Dickens & Rumi
Cover of THE CLIQUE

book

THE CLIQUE

Lisi Harrison

The lives and loves of the popular kids at a prep school. (Ages 12 and up)

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Products & advertising4/5
  • Romance2/5
  • Strong language2/5

Strongest positives

  • Good role models2/5
  • Positive messages2/5
  • Courage & resilience1/5

What’s in it?

Products & advertising4/5
Why this rating?

High emphasis on luxury brands and status-signaling clothing.

Strong language2/5
Why this rating?

Some name-calling and mean-spirited insults are common.

Romance2/5
Why this rating?

Typical middle-school crushes and dating dynamics are present.

Frightening scenes1/5
Why this rating?

Not scary.

Sexual content & nudity1/5
Why this rating?

Mild flirtation and discussion of boys; no explicit content.

Alcohol or drugs1/5
Why this rating?

No drug or alcohol use.

Violence1/5
Why this rating?

Occasional verbal aggression and mild social hostility; no physical combat.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience1/5
Why this rating?

Occasional instances of standing up to peer pressure.

Creativity & curiosity1/5
Why this rating?

Shows the complexity of social navigation and fashion planning.

Diverse representation1/5
Why this rating?

Character pool is fairly limited in terms of diverse backgrounds.

Educational value1/5
Why this rating?

It offers incidental social insight about peer pressure and adolescent dynamics rather than formal instruction.

Kindness & empathy1/5
Why this rating?

Friendship and occasional empathy appear, but exclusion, gossip, and status-based cruelty are frequent and important conflicts.

Positive messages2/5
Why this rating?

The story explores the harm of elitism, bullying, exclusion, and judging by appearance, though much of the behavior is presented satirically and imperfectly.

Good role models2/5
Why this rating?

Characters show loyalty and personal growth, but the central clique often models manipulation, cruelty, vanity, and exclusion.

Family discussion

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Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. Which character was the best role model, and what did they do that you admired?
  2. Did products, possessions, or buying things matter to the story? What message did that send?
  3. Which choice in THE CLIQUE would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in THE CLIQUE, and what caused that change?
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