clique Books

Why are you so UGLY? Thats right pony girl!
What do ya have to say about that?
Maybe I'll just eat yer little dog Bean for breakfast.

Skye Hamilton gives Massie and the pretty committee a DVD about the contest for the key. The key unlocks OCD's secret room and Massie is physched. It's just what she needs to kick off the beggining of eighth grade in popularity! However, finding the key is simply harder than it seems. Skye claims to have hidden the key in the bedroom of a Briarwood boy in which she has kissed. While Claire is trying out for another movie, the pretty committee splits up the bedrooms of the Briarwood boys. Massie later gets jealous of Claire and kicks her out of the pretty committee. That means that Layne is the only friend she has left. One night at Layne's house Layne realizes something; OMG!!! The key might be in her brother's room! Sure enough it is! Claire and Layne try to use the key to bribe Claire back into the pretty committee. What's the deal that they made? Does the pretty committee accept? You'll never know until you read the book! :)

These kind of stories unfortunately are real and happening in schools. Kids need to know that they are not alone and that bullying of this kind is unacceptable.I think this series is great for teens. Also another book that all parents and teachers should read that clearly not only clarifies but offers solutions on how to handle this behavior is Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. Short stories with great messages for kids, along with scripts,strategies and activities..help kids to deal with this issue.

The characters in this book are spiteful, manipulative, and shallow. But even worse than that, I feel sorry for them, and sorry for any girl who feels like she has to be fake in order to have friends. How terrible that people won't like them for who they really are.. and how awful that must feel to think that one wrong move and your best friend is now your worst enemy. The author of these books has glorified being cruel and encouraged young girls to be scared of who they are. What a heartbreaking message to send girls as they try to discover who they are. Being kind, compassionate, funny, adventurous -these are the sorts of things that maintain a friendship. Under all the glam and the glitz, Massie's character seems so lonely. She is afraid to be real with her friends, her family, and herself. Girls thinking of buying this book: you are better than this. Love yourself enough to be proud of who you are and read books that encourage you to be the incredible girl you are! Parents, if you love your daughter, pay her not to read this.

A brilliant analysis of the deepest evils of our society. This is where it is born: not in the boardrooms of big corporations, but in the bedrooms of the slumber parties of nine year old girls. I love Massie - she's deliciously vulnerable and therefore deliciously, and ever humanly, evil.

Again, no mattre how superficial these books are, I can't seem to stop reading them. It is true that girls should not be exposed to such shallowness as these characters, but that's the author's point: who wants to truly be like these girls?

Well, the third book starts off after some time since the Fashion Show in the point of view of overshadowed beta Alicia Rivera. She finds her rightful power as she holds court in dance classes, a refreshing experience away from Massie where she surfaces as the popular girl. With new friends from dance and Olivia, they plan to host their own sleepover, another move against Massie.

With the guilt of cheating during the fashion show, Alicia feels awful, but doesn't do anything about it. Instead, she buries herself deeper inside a whole that she can't get out, which I find stupid. Her friends know what she did, so what's the point of making it worse.

Well, it gets worse. When Massie gets hint that Alicia is starting her own clique, Alicia is declared EW. But don't think that Massie is a power-hungry brat. She felt awful for it, like any friend would if they found out they were betrayed.

So, as Alicia is out, Claire comes in. Together, she and Massie devise a plot to sabotage Alicia and Olivia's planned photoshoot with Teen People by adding themselves into the shoot. Claire has become the new Alicia and couldn't be happier, she has also snagged herself Cam Fisher. But, as always, she'll fall down to rock bottom. Seriously, why can't Lisi leave Claire alone!?

Massie's secret crush on Cam becomes not-so-secret when Alicia discovers it. This makes Massie mad, as well as finding out that he like Claire instead of her. Massie makes Claire choose, and knowing Claire, she's too wimpy to fight for what she wants. Get some backbone woman!

Meanwhile, Alicia and Olivia psychotically deal with their own drama: re-creating a duplicate of their own Pretty Committee, as well as frolicking with 11th grader Harris Fisher, Cam's brother who is old than them by 4 years! Alicia is instantly crushing, and feels that she's Alpha enough to handle him. Good luck with that sister...

The Pretty Committee starts to fall apart: Massie forces Claire to give up Cam, Kristen and Dylan's secrets are let loose because they think Massie snitched, and Alicia manipulates her way to get what she wants. Total shallow-fest, if you ask me.

But really, girls deal with this: rumors, secrets, more backstabbing, boy drama, and even more. Lisi Harrison just puts too much pettiness on top to show the true message.

In the end, the Pretty Committee is reunited once again, due to a friendship fix at the photoshoot. Or should I say, photoshoot destruction. Literally, they destroyed Christmas via fashion shoot.

