I loved this second Clique book. I am 27 and so am not the usual market for these books, but I just love these as a guilty pleasure.

In this second book, Massie convinces her parents that she and Claire want to hold a Halloween party together, and since her parents are thrilled that Massie and Claire are getting along so well, they agree that the gals can host the most fabulous party ever - with boys!

Claire and Massie's friendship, of course, is tenuous at best and non-existant at worst, so there is the usual drama of Claire trying to get into the in crowd while the in crowd tries hard to keep her out! But Claire is smart, interesting, and unique, and so she manages to pull off some brilliant moves which help her to come out on top.

While the party planning and excitement is going on, Alicia is drawing away from the group and seems to be breaking up with the clique. To add to Massie's struggle to stay Queen Bee, rumors are flyin that Massie just "hasn't got it" anymore, rumors which she is going to try her best to dispell.

This is another fun romp through the world of the young, rich, and beautiful, and if you liked the first book you will like this next one in the series.

The clique is back in their second book, Best Friends For Never, by Lisi Harrison. Massie Block is still beautiful and is still ruling the social scene at Octavian Country Day (OCD) or is she? Someone in her own clique might back stab her for her alpha status. Her second-in-command Dylan Marvil finally lost all the weight she wanted, and got a crush Derrick Hunnigton, the star goalie on the Biarwood Boys soccer team. Kristen Gregory likes the same guy as Dylan does, and is not willing to share him. She is ready to do whatever it takes to get him. The last and definitely not least member of the clique is Alicia Rivera. She is plotting her takeover of OCD as the clique falls apart with the arrival of Claire Lyons. Her family is temporarily living in the Block's guesthouse and Claire wants nothing more than to be part of Massie's elite "Pretty Commitee." To keep her social status at the top, Massie decides to throw OCD's first boy-girl Halloween party. But, the only way her mom will let her is if she plans it with Claire, who is considered a LBR (loser beyond repair). Massie never lets Claire do anything. The story starts with a bet between Massie and Claire. Massie can't shop for a whole month, and during that month Claire can't re-wear any clothes, shoes included. Towards the middle of the bet (which is around Halloween) Massie wears her Dirty Devil hostess costume to school, and brings Dylan's, Alicia's and Kristen's for them to change into. Of course, Massie conveniently forgets Claire's. So Claire has to wear a different costume to the party that night, or be forever labeled as a wanna-be. At the party Massie and Claire crush on the same super-cute Biarwood boy, who likes one of them. Then horror strikes as OCD decides to go uniform. After the costume wearing on Halloween, girls started ripping their shirts to look like the costumes that the Pretty Committee was wearing. Some of the klutz cut themselves, and that was it for the faculty at OCD. Massie suggests to the fashion design teacher that they have a contest for what the uniform looks like. Massie and Claire's designs get accidently thrown away be the Block's live in house keeper Inez. Claire says they can cancel the bet if Massie partners up with her to finish up a design by the contest. And this has to be a real partnership, as a plus, Claire has no nails to worry about while threading needles. Alicia decides to temporarily ditch the clique to work on her design with Olivia Ryan. This shakes the clique harshly, but with Dylan and Kristen as models the remanding of the clique they steal the contest, and where winning by a ton of votes during intermission. The winners where announced: Olivia and Alicia. Massie figures out that Alicia and Olivia had switched the name tags on the voting containers. She decides to do nothing about it, yet. But to lay quiet until the moment with the most opportunity. This is a great book about real life friendships that any teenage girl would love.

During the book friendships are put to the test. Massie, Kristen and Dylan actually meet Claire. Before they never gave her a chance. They always put on a show for the parents (like the Halloween party) but Claire never got a real say. Working together on the design contest gave Massie, Kristen, and Dylan a chance to know Claire as a different person. Claire finds a beginning friendship with Massie while spending nights together working on their design. Alicia befriends Olivia, who just came back to school after a nose job. These to girls quickly become best friends and Alicia's loyalty to Massie is pushed to the limit. Alicia gets tossed aside at the end of the book when she cheats Massie out of winning the uniform design.

This book talks about real life issues like friendship, crushes, and popularity. Popularity is why Alicia wants to start her own clique, she is tired of being second best. Kristen and Dylan's crush causes them to bicker constantly, until Alicia points out that he doesn't like either of them. He likes Massie. Friendship is what the book is about. Giving people like Claire a chance and not letting things like popularity and boys get in the way of true friends.

Teenage girls will like this book because it is about things they go threw. Having friends that they are embarrassed of and fighting over boys happens all the time at school. These things happen between the clique girls. Massie has her reasons for not accepting Claire, she just doesn't share them. Kristen and Dylan realize that it is stupid to fight over a boy that doesn't like either of them, and immediately promise not to let a boy come between them again. This book will be enjoyed by all teenage girls who enjoy books about topics that relate to most of their lives.

by C Shipman