The Clique: A Tale of Two Pretties Book Review

Hello again to those of you who stop by to check out my blog! It may appear that I have dropped off the face of the earth (at least that's how I see it, not sure if any of you do) but I'm back to do my FIRST EVER book review!

And what would be better to review than ...



... the final book in The Clique series, A Tale of Two Pretties!

Back of book:

All good things must come to an end.

Massie Block: Has always had the best of everything. An ahhh-some mansion. An ah-mazing Clique. An ah-dorable pug. And the best wardrobe that money can buy. But now she has a deep, dark secret that's worth more Gossip Points than an A-list celebrity's secret plastic surgery: Her dad lost his job and the Blocks are broke. Will Massie still be on top without her Platinum AmEx, or will her faux gold make her a faux pas?

Alicia Rivera: After her many failed attempts at being an alpha, she's happy being second in command. But when a psychic tells her breaking the beta barrier is in her near future, Alicia needs to change her fate--stat.

Dylan Marvil: The Kardashians and their big butts need to move over--the Marvilous Marvils are taking reality TV by storm. Dylan and her family are starring in their own show, but only if Dylan can keep her big mouth shut.

Kristen Gregory: Can play soccer with the best of them, and now it's official: The most elite traveling team in the Northeast wants her as a memember. But that means no more sleepovers or GLU spa days. Will Kristen choose the Soccer Sisters over the Pretty Committee?

Claire Lyons: After living in Massie's backyard for the past year and a half, Claire should be ecstatic with her parents' Christmas gift: a brand-new house! But then Massie delivers news that may mean the end of the Pretty Committee ... forever.

The Clique ... the only thing harder than getting in is saying goodbye.

Synopsis (according to Barnes & Noble's website):

Massie Block has long led the Pretty Committee—through boy drama, clique mutinies, and jealous wannabe attacks—while always in ah-dorable outfits. Over the past thirteen novels, avid fans of Massie, Alicia, Dylan, Kristin, and Claire, have made The Clique one of the premier bestselling series in the world. After the myriad of juicy escapades, the Clique is finally ready for their curtain call.

Basic Facts

Release Date: February 2011
Age Range: 12 and up (aka Young Adult, or YA)
Author: Lisi Harrison
Book Series Number: #14

I first discovered The Clique nearly three summers ago now, when Bratfest at Tiffany's was the newest book out, and The Clique Summer Collection was just coming out. I had picked up book #4 in the series, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers, and immediately became addicted. From sassy, classy Massie and her black pug, Bean, to honest and realistic Claire, to sports-savvy Kristen, to dancing-obsessed Alicia and her sly ways, to fun, loud, Dylan, the book flew by comfortably, making me hunger for more when I'd read the very last page. Lisi wrote the book beautifully, with appropiate goofiness and girly references to fashion when needed. She had captured the kind of lifestyle I had always secretly wanted--full of good clothes, comebacks, and plenty of friends.

I was ecstatic when I discovered that there was eight other books in the series (at the time). I bought them and devoured them within days, becoming more obsessed with each book. Some people shared my obsession, others scoffed, calling the books "absolute trash." But I didn't care--I was hooked, and nobody could do anything about that now.

The following year was a happy time, waiting for the next Clique book to come out. I read both P.S. I Loathe You and Boys R Us. Then I waited some more and wondered if The Clique would ever end, and hoping it wouldn't.

But in January 2010, Lisi Harrison delivered the news to all of her fans in one blog post, telling us The Clique would end and that there were only three more books in the series. At the time, I was sad, but three books seemed like a lot, so I was contempt with the thought that I'd still have time to enjoy The Clique before it was over and done with.

But one year goes by impossibly fast, and I found myself face-to-face with A Tale of Two Pretties, the last Clique book, only three days ago. The end was near, and I had to accept that now.

This wouldn't be much of a review if I didn't talk about the book, so I guess that's what I do now in this book review.

A Tale of Two Pretties was a great book, and a great end to The Clique. The end was deinitely a curveball, unexpected, but what else could be expected of the last ever Clique book? Although I must say, it was a little unrealistic, but I really think the sky is the limit with Lisi Harrison's writing, to use the cliche.

The characters were just as fresh as in the first book, although I would've liked the book to be a little bit more in Claire's point of view. Also: I would've liked it if the epilogue focused on the other girls, and not just Massie.

There was no definite plotline in A Tale of Two Pretties, but it worked. From the vague plot, you could glean all you needed to about what was happening right now and what the characters were going through.

If there's one more thing in the book I could have, I'd like more of Landon. With Massie's past boyfriends, you hear a lot about them. But Landon isn't mentioned much in A Tale of Two Pretties, probably so as not to draw your attention away from the Pretty Committee.

Will this book make you cry? Maybe, because it's just so sad The Clique is over. Is it the best book in the series? I really don't think so. It was a fitting ending, and helped to complete the series, but I really would've liked it if the book was a 400-page novel. Will it have the ending you expect? Probably not. I'm not sure how I thought The Clique would end originally, before reading this, but I think I had a completely different idea than what really happened.

To end this review, I can only hope (key word: only) that Lisi will consider continuing the series in some way, so we find out what happens to a few of the characters in their different situations (you'll know what I'm talking about once you've read the book). I'm not asking for another 14 books or anything, but maybe just a small sliver of what happens, or may happen, to The Clique in the future.