In the beginning, Massie seemed to lose a lot, but towards the end, she gained back even more: a new crush on Derrington (who has a crush on her), her Beta Alicia back, Claire as a new friend, and her life back on track.

Oh yeah, and Claire is moving to Chicago. Honestly, LEAVE CLAIRE ALONE!!!

Well, all in all, this book introduced more mature themes and foreshadowed problems for the upcoming book. These books are not really my style, yet I am addicted to them.

Alicia creates her own clique that imitates Massie's pretty committee. She is pretty smug after she cheats her way into victory with Olivia. She and Olivia may have fooled the judges, but they didn't fool Massie! The pretty committee is mad and after revenge. That's just what they get! Massie's revenge humiliates Alicia beyond all reason and in the blink of an eye she manipulate and threatens the whole rest of the pretty coommittee onto her side, leaving Massie all alone. Revenge of the wannabes;the thrilling third book in the clique series by Lisi Harrison is told in Alicia's point of view.

The characters in this book are spiteful, manipulative, and shallow. But even worse than that, I feel sorry for them, and sorry for any girl who feels like she has to be fake in order to have friends. How terrible that people won't like them for who they really are.. and how awful that must feel to think that one wrong move and your best friend is now your worst enemy. The author of these books has glorified being cruel and encouraged young girls to be scared of who they are. What a heartbreaking message to send girls as they try to discover who they are. Being kind, compassionate, funny, adventurous -these are the sorts of things that maintain a friendship. Under all the glam and the glitz, Massie's character seems so lonely. She is afraid to be real with her friends, her family, and herself. Girls thinking of buying this book: you are better than this. Love yourself enough to be proud of who you are and read books that encourage you to be the incredible girl you are! Parents, if you love your daughter, pay her not to read this.

Revenge of the Wannabees is a well written story that is fun, but cleverly educational about the relationship between 5 girls in a special cliuque that they formed at OCD middle school. This book is an interpersonal relationship fiction novel that shows teenage girls how to avoid fighting between Cliques. I believe that this novel has outdone both the other Clique novels. This book dives deep into the plot exposing the 5 girls true charectoristics and allow them to I would rate this book 4 out 5 stars because this is due to the way it shws how cliques really do act and how to avoid making fights with difficult groups of people. This book would be appropriate for anyone who has read and enjoyed any other books by Lisi Harrison and also for any teenage girls even though they may not be as popular or where as much designer clothes as other girls.

Revenge of the Wannabees is a great clique book by Lisia Harrison.The exposition of the story got me involved right away. Alicia and Olivia go to the office of Teen Vogue Magazine. A lot of cool things happen there.

In the story I think Massie and Claire have an important relationship because Claire lives in Massie' guest house and Claire and Massie both have a crush on Cam Fisher. In this story there is a lot of conversation. Alicia takls a lot about Massie and Massie talk a lot about Alicia. There is definitely more conversation then action.

In this story, I love how the author uses description. She describes everything really well. She describes the rooms and the character so well it makes me feel like I am actually there with the characters. The one thing I disliked about the book was that Massie and Alicia were mad at each other and always fighting. But other than that, I think the book was really cool.

During the story, I could never guess what happened next. It always was a great suprise. The book kept me on my toes. It made me want to keep reading all the time. This book left me happy because something really cool happens at the end, but I am not going to tell you because it would ruin the suprise.I would totally recomend this book to others because it was one of the most exciting, fun, interesting booksI have ever read.

MAssie I'm sorry Nina makes you jealous. Is it cause yer little A-cups can't keep up? Well DEAL.

Hey Lisi HArrison, from a fifteen year old girl's standpoint, please write something that doesn't give me the upchuck reflex? Thanks dog.

Nina is Alicia's spanish cousin, who will be spending a semester in Westchester. She has all the guys drooling and Massie is jealous! After Nina is found guilty of thievery Alicia comes up with a plan to send Nina back to Spain for good!

I bought this for my 12 year old grand-daughter . She had read the first in the series and couldn't live without the next. She is now pleading for the next three. She read the last three within two weeks. If she'll read them,I'll buy them. Her grades are up. Keep them coming!

Excellent series for that precious pre-teen age. My kids can't read the Clique series books fast enough!

