The day before the Pretty Committee goes back to OCD after being expelled, they receive a CD in a gold envelope from alpha eighth-grader Skye Hamilton, telling them about a rumored "key" that can open the legendary secret, a forgotten room on the OCD campus. Usually, the seventh grade alpha automatically gets the key, but since it is the fifth anniversary of the Room, Skye decides that whoever finds the key will receive the total and complete power of the room. If the Pretty Committee doesn't get the key, some LBR will get it and it would be social suicide. Skye hides the key under an unknown Briarwood boy's mattress, the only clue being a poem, that states: "The boy who sleeps atop the key is into the exact same things as me. He loves all creatures, big and small so his age doesn't matter, not at all. I try not to think about his glamour-don't style by focusing on his kick-butt smile. Note to self: I've kissed this guy, but I've kissed them all - how bad am I? We've already rode off in the sunset together but next time we do, it'll be forever. Holla!". On the first day back, the Pretty Committee is bombarded with fans due to them being in the movie (Dial L for Loser-Claire) and reporting on the movie (Massie and Alicia). Kristen is the only one free to go, causing her to become jealous. Massie and Alicia also become jealous because Claire is getting more attention due to her being the star of Dial L for Loser. Because of being late, Massie, Alicia, Claire, and Dylan go to the office for a pass. Claire focuses on her list that she made, stating the reasons she would like to move to California, and the reasons she wouldn't due to another movie job offer in which she'd have to move to California. During lunch, Alicia compiles a list of Briarwood boys Skye has kissed and delivers all the names that her source told her to Massie. Massie finds out that Derrington, her boyfriend, is one of them, and that Alicia's crush, Josh, is also one of them. After school, the Pretty Committee head to the chapel to discuss the key. While there, Massie convinces Claire to call Cam and ask him if they can go to his house, so that they can check his brother Harris Fisher's mattress. Cam can't have them come over the current day, and Claire has a meeting the next day, but instead lies to Massie that Cam's uncle is visiting. Claire heads to Manhattan for a meeting with her agent, saying that she had an offer to star in a film directed by Bernard Sinrod, who is a bigshot director making a movie about a runaway teen who meets a prince and falls in love with him. Her agent says she will need choppy black hair and a unibrow for the audition. The chapter leaves off with Miles the agent asking Claire what it's gonna be. Claire is reluctant to accept because she'd have to have her hair dyed black and cut choppy and have goat hair sewn into her eyebrows to create a unibrow. She also can't eat much to look like a real runaway. The next chapter starts as Claire wearing knockoff sunglasses and a hat, then going into the GLU (Girls Like Us) Headquarters, which is Massie's horseshed turned spa. Once there, no one questions Claire about how her meeting went. Instead, they hand her a packet with all the guys that Skye had kissed and why they might have the key. Finally, Claire suggests that they move Cam's house to Monday instead of Friday. Massie gets upset, asking why. Claire admits she has an audition then whips off her hat, revealing black hair and a thick, coarse unibrow made of goat hair. The next day, the Pretty Committee all have missions to go to a boy that Skye has kissed's house. Massie to Derrington, Alicia to Josh Hotz, and so on and so on. When Massie goes to Derrington's room, she finds out that he is a pig. Alicia finds out that Josh is a neat freak. While going to Cam's house without Claire, Massie discovers that Cam's uncle didn't visit, and Claire was lying so that they wouldn't go without her. Massie gets upset that Claire almost sabotaged the Pretty Committee and kicks her out of the Pretty Committee. Claire and Layne figure out that the key is under Chris Abeley (Layne's brother)'s mattress, and get it. After Layne and goes to a conference with the Pretty Committee, she uses the key to get Claire back into the Pretty Committee. The story ends with Skye and the DSL Daters unlocking the door to the secret room for the Pretty Committee, who are left speechless. This leaves you wondering, since Lisi Harrison doesn't describe it. It ends with Skye opening the door, and the Pretty Committee gasping - but no one could say anything.

I'm too old to read these, I think.

It's Not Easy Being Mean starts us off where the last book left us off. The plot of this was one of the most interesting of all of the clique series, probably because of their determination to win the prize. I really enjoyed reading this book, because it finally allows readers to actually view how insecure the Pretty Committee is even though they are so popular and are basically worshiped by their classmates. This book didn;t dissapoint me and made me want to read the eighth book of the series. This book was in a way like an exclusive, allowing readers to view the Pretty Committe in a different perspective.
The Pretty Committe is back at OCD once again, and this time they are going to make their existance in OCD more noticed. But being back at OCD isn't as great as it seems. Now the Pretty Committee are out to win the prize that would determine their popularity in eigth grade. But the Pretty Committe isn't the only ones participating in this game, other girls are too. Will the Pretty Committee rise on the social ladder in eight grade or would they become LBR's?

