The Clique reminds me of everything that is both fascinating and terrible about middle school. I was never that into these books. I was a pretty advanced reader, and the petty drama of Lisi Harrison's bestselling series never interested me much. I did have friends who swore by these books though, and I did read a few of them. To me, The Clique is like a hyper-reality version of the real world. Apparently middle schoolers in this universe wear and obsess over designer brands (something I still don't do at 19), and it's almost funny how hard they try. Claire is the only one out of all of them who even makes sense as a preteen girl. Also, the comebacks kind of make me want to curl up in a ball and die. Has anyone ever talked like this? Shouldn't adults talk to teenagers before they decide how to speak? I guess the fun of the Clique is how completely ridiculous it is. I just wish it was more self-aware. Recommended for middle schoolers, I guess. (Not really. There's so much better. Please don't hold this up as your favorite series. Please!)