What can be more irritating than having someone take your boyfriend or your biggest crush ever? The book, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers, by Lisi Harrison is about four girls who are best friends, including Claire, who just has entered the group of the clique girls and is becoming best friends with Massie, the leader of the group. This friendship causes a lot of jealousy between the girls but that is not the only problem that Massie, Alicia, Kristen, Dylan, and Claire are anticipating. The real problem is when Nina, Alicia's cousin from Spain, comes in the OCD School and is suddenly the most popular girl in the school. She takes their crushes somehow with a very smart plan that nobody can figure out.
I really enjoyed this book because once I started reading it, especially in the part where the girls start to plan something on how to destroy Nina, I couldn't stop. Through this book you will discover who you are in the inside. Maybe unsure of yourself; you can find out what a great person you can be when you are a nice and caring person. That is something that Massie, one of the characters, finds out. If you have a little hidden love in your school or somewhere in your neighborhood this book will give you tons of ideas on how to get him and if someone is in your way it'll have the perfect plan to destroy that little person. This book also gives you ideas about how to be a superb friend because it teaches all the clique girls how to be good friends. This is something that happens in real life and girls have to go through with lots of difficulties in the way that affects their lives. For example they might not want to go to school because they have the whole entire school mad at them so they become frightened. If you are one of them, don't worry. This book is your solution.
The moral of the story is that you have to have a good relationship with your friends so that when someone tries to come and tear down your friendship, you and your friends can be ready and deal with the problem without destroying your relationship. I would highly recommend this book to all the girls in the world that enjoy and are interested in friendship and love. Will the clique girls succeed in their plan to destroy Nina, have their biggest crushes ready to win the Valentine's Cupid Award, and have their first romaaaaaaaaantic kiss? Read this book and find out!

I bought it for my 7 year old, and love the book, but the book targets the older child, I would say ages 9 and up. Very good book though, I was able to read it to my child, and explain cliques etc. He understand it, which is good, but still has lots of questioning, typically normal of a 7 year old.

Great basic book for my fifth grader. She read it quickly, understood the content, and it helped her to understand what's going on with her friends a bit better. Well written, basic, and not overloaded with details, which is perfect for this age group. She said she will read it again. I read it too and was impressed!

Fantastic for opening up discussions with children their social interactions with others.

I teach fifth grade and we always show Trevor Romain's video first, then read the book together. It is not really for kids any older than 5th grade. The book is very light reading, fast and easy to read, lots of drawings. Sometimes it is repetitive but that's because kids often need to see the same thing over and over until it sinks in. I recommend this book for ages 9 to 11.

This book changed my life our forth grade teacher read it to the class after we'd been having troble with cliques. evrything the book talks about is true now we solve our clique problems with out using names or using examples from the book to put the bullys in the bullyed shoes.
Signed
Clique Hater

This book series has always been stereotyped as the book that only shallow and rich girls read. Well, I am neither shallow (I hope not) nor rich (maybe in my dreams) but surprisingly, this book was strangely good.

If you read hard enough, you'll discover the message that Lisi Harrison intended to put out. It describes the trials and woes of school, peer pressure, making new friends, dealing with enemies, and just being a girl.

In reality, the girls LH describes are the girls seen today. They are superficial, mean, and catty. But does one really know what goes on in their heads? The insecurities of the populars are revealed, and that is what redeems this book series. How not everyone can be perfect, but still want to act like it.

LH probably wants to show girls that being popular isn't everything. That, in reality, it is the silliest thing to want to fight for. Claire was ridiculous for fighting to be friends with girls who didn't like her. Massie manipulated her friends to terrorize Claire just because she felt threatened. Really, what teenage girls would want to live like this?

The author didn't want girls to model after her characters, but learn from their mistakes. But still, I think that it is a bit silly to put out a strong lesson in such an immature setting. I doubt that 7th graders live like this, try high school.

The humor is a bit sappy, but the characters are all unique and represent the different kinds of obstacles that girls today face. Dylan, with her body issues. Kristen, with her poverty. Alicia, a person who is always overshadowed. Claire, a new girl who just wants to fit in. And Massie, a girl who seems perfect, but actually isn't.

So when reading this book, look through the glamour and glitz and try to see the real message. That makes reading this book worthwhile, I think.

I am an adult with a weakness for reading children's literature and I have to say that I really love this series. There are always references to designer clothes and rich lifestyles and it is a guilty pleasure to read about this. I do admit that it is rather shallow but don't take it seriously and just read it as light-hearted entertainment. Also, there is no sex and no swearing and would be completely appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Ha HA HA. Seriously. There is only one explanation to why anyone would read this book. And that is brain damage. Yeah, you heard me losers!Emahgawd, this book blows.

Massie=LBR OOOOOOOO. Burn. Yeah I called you a loser. Whacha gonna do about it? Chase after me on your horsie?