Excellent book! I could not believe the two plot twists!

This book is about a group of seventh grade girls belonging to a clique called the Pretty Committee. They receive a challenge to go on a "scavenger hunt" to find a key to a secret room in the school that only the coolest eighth graders can use. The majority of the book revolves around the girls competing with other cliques to find the hidden key. They use clues from the riddle-like poem provided to them by the coolest 8th grade girl to go to different boys' bedrooms and look under their mattress for the key. Like most novels geared towards young teens, there is drama, fashion and boys. I didn't care for this book because of the whole notion of a clique. I was intrigued by the title thinking it was going to be similar to the movie Mean Girls where girls start out cliquey but then learn a lesson of acceptance. I think middle school is an important time for girls to begin discovering who they are and who they want to be. Unfortunately, the claws also being to come out as the same time when young girls begin judging each other for the clothes they wear, who they hang out with, how many friends you have, etc. I was hoping this book would send a better message to teenage girls regarding acceptance. Instead, I feel as if it fed into the idea of being in a clique with a leader that creates rules for their "friends". Thinking about a young naive girl reading this series of books, I feel as if they are guided in the wrong direction in socialization among their peers. I would only recommend it to read after discussing how hurtful cliques can be and to show MANY examples of how unaccepting young girls can be.

super cute!! Loved this series so much through out elementary and middle school!

My main reason for continuing this series and for doing it so quickly is because I own some of the later books and want to get rid of them. Sometimes I enjoy this series and sometimes it is just disappointing. I felt that this book had potential, but the plot points didn't excite me in the same way as previous books. I wanted the girls to join their own clubs and branch out because they needed a club to come back to school but instead the joined the soccer team so they could go to Cam's house and look for the key? I also wanted Claire to continue pursuing her acting career but instead she quits? I understand that I cannot always get what I want as a reader, but these turns in the plot didn't make much sense and the stakes were very low. Even with the key searching which I found to be very boring for the most part. The stuff with Todd continues to be disgusting and I feel more and more discouraged every time I am forced to read about him. The expression of sexuality in this series is so weird to me because instead of learning when the right time is for expression or the dangers the author just uses it as a plot point. There is nothing wrong with sexual expression, but it needs to be handled correctly in a book for kids about kids. Also, the eBook format totally messed up the lists, so I had to skip some of the more interesting portions of the book. I am overall just disappointed and wanting to get my books read and gone.

I thought that this book was very interesting. The girls had to find a key to get into a private room at OCD. The key was hidden under a boys mattress. After many attempts to get into boys rooms, Layne and Claire found it before the Pretty Committee. Claire was kicked out because she was too focused on her acting career. They made a agreement that Claire could be back into the Committee and that Layne could go to the Friday sleepovers once a month. Overall I thought this book was one of the best in the series.

It's Not Easy Being Mean (The Clique) 7
PLOT: What's Skye Hamilton (OCD 8th grade Alpha) doing in Massie Block's yard talking to Claire's little brother Todd? It turns out she's there on a mission to extend something of an invitation for a scavenger hunt in search of the "golden key". Along with other selected girls, the cryptic message from the head Alpha herself, tells whatever group who finds the key they will possess access to a hidden secret room in the school. Meanwhile, Claire gets approached to audition for a role that will make her Hollywood movie career.

