her in front of J.T., who turns out to harbor a crush on the tennis phenom, Dylan gets revenge by making her lose her temper at a championship match, which humiliates Svetlana to go back into therapy. In the end, she spends the summer with male tennis champ Brady. 
AliciaJune 3, 2008[33]144 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-02753-3
Alicia heads off to Spain for the summer, and is allowed to travel without her parents for the first time. While there, she works to get herself featured in a music video including a certain famous superstar. 
KristenJuly 1, 2008[34]144 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-02752-6
Kristen is spending her summer at home in Westchester, tutoring a bratty 9-year-old girl named Ripple, who has aspirations of being like Massie. Ripple's brother Dune is a hot surfer, but he's got a crush on Skye Hamilton, the Alpha of the 8th grade. Kristen and the Witty Committee play a prank on Skye to transfer Dune's affections to Kristen. Also Kristen creates a friendship with someone unexpected. 
ClaireAugust 5, 2008[35]144 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-02750-2
Claire goes to Florida to visit her old BFF's, Amanda, Sarah, and Sari. While there, Massie visits unexpectedly, and the girls end up competing in the "Miss Kiss" beauty contest. Claire's friends (including Massie) pressure her to vote for them for the title of "Miss Kiss". When Claire gets ask to be a celebrity host, Claire then will have to choose between her Florida BFF's, or The Pretty Committee. 

Other Clique Books

Title Date Length ISBN
CliquetionaryNovember 16, 200980 pp (first edition)ISBN 978-0-316-07065-2
The Cliquetionary defines vocabulary from the Clique series (such as "ah-mazing," "ehmagawd," etc.) & provides some insights from the Pretty Committee. 

Reception

The Clique was selected as a "Quick Pick For Reluctant Young Adult Readers" by YALSA.[36] Best Friends for Never was nominated for the 2005 Quill Awards in the "Young Adult/Teen" category.[37] Best Friends for Never reached The New York Times bestseller list in early February 2005, four months after it was published, but remained there only one week.[38] It returned in late February for another week, reaching #7.[39] Following the release of the next volume in the series, It entered the bestseller list again in late March, where it stayed another week, then in late April, where it remained for three weeks.[40][41][42] In late March it also made an appearance on the Publishers Weekly bestseller list, coming in at #9.[43] Copies of the novel have continued to sell in large numbers: nearly 150,000 in 2005,[44] over 200,000 in 2006,[45] and over 150,000 in 2007.[46]

Three of the novels from the "Summer Collection", Alicia, Dylan, and Massie, made the New York Time's Children's Books best seller list. On June 22, 2008, Alicia debuted on the list in first place, with Dylan and Massie placing second and sixth, respectively.[47]

Critical reviews

In reviewing the first novel, The Clique, reviewers remarked on the behavior of the characters, with Publishers Weekly noting that it "takes cliquish, snobbish behavior to Hollywood extremes" and School Library Journal saying that "the cruelty of the clique [is not] redeemed with any sort of a satisfying ending."[16][17] There were also comments about the novel's use of brand names: School Library Journal said that it "has trendy references kids will love"; Booklist expounded more on the subject, saying that the novel goes into "too much detail about how the super wealthy live" but added that it "has fun with the tyranny of brand names" - although they also cautioned that "the very specifics that teens will recognize will be 'so out' before the year is over." Additionally, Booklist described the instant messaging segments as "hilarious", while School Library Journal criticised "the shallowness of the characters" and "the one-dimensional plot".[17] Spero News says "At first, it's easy to hate this book and the shallow materialism that these characters embody. On the other hand, they're so impossible to take seriously that you have to laugh at them. These girls are so 13-going-on-30."[48]