This book is fun and entertaining for young adult girls who like reading about drama and fun. Massie is the "owner" of the clique and the "founder." She has three best friends Kristen- the sporty chick, Alicia- the one who wants Massie to go down, and Dylan- the one who loves to eat. They call themselves the Pretty Committee. The Pretty Comittee takes in the new girl, Claire, who is from Florida, even though she is a fashion "no-no." Read about the Pretty committee and their ups and downs in this fun series. A great summer read!
Lily, Age 13

I thought that this was a great way to start off a great series!!! Massie's character is a bit to mean to Claire, but the end of the book makes you want to read the next book, "Best Friends for Never". I would recommend this book to girls between the ages of 12 and 18. It also all depends on the type of personality the reader has. A girl into fashion and drama would totally enjoy this book!

I purchased this for my daughter who is hooked on this serious. She loves the books but it ends in a cliff hanger so you have to read the next one too!!

Oh, I'm Massie, I guess
I'll go kiss a moose head.

Ooooo read my book.
NAWT

Octavian Country day school's seventh grade field trip is a camping experience on lake placid with the Briarwood boys! Massie opens up her own kissing clinic when the truth is that she's never kissed in her life! She lies to her "class" about kissing Derrington and he catches her in the act! Of course, this means a breakup! Later on they make up and Massie gets her first kiss! The pretty committee gets expelled when Kristen sees her mom getting a little to close with her teacher and runs off in tears towards the woods. Of course the rest of the pretty committee follows and when they all return that's when they get expelled!

This is my favorite book of all the series! I love how in the beginning they make a list of clothes to bring. I read all the clique books and so far this is my faV!

This book is all about a trip to Lake Placid. On this trip the girls from OCD and the Briarwood Boys go together, and everyone has their secret crushes. Before the trip Massie(the leader of the "pretty committee") starts M.U.C.K. This is Massie's Underground Clinic for Kissing, but she has never kissed anyone before. Then on the trip problems start occuring.

Kristen's parents can't afford to pay for the trip and when Massie, Alicia, and Dylan ask to pay Kristen declines. Also, in The Invasion of the Boy Snatchers, Claire kissed Josh and now Cam isn't talking to her. Will Cam ever forgive Claire? Will Massie get her first kiss? This page-turner is a great book and I would reccomend it.

Surprises and secrets continue to bloom at Easton Academy, but the Girls in Billings Hall should be used to the unexpected.

After the death of Cheyenne Martin, the Billings' Girls are continuing to recuperate and move on with their lives. Their first mission was to elect their newest president and it's no surprise that Reed is the chosen one. From the death of Thomas to discovering what some of the girls at Billings are really like, Reed is just the choice, since she does know how to handle what gets thrown at her. Of course, whenever you are at the top, there is someone to bring you down.

You don't have to wait too long for trouble to surround Billings Hall. The death of Cheyenne has not been solved and the police want to get all the answers they can. The interrogation happens when the girls are planning a special event that will help them get on the headmaster's good side. Even though she is Josh-less, Reed isn't finding it too hard to find a date. Choosing one can be a little difficult, since she needs someone who can grab Josh's attention and his emotions.

Her feelings for Josh have not yet evaporated, especially since he is one of the reasons why she came back to Easton. And her little incident with Dash is still under wraps, but as we all know, nothing stays a secret forever.

It's up to Reed to figure everything out and make things better. But if all of her secrets are revealed, and the ones she can turn to are betrayed, once she finds the answer to all of the problems, it may well be that no one will be there to help her get through it. Let's just hope Reed can fight these next obstacles before she gets knocked off her high horse.

As always, Kate Brian does a fantastic job continuing the series with even more suspense and fresh story lines. Reed continues to be a strong character and the Billings' Girls continue to be scandalous. With an ending that will make your jaw drop, fans of the previous novels will be satisfied with this next installment, and still yearn for more.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

This book is amazingly ah-mazing!!!!! I looooooooove the series and looooooooove this book! I have been counting down the days until it came out. So exicited to finally have it in my possession!

This was an interesting book, because I'm not a big fan of Reed Brennan. Brian shows her in this book as having a lack of self esteem, needy, overanalytical and too depending. She has no morals and Reed Brennan is very vain. Always thinking that things have to do with her, when sometimes they don't. Brian really frustrates me with this series, because she makes Reed out to be this unrealistic character who had to endure two murders, cheated on her "rich and hot" boyfriend and hooked up with her powerful "best friend's" boyfriend. Not to mention her immediate social climb. Reed is also very stubborn and is unwilling to accept the truth about events going on. If I have to read another, "I couldn't breathe"..or her always overanalyzing every situation or her talking about how much power she has, I don't know what I'm going to do. As soon as she assumed power, she turned into those shallow girls all living in Billings. I had to put the book down a few times because it aggravated me. It just doesn't make sense. Many of the plot lines are unrealistic. Like a previous reviewer said, Josh would never date Ivy. Also, Brian tends to repeat herself in this series with tons of recaps of the same plot (thanks, but no thanks) and makes these women out to be shallow whores and gold diggers. Although, character flaws add to the interest of the reader, Reed Brennan's are just ridiculous. The only reason Kate Brian even got three stars was because of her well orchestrated cliff hangers that always leaves one guessing of Ms. Reed Brennan's next intentions. If you are looking for a book that can motivate young girls, friends, this is not it.

