Review: Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison (The Clique #3)

Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison




My rating: 4.75/5.0

Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers
Release Date: June 4, 2005
Pages: 224


My Review:

The Halloween Party has come and gone and so has the fashion show. The Clique is starting to fall apart and Massie is rounding up her best buds to stay with her. So is Claire now really in? Especially now that Alicia is friends with Olivia?

The third installment of The Clique was definitely interesting. It never slowed down in the world of what the girls will do to stay in The Clique (or create their own new one). With a fashion shoot on the horizon and new friends popping up, this is definitely one in the series to read.

I think I enjoyed this one the most because it showed more of some of the other characters and they appeared to have backbone and that is a good thing to see - girls shouldn't be ruled by one leader.  Alicia breaking out and trying to start her own clique was neat to watch and the ending of the book is good.  It also shows the bad side of friendship, but thankfully some of the characters show remorse for things that were done.

It's the usual middle school drama in the book, but it was good. I enjoyed every moment of this book and can't wait to read the next one. Massie becomes more human, Claire is still Claire and I still love the little brother Todd as a character, and he is a character.

Come join the fun and get into The Clique.

About the Book:

Thanksgiving. Weeks before Christmas. Alicia and Olivia are on their way to Manhattan so the Teen People editors can do a story on them about winning the Octavian Country Day uniform design contest. When Massie finally processes that the girls who hijacked her victory are also modeling for Teen People, she is livid. It should have been her. 'Ehmagod, what will everyone think when they find out it wasn't me who was asked to model? I will be SO over.' Massie decides it's time to get revenge. This snake can not lay idle in the weeds for one more second. Kristen and Dylan throw out terrible 'revenge' suggestions and Massie vetoes them all. She will think of something! But first she has to go home and exfoliate. The social minefields of Westchester County's most privileged middle school girls drive the page-turning action of this addictive series, set in New York City's most elite suburban county. The Clique . . . the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.

Challenges:
100+ Book Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009

Review: Best Friends For Never by Lisi Harrison (The Clique #2)

Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison




My rating: 4.0/5.0

Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers

Release Date: October 6, 2004

Pages: 208



My Review:

The second in The Clique series focusing on 5 middle school girls, 4 who are definitely in and one that might be in. I have seen a lot of people were put off by the name of this book, but as one who had a spat with my best friends in middle school, the name does not bother me. No I don't believe all girls will go through this - but some do.

While this wasn't as good as the first or third book, it was good. In this one Massie wants to have a boy/girl Halloween party and introducing boys into The Clique mix definitely makes things interesting. The girls begin fighting over a boy and Claire is somewhat in with The Clique since she and Massie are throwing the party together. Claire thankfully continues her friendship with Layne and her brother Todd is up to his usual antics (I love Todd). Overall this is a quick and enjoyable read. Clean for the younger teenagers, and a good book. I quickly went from the first book to this one and couldn't wait to start the third.

About the Book:

In the second book starring Westchester County's most privileged middle schoolers, the Clique declares Massie a hero for hosting the first boy/girl Halloween party of 8th grade. Massie's already hired Landon Dorsey, the hottest party planner in the 9-1-4 area code, but her parents insist she has to invite the entire class. Unfortunately that means everyone. Layne is bummed that the boys will be there -- she IMs Claire that's so "DESPR8" -- as Claire wonders if maybe a boyfriend will make her happy.Meanwhile, Massie and the Clique are fighting over who gets to invite Derek Herrington. Dylan thought it was obvious that she was the one who danced all night with Derek at the OCD benefit last month, but says "Whatevs" when Kristen gets all weird about it. Fine, she can have him. He was a terrible dancer anyway and there will be tons of guys to choose from at the party....

Challenges:
100+ Book Challenge
Support Your Local Library Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009

 

Review and Giveaway - The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate




My rating: 4.5/5.0



Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: November 12, 2009

I received this ARC from Gillian Levinson of the Penguin Young Readers Group for review along with Wanderlust by Lucy Silag. I will be reviewing in a few weeks.  Thank you so much Gillian!

What would you do to remain the top girl in the school dating the top guy? What would you do to make sure that you win the Palmetto Princess and your boyfriend wins the Prince title?

This book is a dark look at teenage life. Natalie has made her way to the top and wants to stay there and she doesn't want Justin Balmer to beat out her boyfriend Mike King for the Palmetto Prince title.

I enjoyed this book - it read quickly for me. I believe in the letter I got with the book it said it was a cross between Heathers and Cruel Intentions. I was sold on the book at that point because for some reason I loved both of those dark and twisty movies. I would never personally go that far for something I wanted, but for some reason reading or watching it is interesting.

Natalie is not very likable (and she's not supposed to be I think), but for some reason you just keep reading. I did end up liking her some by the end. She is the main character in the book and it all centers around her. We see her with her boyfriend Mike, at school and with friends and even the ones who want to be like her. We see the good and the bad of Natalie and see her struggles.

This book brought out all kinds of feelings in me - from being appalled, to being sympathetic and just understanding how teenagers are and how this is such a tough time in life. It's a dark and edgy book that's highly entertaining.  It's also thought-provoking book and I really enjoyed it.

About the Book:

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.



 Challenges:
100+ Book Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009





And yes there is a giveaway.  I have a gently used ARC I would like to pass on to one lucky commenter.  Open to the US and Canada only.  Ends 11/18/2009.  To enter simply leave your email address (in code).

For extra entries:

• Follow me on blogger, rss, email (+3 old or new followers)
• Follow me on twitter (+3 @cfulcher - old or new followers)
• Tweet this giveaway (+5)
• Post somewhere on your blog about this giveaway (+5)

You can place each entry all together in one comment (use additional comments for tweets made on different days) I'll add up the entries and place them in my spreadsheet.

Waiting on Wednesday - November 11

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Miriam Parker posted about this one on Goodreads and I love Joshlynn Jackson.  I loved Gods in Alabama and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming.

Backseat Saints



Release: June 8, 2010



About the Book:

Rose Mae Lolley is a fierce and dirty girl, long-suppressed under flowery skirts and bow-trimmed ballet flats. As "Mrs. Ro Grandee" she's trapped in a marriage that's thick with love and sick with abuse. Her true self has been bound in the chains of marital bliss in rural Texas, letting "Ro" make eggs, iron shirts, and take her punches. She seems doomed to spend the rest of her life battered outside by her husband and inside by her former self, until fate throws her in the path of an airport gypsy---one who shares her past and knows her future. The tarot cards foretell that Rose's beautiful, abusive husband is going to kill her. Unless she kills him first.

Hot-blooded Rose Mae escapes from under Ro's perky compliance and emerges with a gun and a plan to beat the hand she's been dealt. Following messages that her long-missing mother has left hidden for her in graffiti and behind paintings, Rose and her dog Gretel set out from Amarillo, TX back to her hometown of Fruiton, AL, and then on to California, unearthing a host of family secrets as she goes. Running for her life, she realizes that she must face her past in order to overcome her fate---death by marriage---and become a girl who is strong enough to save herself from the one who loves her best.

BACKSEAT SAINTS will dazzle readers with a fresh and heartwrenching portrayal of the lengths a mother will go to right the wrongs she's created, and how far a daughter will go to escape the demands of forgiveness. With the seed of a minor character from her popular best-seller, GODS IN ALABAMA, Jackson has built a whole new story full of her trademark sly wit, endearingly off-kilter characters, and utterly riveting plot twists.

So what are you waiting on this week?