I know these books get a bad rep for promoting bullying but I never seen it that way. I mean it’s just fiction, it’s not like people are saying Gossip Girl promotes teens to sleep their way out of everything. If anything both series shows how bad it is to live your life that way. Plus as I reread it last year, I can now see all the satirical jokes I had missed and the throwback references to MTV. It’s a light read, a blast to the past of the early 2000s and now I shall share my 5 favorites. 

Masie, Dyan, Alicia, Kristen and Claire from The Clique Summer Collection!

Okay okay I’m joking. I know I can’t choose the summer collection. But I do enjoy them the best. Each girl gets to shine on their own and show their stuff and it is fun and quiet often, hilarious. Plus Dylan and Kristen get to show their master manipulating which is nice since they sometimes get shafted during the series. 

5: Best Friends for Never

So this is one of the first instances where all five girls start to work together to put on an alternative yet fashionable school uniform fashion show and I enjoyed the brief friendship moment of it. Not that they are friends, as the title implies they are far from it. But it’s not like I read these books for pure, mature friendships I read it for the juicy drama! And some friendship. Anyway, it introduces very important characters like Olivia and Claire’s crush, Cam and has a host of 2000 nostalgia during Halloween. O’ simpler times. 

4: The Pretty Committe Strikes Back

It features the great Massie’s Underground Kissing Clinic, and as a member of an All girl’s school I understand the struggle and mysteries of boys and kissing. I often wished we had one at our school. Anyway, some real drama comes up here with Dylan’s mom issues and then the Pretty Committee getting lost and suspended! It really sets up the future plots. Also that moment when they bonded and laughed while they were lost warmed my heart. 

3: P.S. I Loathe You

This book provides the tipping point where all friendships are questioned as well as all the relationships. I loved this as it shows how Massie’s utter controlling nature backfires on her in the worst way and the depths of her denial. But it also showed Dylan and Kristen standing up for themselves and what they wanted which is awesome. 

2: Boys R Us

With all friendships, sometimes you must replace your squad with trained actresses to make your ex bffs jealous. The sheer craziness of the plan is hilarious. The fact that Massie pulls it off is astounding. But it’s fiction, so I just bask in her genius. Alicia finally sees how being the alpha kinda sucks and like Massie, you CANNOT control your friends. The best scene with the fashion runway aquarium meltdown was my favorite. And introduces the one of the weirdest phrases in the series, “THERE’S A SEAHORSE IN MY BRAA!”

And now for the number one spot. . . .

These Boots are Made for Stalking: So what was I saying about this series being a light read?

It is, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have layers.

Finally Massie starts to grow up and after reading her actions before this book, you can truely appreciate it. She gets insecure, she lets her friends help her, she finds a guy where she doesn’t have to wet all grown up or anything. Claire, obsess less over her friendships and actually starts to make new ones. Too bad it was near the end of the series. 

Honorable Mentions include: “Invasion of the Boy-Snatchers,” “Sealed with a Diss,” “Revenge of the Wannabees,” and “Dial L for Loser.”