Also:
One of the tag suggestions on the page was "strong woman" I lauged out loud when I saw this. This is not a book about a "strong woman" overcoming challenges. It is about a girl who tries to get away from her old life to redefine and find herself, but ironically, she still does not know who she is, which is sad.

I expected more out of this book. The entire series has left me in suspense and wanting more, until this book. It wasn't horrible but the ending left more to be desired.

I was excited for the release of this book. Then i read it. i was disgusted. it was unrealistic and horrible. The whole thing was not believable and josh would never date Ivy. It was the worst book ever. i threw it out my window i hated it so much.

Reed Brennan's scholarship to Easton Academy is her ticket out of Croton, Pennsylvania, where everything is ordinary and boring, and where her pill-popping mom resides. To outsider Reed, Easton Academy is both sophisticated and intimidating, and it's obvious that Reed doesn't fit in, but she refuses admit defeat and go home. And then she meets the Billings Girls, the most powerful, beautiful, smart, and successful girls on campus - not to mention elite. These girls are envied by every other girl in the school, especially Reed, who vows to be accepted into their inner sanctum. But her crusade for acceptance isn't going to be easy, and any slipup on Reed's part may put Billings out of her reach forever.

At first glance, the Private series may appear to be just another lame story about over-spoiled girls and their exploits. However, I found Private to be much better than that. The plot is rich with suspense and intrigue as Reed navigates the socially dangerous territory at Easton, but what really separates Private from other Gossip Girl knockoffs, is that Reed actually has a conscience; she's not so ruthless as that she would do anything to get what she wants, and that's very refreshing. The private boarding school setting may seem overused, but it's really the perfect place for this story. I really liked how there was always an element of danger to the story, whether it was being caught outside after hours or a secret on the verge of being spilled. Private and the subsequent books its series are sure to thrill readers with their drama, secrets, and peek into the private lives of the young and elite.

Strangely, though Private is the first book in its series, it's the last one I've read due to a bookstore mix-up when I first began reading this series (I started with the second book). I definitely recommend Private as well as the other books in the series as an intriguing and dramatic read.

When I first saw this book, I thought "Oh no, not another teen book". But then a couple of my friends convinced me to read it, and I'm glad I did.

Yes, Private is a teen book, but it isn't glamour-coated like the others are. Instead, the books series is more mysterious and serious, dealing with deaths, drugs, alcohol, and even murders. I find it strange how girls everywhere like reading about other girls with perfect little lives; what they should be focusing on is girls who DON'T have perfect lives.

The story starts with sophmore Reed Brennan who comes from a dingy home filled with a druggie mom, a hopeless highschool, and a job at the nearest Wendy's. Her life is turned upside down when she is accepted as a scholarship student at Easton Academy, a school for the rich, smart, and priveleged.

Her luck heightens even more when she meets the devilishly handsome senior Thomas Pearson, who finds a quick interest in her. But truly, the story for her life at Easton first starts when she encounters the Billings girls; the females of Easton who live in the most prestigious boarding house.

They are everything that Reed isn't, and that drives her to strive to become like them. Her first sighting of them happened through a window, and they caught her peeping at them. Thus, Reed was so cruelly known afterwards as, "Glass-licker".

But Ariana Osgood, the compassionate of the Billings, invited Reed to sit with her and her friends, thus starting Reed's strange friendship with Easton's elite.

Along with Ariana, the most influential of Billings include Kiran Hayes, the model; Taylor Bell, the scholar; and lastly, Noelle Lange, the ring leader. They are all beautiful and powerful, but Reed soon finds that everything on the surface is not as it seems.

She finds out that Kiran, the most beautiful girl at Easton, dates a geek (to which Reed has to break up). Also, she finds out that Thomas Pearson is off limits, seeing as that the Billings girls disapprove of him.

Either way, that didn't stop the spark from igniting a full flame. Reed and Thomas's relationship intensified, even when against the Billings girls orders, until the point where Reed loses her virginity.

To break in with some negativity, I find it strange that Reed, a girl who I thought was level headed and wise, loses her virginity to a guy she just met. But hey, love is love. Strange to the end.

But as their love heightens, so do the demands of the Billings girls. From insane hazing rituals to constant orders at the lunch line, Reed is treated more like a pack mule than a friend. Because of this, she feels that life on the inside isn't as glamorous as she once thought.