My Thoughts:
*I was about to slam Massie for being done with Derrington over his messy room but then one mind says that's shallow and the other mind is thinking would you date a guy who has cleaning issues? And then if Mini is the maid then isn't it "her" job to clean the WHOLE house? Not that (that's) letting Derrington off the hook for being a slob, but does that necessarily make him bad boyfriend material?
*I think it was nice that in the end, he did actually clean his room for her. But does this chick always have to get her way? I would have kept it messy out of spite. Maybe that's just me. I seriously hate Massie!
*I'm so over Derrington shaking his butt in every book Is that supposed to be cute?
*And then what are the PC Beavis and Butthead? "She said balls?" (rolling my eyes)
*The key is more than 20 million dollars? (stares at that blankly) I knew Massie was rich (as if we couldn't miss it) but I didn't know she was all out STUPID.
*Massie and the PC even go in and trash Cam and his brother's room. Do they even get punished for that?
*It's kind of hard to believe that a SCHOOL (unless it's Hogwarts) could have a room this grandiose that will make your jaw drop.
*It's even harder to believe that a bunch of teenage girls would want to spend much time in a room on their SCHOOL GROUNDS just hanging out.
*Claire and Layne want to be down with The Pretty Committee so badly that one of the requirements is they let Claire back in, and they let Layne come to 1 sleepover a moth. Why do Claire (and Layne) fight SO HARD to belong to this group that obviously will sell her (Claire) out as quickly as Massie's lip-gloss needs to be refreshed. I use to feel bad for Claire but now it seems like every time she shows a little spine she's right back kissing Massie's behind or running up behind her. Is Massie made of gold and diamonds or something? Now I feel like Claire deserves all the bs Massie dishes out at her.



RATING 5: More of the same. Massie gets what Massie wants. Claire get's dismissed and then goes crawling back to Massie after a big break comes her way. Claire is such a WEAK character it's painful. The plot about the key was slightly intriguing. As secret places usually are. I was just disappointed it's on school grounds. I thought the "mystery" of the guy's identity was handled decent enough. I actually felt bad for Chris. But the HUGE deal they make over finding the key is ridiculous because let's face it. How much time are they *really* going to be able to spend in this room in between classes which means after school they'll be using it, and that just doesn't seem likely. Massie acts like she'll sell her soul for this key. Is it really that life or death? They'll only be in the eighth grade a year. (Ok well ..) But It just goes to show you the ridiculous things that we place important at that age. Well, really I just think it's the ridiculousness of these girls. I won't even talk about Claire giving up a BIG MOVIE ROLE because she'll miss "her friends". (shaking my head) Just.. ok WOW! She could probably use that money to buy a clue.

Wow! What a relief, getting back into OCD was a piece of cake! But, when Skye Hamilton, the 8th grade alpha, gives Tiny Nathan and Todd a CD-ROM, they get it from Todd and play it. They learn that there's a secret room in the bowels of OCD. And, Skye left the key under one of the beds of one boy that she went out with. But, which one? The Pretty Committee is going to find out!

The story was suspenseful at times and exciting!. I liked it because it was surprising. It was an amazing story and it had places where conversations were alpha to alpha. (Massie Block and Skye Hamilton). It was mysterious and one part was a tiny bit sad. But, anyway it was a great book!.

The Clique by Lisi Harrison is about 200 pages and is for people who love drama. It's also for people who love girly books. Massie's group of friends act very old for their age. They also have tons of drama in their lives.

This book is about Massie and her group of friends trying to find a key. If they find the key, then they will be 8th grade alphas. They get to have this secret room only for alphas. They will also be able to get all the 8th grade alpha guys to like them. The catch is that a bunch of groups of girls are looking for the key. Massie, Dylan, Kristen, Alica, and Claire all have to find the key before anyone else in the school. If they do they will always be able to keep their position as most popular girls at school. They run the school and everyone in it. They are the "it" girls, but if a different group finds the key first they are all LBR's ( as they would say) ( losers beyond repair). They might never be the 'it' girls again. The pressure is on.

tThe Pretty Committee are welcomed warmly back to Octavian Country Day School, but their alpha status for the 8th grade year is endangered as 8th grade alpha Skye Hamilton and the rest of the DSL daters hide the key to a secret room in the room of a Briarwood student. They must find the key or they’ll become LBRs (losers beyond repair). All the while, Claire’s career as an actress becomes inconvenient to her relationship with the Pretty Committee and Cam. She gets kicked out of the PC and must work with Layne to find the key and they succeed. Claire must choose between moving to California to pursue her career or staying home. Massie and Claire work things out, and Claire chooses to stay to the delight of Cam and the PC. The PC and Layne make a legal agreement so the PC can get control of the room. They can’t wait to see what it looks like.
tI thought the suspense of the race to find the key and the struggles of Claire balancing her life, relationships, and career were drawn out well as it continued to heighten, too. I could see the tightening of Massie and Claire’s friendship as well. I found their plans for the room creative and interesting, and was surprised that Layne of all people was the one who ended up finding the key. I was relieved though by the happy ending of the PC getting the room and Claire staying in Westchester, New York.