Reviewers' general descriptions of Best Friends for Never focused on its lightweight nature and entertainment value: Book Loons called it "good soap operatic fun",[49] The Virginian Pilot said it was "a fairly quick and easy read",[50] Teen Reads found it to be "another quick, fun, enjoyable read",[51] while Romantic Times thought that it was "sinful, nasty fun" and gave it three stars.[52] More negative comments that were made included The Virginian Pilot's assertion that it "lacks the sophistication and style of deeper novels".[50] On the behavior of the characters—something the first volume was criticised for[16][17]Romantic Times said, "Good news for fans—the girls are just as catty now as they were before."[52] Book Loons added that it "does capture both the occasionally unpleasant verbal interactions and emotional vulnerability of pre-teen girls."[49] The book's cliffhanger ending was described as "perfect" by Teen Reads[51] and according to The Virginian Pilot is, along with the "mild twists", what made the novel an "interesting read."[50]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Clique". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "The Clique #12: These Boots Are Made for Stalking". Hachette Group. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  3. "The Clique Collection". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  4. "The Clique: Second Collection". Hachette Group. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  5. Volkenannt, Donna (2008). "The Clique Summer Collection Series by Lisi Harrison". Teen Reads. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  6. "Cliquetionary". Hachette Group. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
  7. Ault, Susanne (July 2, 2007). "Studios read more into DVD movies". Video Business. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  8. "The Clique, Shutter Island Novels Get Graphic Novels". Anime News Network. September 26, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  9. "THE CLIQUE, story by Lisi Harrison, art by Yishan Li". Yen Press. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  10. "Warner Bros Announces the Launch of The Clique: Diss and Make Up" (Press release). IGN. August 25, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  11. "Alloy Makes a Go of It in Hollywood". Publishers Weekly. November 19, 2007. Archived from the original on December 8, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  12. "Schrank Joins 17th Street". Publishers Weekly. November 4, 2002. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  13. "Internet Company Buys 17th Street Productions". Publishers Weekly. January 17, 2000. Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  14. 1 2 "Meet the guys behind the girl book craze". Portsmouth Herald). July 1, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  15. Rich, Motoko; Smith, Dinitia (April 27, 2006). "First, Plot and Character. Then, Find an Author.". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  16. 1 2 3 "Children's Notes". Publishers Weekly. November 8, 2004. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Editorial reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist, as archived at Amazon.com
  18. "ALA Book Picks 2005--Best Books for Young Adults". School Library Journal. March 1, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  19. "Clique #2, Best Friends for Never". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  20. "Clique #3, Revenge of the Wannabes". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  21. "Clique #4, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  22. "Clique #5, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  23. "Clique #6, Dial L for Loser". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  24. "Clique #7, It's Not Easy Being Mean". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  25. "Clique #8, Sealed with a Diss". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  26. "Clique #9, Bratfest at Tiffany's". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  27. "Clique #10, P.S. I Loathe You". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  28. "The Clique #11: Boys "R" Us". Hachette Group. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  29. "The Clique: Charmed and Dangerous". Hachette Group. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  30. "The Clique #13: My Little Phony". Hachette Group. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  31. "The Clique Summer Collection #1: Massie". Hachette Group. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  32. "The Clique Summer Collection #2: Dylan". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  33. "The Clique Summer Collection #3: Alicia". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  34. "The Clique Summer Collection #4: Kristen". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  35. "The Clique Summer Collection #5: Claire". Hachette Group. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
  36. "ALA Book Picks 2005--Best Books for Young Adults". School Library Journal. March 1, 2005. Retrieved September 7, 2008.
  37. "And the Nominees Are...". Publishers Weekly. July 18, 2005. Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  38. "Best-Seller Lists - Children's Books". The New York Times. February 6, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  39. "Best-Seller Lists - Children's Books". The New York Times'. February 27, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  40. "Best-Seller Lists - Children's Books". The New York Times'. March 20, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  41. "Best-Seller Lists - Children's Books". The New York Times'. April 17, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  42. "Best-Seller Lists - Children's Books". The New York Times. May 1, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  43. "The Book Sense/NAIBA Bestseller Lists". Publishers Weekly. March 24, 2005. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  44. "Potter Leads the Pack". Publishers Weekly. March 27, 2006. Archived from the original on August 17, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  45. "Children's Paperback Backlist". Publishers Weekly. March 26, 2007. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  46. "Farewell to Harry". Publishers Weekly. March 24, 2008. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  47. "Best Sellers: Children's Books". The New York Times. June 22, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  48. New Clique book released: It's not easy being mean
  49. 1 2 "Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison". BookLoons. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  50. 1 2 3 ""Best Friends for Never" simple but has some appealing twists.". The Virginian Pilot. November 5, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  51. 1 2 "THE CLIQUE Series by Lisi Harrison". TeenReads. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  52. 1 2 "Review of BEST FRIENDS FOR NEVER by Lisi Harrison". Romantic Times. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
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