Suddenly, her mind changes as they start treating her like a friend: with Taylor helping Reed out in school, Noelle becoming her soccer buddy, Ariana always being the most likeable, and sharing a secret bond with Kiran.

But Reed's life takes a huge spin when she finds out that her boyfriend is, in reality, a drug dealer. But as any love-struck girl, she falls back into his arms because they actually understand each other. Thomas, from an alcoholic, gambling family and Reed, with her overdosing mom.

Their relationship has their ups and downs, but definitely goes hell-under when Reed attends a party and is pushed by a drunk and demanding Thomas. With the assistance of the Billings girls, she escapes the scene, but not without a broken heart.

The heart is instantly repaired as Thomas apologizes. But the story turns strange when Billings girl, Leanne Shore, is mysteriously expelled for "cheating". With her expulsion means that there is room in the Billings house, and three guesses who gets that room: Reed.

Once again, her heart breaks. At the end, Thomas disappears, and no one knows where he went off to. He just....left. Erupting even more questions. Instilling even more mystery.

This book is described to be just like the A-List, or Gossip Girl, but it really isn't. Private is on its own level, with the sense of interesting plot twists, as well as having rich and sophisticated characters.

Kate Brian takes us into the world of boarding school elite, looking through the eyes of an outsider. It's a cliched outlook, but it's good. It was both enjoyable and a great read.

was alright. a little boring. seemed to be copying the It Girl series only the girls are meaner. and what is with the skeletons? on the back of the book it said something about skeletons but in the book it never mentioned anything. too predicable

This was the first series i read and am still currently reading. It starts out kinda of slow but is a great story about boyfriends, "fitting in" and lots of events i don't want to ruin for you. I have read all of the books in the series so far, which keep getting better and better. Kate Brian always leaves these books with something that leaves you hungry for more.

I started buying the Private series for my 12 yr to read. I must say she loves this book. After finishing the 1st book she could barely wait for the 2nd one to come in the mail. I went ahead and ordered the 2nd & 3rd at the same time. She loves it and has a very hard time even putting it down. Great choice for middle school to early high school age girls

The Girls of Billing are still grieving over the loss of Cheyenne. The sisters can't believe that one of their own would commit suicide. But Cheyenne was expelled at the end of book five, INNER CIRCLE, and the girls believe Cheyenne couldn't face leaving in disgrace.

So we arrive at the start of book six in the PRIVATE series by Kate Brian.

Reed Brennan can't stand seeing everyone so down and depressed. So she convinces them that a day in town shopping and a nice dinner will do everyone wonders. The gals of Billing dormitory head off into town and have a wonderful time. Retail therapy and good food perk them all up. And much to Reed's surprise, while at dinner, the girls unanimously elect her the new president of Billings Hall. Reed is speechless, but she accepts and plans on making Easton Academy forget the bad that happened while Cheyenne was running things.

But when the girls arrive back at the dorm, everything comes to a complete stop. For there, standing in the dorm, is none other than Noelle Lange. She's back! Reed has missed her terribly, but she can't believe that Noelle didn't tell her she was returning to Easton. Right from her return, Reed's roommate, Sabine, doesn't like Noelle. And the
feeling seems to be mutual. Noelle snubs Sabine and hustles Reed off for some private talk. Reed's boyfriend, Josh, is upset that Noelle is back and is afraid that she will bring out the worst side of Reed.

Reed is in shock at how, almost overnight, people she never spoke to have taken the time to acknowledge her, and bestow gifts upon her. But with her new presidency and popularity comes a price. Cheyenne's family was going to be sponsoring the Legacy (invitation-only elite party for the important prep school people) but with her death, the Legacy has been cancelled. Or so the students of Easton believed. Then someone receives an email from off-campus with the easily recognizable Legacy invitation. Everyone looks to Reed for guidance.

Reed is determined to find out who is sponsoring the Legacy now, and to secure invitations for those that have been snubbed. With the help of Noelle and the rest of Billings, Reed travels into New York City to track down the anonymous party planner.

Will the elite of Easton get to the famous Legacy party? Will Reed convince Josh that Noelle is not up to no good? And will the local police decide once and for all if Cheyenne really committed suicide - or was it more sinister?

Ms. Brian continues the PRIVATE series with much suspense and dark humor. This series is similar to the IT GIRL series, but with more intrigue and backstabbing. Once you pick up one of the books in the series, you'll be drawn in and have to find out how all the rich kids live and play in the private school setting.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

These girls are so over the top. I can't wait to see what happens to them in the last of the series.

Cheyenne Martin's suicide is a shock for everyone at Easton Academy, especially for Reed Brennan. Who would have thought that the ambitious, power-hungry and traditionalist Billings girl would take her own life after she is expelled? But Reed feels undeniable guilt. Apparently, Cheyenne had sent her an e-mail before she killed herself, blaming Reed for her decision to kill herself. As if that weren't bad enough, it appears that Cheyenne had arranged for the e-mail to be resent every Friday. Cheyenne is immediately forgotten -- at least by the other Billings girls -- when Easton students are ostracized and snubbed from this year's Legacy, the biggest and most highly-expected exclusive party of the year. Reed shows a great deal of leadership, which is why, in an unanimous vote, she becomes the president of Billings hall. Wonderful things happen after Reed becomes leader. She gets tons of perks, money she's never had in her life, and power she'd never before envisaged. But will her leadership be threatened when Noelle returns to Easton? Noelle was a senior last year, but after getting expelled from Easton and getting community service, she has to repeat her senior year, and her father threatens to sue if they don't let her back in Easton. Will Reed be able to get invites to this year's Legacy? On top of everything else, she and Josh are having problems. She wants to be a Billings girl and hang out with Noelle, he doesn't. There is also the fact that Reed has a crush on Dash, Noelle's ex, who is now in Yale. This brings a whole new conflict into her already complicated life. To top it all off, someone is watching her, messing with her. Is Cheyenne really dead, or -- oh horror of horrors -- has Ariana somehow escaped from the mental institution she now resides?

This new installment in the Private series brings new drama and conflicts for Reed. At first, the presidency seems like a dream come true. Then everything falls apart, and she asks herself if the presidency is a blessing... or a curse. The Billings girls are as silly and glitzy as ever. A new Starbucks-like coffee shop is built in the school, which will probably become their hangout. Reed does get a little annoying in this installment -- self-absorbed, always after Noelle like a lapdog -- and I wanted to slap her a few times, especially as far as her relationship with Josh is concerned. I won't spoil the reader by supplying details, but she deserves what she gets toward the end. This installment is as addictive and riveting as the ones before it (with the exception of Inner Circle), but I've discovered something about Kate Brian: she is not consistent with the secondary characters' physical description. Eye and hair colors change with each installment. Josh's eyes had been green in other books. In this book, they are blue. London had been described as blonde -- she is brunette in this one. At first, I thought it was me who couldn't keep up with the descriptions, but it appears that the author herself is confused. I wish Brian would keep a file of the smaller characters' descriptions, something like, "Josh -- curly blonde hair, green eyes," etc. Also, the thing with the e-mail isn't resolved in this book. No one knows who, if anyone, was sending it or if it indeed had been an auto-send e-mail. It's almost as if Brian completely forgot to resolve that issue, but maybe we'll just have to wait till the next book to find out. There is, like the other books, a huge twist at the end. I find it hilarious that Reed has gone through so much in such a short amount of time. If this much happened in real life, Easton would have been shut down because parents wouldn't pay to send their students to such a death and tragedy trap, and other boarding schools would probably quake at the thought of welcoming a scholarship student into their school. Other than that, I absolutely LOVE Legacy and I look forward to reading Ambition. Also, it appears that Brian will release a spinoff from this series, starring Ariana. I will definitely check that one out!

Brian has written another amazing book. I'm in love with the Private Series. It is one of my favorite series. It is well written and suspenseful I recommend it for all teen girls. Brian does an amazing job describing the events and the emotions of Reed and other characters. If you haven't read the other books in the series, read them first, it is basically a must to understand this book.

I don't think I will ever get tired of the Private series. Legacy is fantastic and quite different from the first few simply because Reed is in charge and is trying to stay sane while being a Noelle. I love Reed's relationship with Josh but am intrigued by her feelings for Dash so I look forward to the next book in the series to see what happens.

Previously in PRIVATE:

Josh Hollis, Reed's new boyfriend, was arrested since everyone believed that he was the killer. But the murder of Thomas was finally solved when Ariana had confessed to going back, after the girls had kidnapped him and tied him up, and beating him to death, mainly because Thomas loved Reed more. While Ariana was arrested, so were the other girls, while Reed found her way back home, only to find herself wanting to go back to Easton Academy.

Now back at Easton, Reed hopes that it will be out with the old and in with the new. It is a new year, after all, and Reed just wants a normal life at Easton Academy. With Josh still by her side, Reed finds her rightful place in Billings, along with her new roommates, including Constance and Missy.

The Billings rituals have been taken away, and Reed is actually happy that those are out of her way. Now there is less of chance for something to go wrong.

Most of the girls do not mind, all except for Cheyenne Martin, who wants to appeal to tradition and have all the old rituals back. While proving to be Reed's newest enemy, Cheyenne not only wants to be the head of Billings but also wants to sabotage Reed's relationship along the way.

Even though Reed wants history to be erased, she has to know that it finds a way of repeating itself.

You thought all of the secrets and drama were up, but it is now just the beginning. The PRIVATE series just never gets old.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

when I first got this book I was sooooo excited to finally read her new book after counting down the days for it to come out!
when I finally picked it up I started reading all the way to the end without putting it down. I was sad that it ended so quick but that was one heck of a goooood book. Can't wait for the next.

P.S Josh is hott!! can't wait to see what Reed does with Dash next...

SPOILER ALERT
I loved this book. Aside from the suicide, i found this book to be quite enjoyable, and a little funny. The audience was shocked to see that Thomas was dead. Now, cheyenne dies and we are like, what the heck? i didn't like her, but i didnt think her character should have been killed off. Even so, the book was really good. The introduction to new characters and the focus on old characters and their personalities made us really feel like WE were living in Billings. This is the first book that kate brian has disappointed me, yet this is also the first book that i was impressed with her. Weird, but i still enjoyed the book. Kudos to Kate.

Junior year is here, a new beginning for Reed. Ariana is in jail for the murder of Thomas Pearson; and former seniors Noelle, Kiran and Taylor have moved on to other things. Things are going very well between Reed and Josh, except for the somewhat flirtatious e-mail exchanges she is having with Dash, Noelle's boyfriend. Easton Academy has a new headmaster, one that plans to keep the Billings Hall on a very short leach. The Billings Hall is now under senior-class It girl Cheyenne Martin's control, and she will hold on to old traditions at all cost. Cheyenne seemed like a nice enough person last year, but Reed hadn't imagined that it had all been an act. Cheyenne -- the only person who has outsmarted Noelle -- is controlling, scheming and backstabbing. There are six new prospective dorm-mates at Billings -- Constance, Missy, Lorna, Kiki and a foreign exchanged student named Sabine. Reed is excited to have Constance at Billings, but Cheyenne has other ideas. Cheyenne also has her eyes set on Josh. A new school year, a new set of drama. When it comes to manipulation, Cheyenne makes Noelle seem like an amateur in comparison.

I can't believe how much the series has changed with this new installment. I miss the old characters, even Ariana. But it seems that they are not gone forever. Characters like Dash and Noelle still form a part of the story, but only as faraway characters. I hope to see them back in future books. Reed got a chance to catch her breath during the second semester of her sophomore year, it seems, and Brian decided to skip it and move on to the next slice of drama. Reed is no longer under the fab four's protection, which means she's pretty much on her own. You'll be proud of her though. She's not a pushover in this book. As she says in various parts of this novel, she's learned from the best. Noelle would have been proud. The only fault I find in this is that it is not very believable. After all, Reed was so dependent upon Noelle, Kiran and the others that her sudden confidence and independence made me scratch my head in confusion. The new characters seem benign and one-dimensional compared to the old ones, except for the enigmatic Ivy. I wonder what kind of mischief this would-be villain is going to concoct in future books. I wonder who and what she is, period. Cheyenne is a sneaky little snake, but the twist at the end is absolutely flooring. Still, Inner Circle falls short to its predecessors. The fab four Billings girls not only intrigued Reed, they intrigued me as a reader, and I am sorry to see them gone. As said earlier, I hope it's not for good. And that is why Inner Circle gets three stars. In spite of this stumbling block, this series remains interesting and compelling and I look forward to seeing what will happen in Legacy.

Another year has begun at Easton Academy, and junior Reed Brennan is hoping that this year will be peaceful. But it wouldn't be Easton without drama, would it? Of course not. Easton has a new headmaster who is determined to destroy the power of the Billings Girls. Ignoring the tradition of the Billings Girls choosing new members of the exclusive house, he assigns six girls. Reed supports his decision and decides to help the new girls, but new Queen Bee Cheyenne is determined to keep Billings the same as it always is.

I didn't want to read this because Noelle and the rest were gone, but I did because I'm addicted to the series. I read this quickly and the writing is sound enough, but I was just annoyed with the characters and the situations to really enjoy this book. Some of the characters didn't seem like new students but I'd never heard of them before, and Cheyenne...I liked Cheyenne in CONFESSIONS and it seemed like Brian gave her a totally different personality this time around. I did like some of the characters, and it was nice seeing Reed develop into a stronger person, but these positives can't overcome the negatives. I was also annoyed with the new headmaster. I understand that he's realistic, but one reason I loved the first books was because they were unrealistic. That's what made them fun, and reading this was slightly less painful than torture.

If you loved the first four books, I'd recommend staying away from INNER CIRCLE. The real Billings House has sadly disappeared, yet I still have hope for LEGACY.